Dirge vs Ditty - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between dirge and ditty

is that dirge is a mournful poem or piece of music composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person while ditty is a short verse or tune.

to sing; to warble a little tune.

(en noun)

A mournful poem or piece of music composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person.

* lament, requiem, coronach, threnody, elegy

* *

(ditties)

A short verse or tune.

The Acme mattress ditty has been stuck in my head all day.

* Milton

Religious, martial, or civil ditties.

* Sandys

And to the warbling lute soft ditties sing.

A saying or utterance, especially one that is short and frequently repeated.

* Spenser

O, too high ditty for my simple rhyme.

To sing; to warble a little tune.

* Herbert

Beasts fain would sing; birds ditty to their notes.