World Lullabies For Baby: Little-Known Songs From Around the World

A folk song traditionally sung at scouting camps, this song was popular in both Canada and the United States during the 1950s and 60s.

Bed is Too Small

Bed is too small for my tiredness;
Give me a hillside with trees.
Tuck a cloud up under my chin.
Lord, blow the moon out, please!

Rock me to sleep in a cradle of dreams;
So that I may slumber in peace.
Tuck a cloud up under my chin.
Lord, blow the moon out, please!

Bed is too small for my tiredness;
Give me a hillside with trees.
Tuck a cloud up under my chin.
Lord, blow the moon out, please!

The best lullabies for baby usually include the elements of dreams, stars, and the sandman — a sleepytime formula even popular in Swedish traditional.

Slumber Time is Drawing Near

Slumber time is drawing near,
Night is gath’ring round us.
Stars will all be bright and clear,
When the sandman has found us.
Dream sweet dreams the long night through,
Mother will be near to you.
Go to sleep my dear one.

Everyone loves to sleep to the sound of raindrops, and babies are no exception.

Raindrop Lullaby

Raindrops a-falling from the skies,
Tired and sleepy, close your eyes.

Tired and sleepy,
While the skies are weeping,
Weeping and singing you their lullabies.

Tired and sleepy,
While the skies are weeping,
Weeping and singing you their lullabies.

Sweep the Dreampath Clear

ENGLISH Lyrics:

Sleep, sleep, don’t you weep
Dry your tears a-while
Dream, dream, then you’ll hear the singing crocodile

Oh, dreaming, we’ll go dreaming
Hush, now, baby, don’t you cry

Sail, sail, pretty babe, while the moon is low
Through bright bayou night, the dreamboats drifting slow

Oh, dreaming, we’ll go dreaming
Hush, now, baby, don’t you cry

CAJUN Lyrics:

Gue Gue solingaie, balliez chimin la
Gue Gue solingaie, balliez chimin la
M’a dis li, oui, m’a dis li
Calbass’ li connain parler
Gue Gue solingaie, balliez chimin la
Gue Gue solingaie, balliez chimin la
M’a dis li, oui, m’a dis li
Calbass’ li connain parler
Gue Gue

A lullaby about a baby who dreams of sailing on the moon before returning home to his mother.

Baby’s Bed’s a Silver Moon

Baby’s bed’s a silver moon,
Sailing o’er the sky,
Sailing o’er the sea of sleep,
While the stars float by.

Sail, Baby, sail
Out upon that sea,
Only don’t forget to sail
Back again to me.

Baby’s boat the silver moon
Sailing in the sky
Sailing o’er the sea of sleep,
While the clouds float by.

Baby’s fishing for a dream,
Fishing near and far,
His line a silver moonbeam is,
His bait a silver star.

Sail, Baby, sail
Out upon that sea,
Only don’t forget to sail
Back again to me.

Sing this lullaby while walking your little one around the room, written by Ann Taylor (1782-1866).

The Baby’s Dance

Dance, little baby, dance up high:
Never mind, baby, mother is nearby;
Crow and caper, caper and crow,
There, little baby, there you go;
Up to the ceiling, down to the ground,
Backwards and forwards, round and round:
Then dance, little baby, and mother shall sing,
While the merry coral goes ding-a-ding, ding.

This hauntingly beautiful lullaby tells of a young girl forcibly sent to work as a babysitter. Weary parents will relate to the frustration of being up all-night with a crying children.

Lullaby of Takeda

ENGLISH Lyrics:

I don’t like work such as babysitting,
The baby cries and it’s snowing outside tonight.

I’ll go back to my native home, when I get days off.
But I don’t have a nice dress or shoes to wear.

This baby cries so often and I can’t sleep too well tonight.
Sleep my baby and let me sleep till tomorrow morning.

Today, I’m going back to my home over the mountain.
I can see my parent’s humble house over there.
I can see my parent’s humble house over there.

JAPANESE Lyrics:

竹田の子守唄

守りもいやがる　盆から先にゃ
雪もちらつくし　子も泣くし

盆がきたとて　何嬉かろ
かたびらは無し　帯はなし

この子よう泣く　守りをばいじる
守は一日　やせるやら

早よ行きたや　この在所越えて
向うに見えるは　親の家
向うに見えるは　親の家

The original song is based on a poem written in 1928 by a six-year-old boy from Moscow who painted a picture of “a shining sun with blue sky all around.”  The tune is now famous throughout the world, and was included in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

May There Always Be Sunshine

May there always be sunshine,
May there always be blue skies,
May there always be mommy,
May there always be me!

RUSSIAN:

Poost vseg-da boo-dyet sohln-she
Poost vseg-da boo-dyet nyeh-ba 
Poost vseg-da boo-dyet Mama 
Poost vseg-da boo-doo yah.

Simplicity and melodic repetition make this African lullaby poetically beautiful. Many African lullaby songs for baby include rhythmic patterns which help lull a little one to sleep.

Nyandolo

ENGLISH Lyrics:

Little baby, may sleep take you.
May sleep take you little baby, may sleep take you.

Don’t disturb mama, go ahead and sleep.
Don’t disturb dad, so ahead and sleep.
Don’t disturb grandma, go ahead and sleep.
Don’t disturb grandpa, go ahead and sleep.

Mama is coming, go ahead and sleep.
Dad is coming, go ahead and sleep.
Grandma is coming, go ahead and sleep.
Grandpa is coming, go ahead and sleep.

DHOLUO Lyrics:

Nyandolo, nindo tere
Nindo tere Nyandolo, nindo tere

Kikiywagi mama, ninda ninda
Kikiywagi baba, ninda ninda
Kikiywagi dani, ninda ninda
Kikiywagi kwaru, ninda ninda

Mama biro, ninda ninda
Baba biro, ninda ninda
Dani biro, ninda ninda
Kwaru biro, ninda ninda

An Old English nursery rhyme written by Christina Georgina Rossetti in 1893.

Lullaby, oh Lullaby

Lullaby, oh lullaby!
Flowers are closed and lambs are sleeping,
Lullaby, oh lullaby!
Stars are up, the moon is peeping;
Lullaby, oh lullaby!
While the birds are silence keeping,
Lullaby, oh lullaby!
Sleep, my baby, fall a-sleeping,
Lullaby, oh lullaby!

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