Lullabies N-R

Nature’s goodnight

Nature’s lullaby

Night is here

Nina bobo

Northeastern cradle song

Norwegian cradle song

Now the day is over

Now the sun is sinking

Numbering the fingers

O ladybird

Oaken leaves

Oh, Mother how pretty the moon looks tonight

Old Mother Glasco

Onawa’s Waltz

Only the moon man knows

Oro, my little boat

Over the river to Charlie

Owl’s lullaby

Owl moon

Peruvian lullaby

Last updated: 12/5/2022 7:59 AM

The songs below are compiled, illustrated and sometimes adapted by Dany Rosevear

Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page

To listen to music from these songs click on O

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

· you must give the original author credit

· you may not use this work for commercial purposes

· for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of this work

· any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder

Your fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.

Nature’s good night 🔊

A lullaby written by Patty Smith Hill, 1868–1946. From ‘Song stories for the kindergarten’ published 1893.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

Clouds of grey are in the sky,

Flocks of birds are winging by,

Trees now dressed in faded brown,

Send their leaves all rustling down,

Little flow’rs in slumber deep,

Nod their drowsy heads and sleep…

All the world must say “Goodnight”

'Till Spring comes back with sunshine bright.

Nature’s lullaby 🔊

A lullaby written by Richard Compton to a Scottish folk tune. It can be found in ‘140 Folk-songs’ from the Concord Series published in 1921. The third verse is from elsewhere. Music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Hush-a-bye, baby,

The night winds are sighing,

Go to sleep, go to sleep,

Crickets are crying;

Sleep 'til the dew

On the grass lies a-winking,

Sleep 'til the morning sun

Wakens you blinking.

Warm in their woolly folds,

Lambkins are resting,

Soft in their swaying beds,

Wee birds are nesting;

All the dark night,

In your cradle lie dreaming,

'Til the broad sun

Through the window comes streaming.

Off in the distance,

A hoot owl is calling,

Into sweet dreams,

Little babes should be falling;

Hush-a-bye, baby,

It's time you were sleeping,

'Til bright rays of sunlight

At morning come creeping.

Night is here 🔊

A Cherokee lullaby. Never fear, the night sky and mother are nearby.

Night is here, ay a ha,

Stars appear, ay a ha,

Mama-ma, aya a ha,

Owls you hear, ay a ha,

Do not fear, ay a ha,

Mama-ma, aya a ha,

Close your eyes, ay a ha,

Go to sleep, aya a ha,

Mama-ma, aya a ha.

Nina bobo 🔊

A lullaby from Indonesia sung in the Bahasa language and English. There are a few different versions of this song, this is a simpe one. Translation by Dany Rosevear.

I remember as a child in Malaya that if you did not want to get bitten at bedtime it was important to tie the mosquito net securely but I certainly would not have frightened my younger siblings with this ‘lullaby’ beautiful though the tune is!

This is the second lullaby I’ve sung from Indonesia, the other is the delightful

Suliram: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ChgZx_Y5I.

Nina bobo, oh, nina bobo,

Kalau tidak bobok, digigit nya muk.

Nina bobo, oh, nina bobo,

Kalau tidak bobok, digigit nya muk. x2

Tidurlah sayang adikku manis,

Kalau tidak bobok, digigit nya muk.

Sleep, baby, sleep,

Oh my dearest baby sleep,

Pesky mosquito will bite you

If you don’t sleep. x2

Sleep my dear sweet sister,

Sleep softly through the night;

Mosquito is buzzing nearby

Waiting for a bite!

Northeastern cradle song 🔊

Yolay chu 东北摇篮曲, a lullaby from China.

Words translated (creatively!) and music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Moon shines bright, the wind is quiet,

Leaves gently tap at the window pane.

Sleep my child, my little one,

Night is for dreaming sweet dreams.

Underneath the moon, music plays its tunes,

Soft and sweet lullabies for you,

Hear the cricket sing, “Zhing, zhing, zhing!”

Close your little eyes, rock in the cradle and sleep,

Rock in the cradle and sleep!

Moon shines bright, the wind is quiet,

Leaves gently tap at the window pane.

Sleep my child, my little one,

Night is for dreaming sweet dreams.

Twilight sings its songs, as the cradle rocks on,

Soft and sweet lullabies for you,

Hear the white dove sing, “Coo-oo, coo-oo, coo!”

See your little eyes, close as you smile in sleep,

Close as you smile in sleep!

Norwegian cradle song 🔊

The lullaby "Na ska' en liten fa sova sa søtt" comes from Romerike, a flat landscape in the south of Norway. Because of the wide plain there is a lot of agriculture to be found there. This gentle melody is in a minor key and rises and falls with a swaying rhythm to create a calming quiet atmosphere. Translated by Dany Rosevear.

Dear little one you must sleep, must sleep,

The cradle lies there my sweet baby.

There it waits ready, so cosy and soft,

Now you can slumber in safety.

Hush, hush, sweetly you’ll sleep,

For angels watch over my baby.

Now the day is over 🔊

This hymn was written by Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834-1924; the words here have been adapted for a young and secular audience by Dany Rosevear who also added the chords. The original tune was composed by Joseph Barnby 1868 and has been simply arranged by Alec Wilder for ‘Lullabies and Night songs’ 1965. Sing softly.

Now the day is over,

Night is drawing nigh;

Shadows of the evening

Steal across the sky.

Now the darkness gathers,

Stars begin to peep,

Birds and beasts and flowers

Soon will be asleep.

Give to little children

Dreams so sweet and free;

Guard the sailors tossing

On the deep, blue sea.

When the morning wakens,

Then may I arise,

To greet the new day dawning

With eager, loving eyes.

Now the sun is sinking 🔊

Or ‘The sunset’; the author is unknown. It was set to a familiar French folk tune in the ‘Progressive music series” published in 1915 where it also lost the second verse.

Now the sun is sinking

In the golden west;

Birds and bees and children

All have gone to rest;

And the merry streamlet,

As it runs along,

With a voice of sweetness

Sings its evening song.

Cowslip, daisy, violet,

In their little beds,

All among the grasses

Hide their heavy heads;

There they'll all, sweet darlings,

Lie in the happy dreams.

Till the rosy morning

Wakes them with its beams.

Numbering the fingers 🔊

Time to put your fingers to bed.

By Emilie Poulsson to a French folk song.

Words adapted and music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

1. Lay each finger in the palm of the hand.

2. Place a hand blanket over them. Put hands to cheek.

The thumb is one, the pointer two,

The middle finger three;

Ring finger four, little finger five,

And that is all you see.

Now we have put them all to bed,

A quiet sleep to take,

And softly sung this lullaby,

Lest they too early wake,

Lest they too early wake.

O ladybird 🔊

From ‘Dulce Domun Rhymes and songs for children’ published 1893.

Dany Rosevear wrote the music as the original tune is in 3/8 and challenging, for me, to sing!

O ladybird, ladybird, fly away home!

The squirrel and fieldmouse have gone to their nest;

The daisies have shut up their sleepy red eyes,

The bees and the insects and birds are at rest.

O ladybird, ladybird, fly away home!

The glow-worm is lighting his glittering lamp,

The dew’s falling fast and your fine speckled wing

Will be moistened and wet with the close clinging damp.

O ladybird, ladybird, fly away home!

The sweet little fairy-bells tinkle afar;

Make haste or they’ll catch you and harness you fast

With a gossamer web to Oberon’s car.

Oaken leaves 🔊

A very old lullaby with a lovely tune to celebrate new life. Some suggest it is about the mother Mary but could be sung at any time of year, especially Spring, to herald rebirth.

It is often sung as a round and the tune used for dancing: Oaken Leaves (cdss.org)

Found in Thomas Lant Roll published in 1580 LantRoll_All_v1.1.pdf (homemail.com.au) Also in the Thomas Ravencroft collection ‘Pammelia’ published in 1609 leaves.pdf (serpentpublications.org)

Adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Oaken leaves in the merry wood so wild,

When will you grow greena?

Fairest maid, and thou be with child,

Lullaby may’st thou singa.

Lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby,

Lullaby may’st thou singa.

Oh, Mother how pretty the moon looks tonight 🔊

Many grandparents and indeed great grandparents were familiar with this beautiful song in the U.S.A. over the years; some suggest its origins are Irish. Mudcat has investigated its origins and say it is possibly attributed to a poem by Eliza Lee Follen.

"Oh, Mother how pretty the moon looks tonight,

It was never so pretty before;

Its two little horns are so sharp and so bright,

I hope they’ll not grow any more!

Chorus:

If I were up there with both you and the moon,

We'd rock in it nightly you'd see.

We’d sit in the middle and hold tight both ends,

Oh, what a fine cradle t'would be.

We'd call to the stars to get out of our way,

Lest we should rock over their toes.

And there we would play till the dawn of the day

To see where that pretty moon goes.

And there we would play in the beautiful sky,

And through the bright clouds we would roam,

We’d see the sun set and we'd see the sun rise,

And on the next rainbow come home."

Old Mother Glasco 🔊

This song of AfroAmerican origin has some of the the content of ‘All the little horses’. I came across it first as ‘Old Molly Glasco’ in ‘Music through the day’ published in 1956 but ‘Mother Glasco’ is the only title I can find elsewhere.

Sing soulfully.

Old Mother Glasco, where's your lamb?

I left him down in the meadow.

Birds and the bees, singing in the trees,

Poor little lamb crying “Mammy”.

Onawa’s Waltz 🔊

Written by John Krumm. Onawa Padini was the young daughter of a musician who loved dancing and singing. She tragically entered a coma after a car accident. Each evening this song was sung to her to help her revive but very sadly this never happened.

I’ve been waiting all the day long

To see the stars in your eyes

My love come dance with me now

See how the evening flies

And as you sleep my dear

Know that I’ll be near

To hold you when you arise

Only the moon man knows 🔊

The original, much longer, poem was written by Mildred Plew Merryman (nee Meigs) and published ‘Child’s Life’ in 1923. It also appeared in ‘The golden book of poetry’ published 1945. It has since been put to music and sung by Cathie Taylor, Bonnie Guitar and Kathy Reed Naiman among others; this version probably follows the latter most closely.

Find out more at: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=29363

Zoon, zoon, cuddle and croon,

Out on the wrinklin’ sea,

The moon man casts a silvery net

Fashioned from moonbeams three.

And some say when the net lies long,

And no one else is there,

The moon man fishes for silvery combs

That fell from a mermaid's hair.

Oh, the waves roll out and the waves roll in,

And the nodding night wind blows,

But why the moon man fishes the sea

Only the moon man knows.

Zoon, zoon, cuddle and croon,

Out on the wrinklin’ sea,

The moon man casts a silvery net

Fashioned from moonbeams three.

And some say when the net lies long

And the midnight hour is nigh;

The moon man fishes for some old song

That fell from a sailor's pipe.

And some say he fishes the seas,

Down where the wrecked ships lie;

Looking for lost little baby stars,

That slid from the velvet sky.

Oh, the waves roll out and the waves roll in

And the gray gulls dip and doze,

But why the moon man fishes the sea,

Only the moon man knows.

Zoon, zoon, cuddle and croon,

Out on the wrinklin’ sea,

The moon man casts a silvery net

Fashioned from moonbeams three.

And some say when the great net gleams,

And the waves are dusky blue,

The moon man fishes for two little dreams

He lost when the world was new.

Oh, the waves roll out and the waves roll in,

And the nodding night wind blows,

But why the moon man fishes the sea

Only the moon man knows.

Oro, my little boat O

A sweet Irish lullaby; hear it exquisitely sung by Pauline Scanlon and Éilís Kennedy in the Irish language at: https://songoftheisles.com/2013/02/08/oro-mo-bhaidin/.

The words below are not a literal translation, this version was collected by Diane Hamilton and comes from the LP ‘So early in the morning’ where it was sung by Peg Clancy.

Find out more about this song at: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=12006

Oro, my little boat that rests in the bay,

Oro ma vardin,

Take up the oars and let us away,

Oro ma vardin.

Oro ma curraagh O,

Oro ma vardin,

Oro ma curraagh O,

Oro ma vardin.

Sailing the waves over foam-white crests,

Oro ma vardin,

Happy and free away to the west,

Oro ma vardin.

Riding the waves on the ocean’s rim,

Oro ma vardin,

Sailing home as the light grows dim,

Oro ma vardin.

Over the river to Charlie O

A traditional Scottish lullaby from the Highlands of Scotland. Jean Ritchie however remembered her mother dancing to this in the Appalachians.

It is also very similar to the song ‘Weevily wheat’ which I sung at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNct60BiV8 though the one below is in a minor key.

Charlie's neat and Charlie's sweet,

Charlie he's a dandy,

Charlie he's the very lad,

Who stole my sugar candy.

Chorus

Over the river to feed my sheep,

Over the river to Charlie,

Over the river to feed my sheep,

And measure up my barley.

Don’t want your wheat, don’t want your cheat

And I don’t want your barley,

I want some flour and half an hour,

To bake a cake for Charlie.

Charlie’s here, Charlie’s there,

Charlie’s over the ocean.

Charlie he'll come back someday,

If he don't change his notion.

Owl moon 🔊

Written by Bruce O’Brien who was inspired by reading Jane Yolen’s book of the same name which he had read to his young daughter. This can be used as a hand play.

Oh you gotta be quiet, under a shining owl moon,

Oh you gotta be quiet, yes, you gotta be quiet,

Under a shining, under a shining, under a shining owl moon.

You gotta make your own heat, under a shining owl moon,

You gotta make your own heat and you gotta be quiet,

Under a shining, under a shining, under a shining owl moon.

Oh you gotta be brave, under a shining owl moon,

Oh you gotta be brave, gotta make your own heat and you gotta be quiet,

Under a shining, under a shining, under a shining owl moon.

Oh you gotta have hope, under a shining owl moon,

Oh you gotta have hope, and you gotta be brave, gotta make your own heat and you gotta be quiet,

Under a shining, under a shining, under a shining owl moon.

Owl’s lullaby 🔊

For the lonely out there.

A haunting yodel lullaby sung by Clyde "Kindy" Sproat. This is a song that Clyde learned as a boy growing up in the remote valley of Honokane Iki on the island of Hawai`i. Clyde recalls that his mother had an old Victrola phonograph in the 1930's and this song was on one of their records. The "Owl's Lullaby" became the favorite family song to close out an evening of singing.

Sadly I haven't yet learnt to yodel but it still makes a beautiful song!

Find out more at: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=40875

Chorus: Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!?”

Who will talk to me? Who will answer me?

Who knows why I sing who? Whoo-oo-oo!

Who knows the reason why I sing this lullaby?

Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!?”

The owls are flying; I hear them all sighing,

Through the trees and the curtains as they hurry on home.

With my feet on a limb and my eyes sad and lonely,

I ask, “Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!?”

Chorus

As their wings brush the sky, I hear their far cry,

As they “Whoo!” and they “Whoo!”, watch their shadows go by,

With my feet on a limb and my heart flying with them,

I sing “Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!?”

Chorus

Peruvian slumber song 🔊

A little lullaby and hand play.

This is the second part of ‘Numbering the fingers’ that you can find further up this section. Written by Emilie Poulsson from ‘The Song And Music Of Friedrich Froebel’s Mother Play’.

1. Finger to lips, forefing and thumb open and close. 2. Spread fingers of hand hold up high. 3. Flop hand down. 4. Undulate hands across body. 5. Rock hands like a cradle.

All hushed and still the birdies

Sit upon the branches high;

The flowers hang their pretty heads,

The wind sings lullaby,

Lullaby, lullaby, lullaby.

Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page