Lullabies T

Tell me why

Tell me, tell me, tell me why

That’s an Irish lullaby

The dream fairy

The golden day is dying

The Lady Moon up yonder

The little sandman

The little white boat / Half moon

The moon and the stars

The moon shines down

The moon’s song

The mouse’s lullaby

The nesting hour / Bed-time

The night will never stay

The spinning wheel / Mellow the moonlight

The Starlighter

The stars are hiding all the day

The white hen’s cradle song

Three white gulls

Time for bed

Time for man go home

To Babyland

Turn around

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

Also see:

Maranoa lullaby an Aboriginal song

Last updated: 7/10/2023 10:31 AM

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

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Tell me why O

A traditional song with a sense of wonder that works so well as a lullaby. The words inspired me to write two further verses.

Tell me why the stars do shine,

Tell me why the ivy twines,

Tell me why the skies are blue,

And I will tell you just why I love you!

I don’t know why the stars do shine,

I don’t know why the ivy twines,

I don’t know why the skies are blue,

One thing I do know is that I love you!

Tell me where the stars do shine,

Tell me where the ivy twines,

Tell me where the skies are blue,

And I will tell you just where I love you!

Way up high the stars do shine,

Round the old oak tree the ivy twines,

Above the clouds the skies are blue,

Asleep in my arms is where I love you!

Tell me, tell me, tell me why 🔊

The moon and the stars - both magical concepts at bedtime especially as the nights draw in.

A simple lullaby and bedtime hand play by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Hands open and close. Throw out hands. Cover eyes and then remove. 2. Make moon with thumb and forefinger. Hands to cheek. Finger to lipsBlow kiss and hands to cheek.

Tell me, tell me, tell me why,

The little stars twinkle way up in the sky.

I don’t know why but perhaps it is true,

They twink to say, “Peepo! We can see you!”

Tell me, tell me, tell me why,

The moon smiles so softly when bedtime is nigh.

I don’t know why but perhaps it is true,

It’s whispering, “Goodnight and sweet dreams for you!”

That’s an Irish lullaby O

A song from Ireland written by J.R. Shannon. My grandmother who had Irish parents sang this song to me when I was a young child.

Over in Killarney,

Many years ago,

My mother sang a song to me

In tones so sweet and low.

Just a simple little ditty,

In her good old Irish way,

And I'd give the world if she could sing

That song of hers today.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo ra,

Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo ra,

Hush, now don't you cry!

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo ra,

Too-ra-loo-ra-li,

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo ra,

That's an Irish lullaby.

The dream fairy 🔊

Written by Thomas Hood. I believe there might be yet more verses for naughty children under the title ‘Queen Mab’ but the words below can be found in the classic poetry tome ‘The Book of 1,000 poems’. Music by Dany Rosevear.

A little fairy comes at night,

Her eyes are blue, her hair is brown

With silver spots upon her wings,

And from the moon she flutters down.

She has a little silver wand,

And when a good child goes to bed

She waves her wand from right to left

And makes a circle round her head,

And then it dreams of pleasant things,

Of fountains filled with fairy fish,

And trees that bear delicious fruit,

And bow their branches at a wish;

Of arbours filled with dainty scents

From lovely flowers that never fade,

Bright ‘flies that flitter in the sun,

And glow-worms shining in the shade;

And talking birds with gifted tongues

For singing songs and telling tales,

And pretty dwarfs to show the way

Through the fairy hills and fairy dales.

The golden day is dying 🔊

This lullaby from Finland is also called ‘Evening colours’ and is often sung around campfire at night time. I found this in ‘Songs of all times’ published in 1946 by the Cooperative Recreation Service, Delaware, Ohio.

The golden day is dying beyond the purple hill,

The lark that sang at morning in dusky wood is still,

The lark that sang at morning in dusky wood is still.

But soon above the meadows the silvery moon will swing,

But soon above the meadows the silvery moon will swing;

And where the wood is darkest the nightingale will sing,

And where the wood is darkest, the nightingale will sing.

The Lady Moon up yonder 🔊

A bedtime rhyme, not sure who wrote this but it can be found in several Waldorf collections. Music by Dany Rosevear.

The Lady Moon up yonder,

Is like a silver boat,

Upon a dark blue ocean,

All silently afloat.

And when the fairies waken,

They climb the moonbeams white,

And far across the heavens

Go sailing in the night,

Go sailing in the night.

The little sandman / Brahm’s lullaby 🔊

Johannes Brahms wrote this lullaby, "Wiegenlied", Op. 49, No. 4 and published in 1868, to celebrate the birth of a son to his friend Bertha Faber. It was based on a German folk tune and was Brahms's last song.There are many different translations of the words. These words are mainly the verses written in Foresman’s ‘A child’s book of songs’ published in 1928 but have been adapted by Dany Rosevear.

There’s magic in the moonbeam

That kissed the flowers goodnight,

For now the red red rosebuds

Are pale as lilies white;

The pine trees still are whispering,

The cricket rings its bell,

All for you, all for you,

To make you slumber well!

The birds you heard this morning

Have long since gone to rest;

And now are close together

Against their mother's breast.

And there they lie so still and warm,

Secure from every harm.

Slumber, slumber,

My darling baby dear.

I see a friendly elf man,

He holds a bag of sand;

He bought it from the fairies,

In their enchanted land;

And on your drowsy eyelids

Some golden grains he’ll strew;

That, you know, that you know.

Will make your dreams come true!

The little white boat 🔊

‘The little white boat’ or 반달 ‘Half moon’ has lyrics and music by Yin Kerong, a Korean composer (1903 - 1988) who wrote other songs for children. It has also been translated into Chinese 小白船 and Japanese. Find out more about Yin Kerong and the Korean lyrics at: http://et97.com/view/2481305.htm .

See the small white boat in the sky,

Sailing t’wards the west,

High above a cinnamon tree,

Where white rabbit rests.

With no sail nor oars it skims

O’er the Milky Way,

Floating among the clouds,

It slowly just fades away.

Through the silver galaxy sail,

Through a rainbow land

Of clouds that billow high in the sky,

Where will it go then?

Onwards to a far off place

Where shines a golden light,

The dawn star, a guiding light,

It shines, how it shines so bright.

The moon and the stars 🔊

I found these sweet words in ‘ Handbook for First Year Experimental Language Development: Book Three’ Published in Australia May 73.

Music, arrangement and second part by Dany Rosevear.

The moon and the stars and the wind in the sky,

All night long sing a lullaby,

While down in the ocean so dark and so deep,

The silvery waves rock the fishes to sleep.

Mmm…, mmm…, mmm…,

Rock, gently rock little fishes to sleep.

The moon shines down 🔊

The dark night skies visit us earlier as we move towards Autumn and we look forward to seeing more of the moon in all her loveliness as she greets us at bedtime.

Our dear moon shines peacefully down to calm and soothe us whatever might be happening on our troubled Earth.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.