Nursery Rhymes›African Lullabies›Nami Nami
With Anna · Egypt

Nami Nami

Key: C~64 BPMGuitar & Piano chords

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One of the best-known Arabic lullabies of Egypt. A parent hushes a restless little one to rest on a straw mat as night falls, promising that daylight — and a father returning from market day with gifts and warm clothes — will come again. Here you will find a singable English adaptation, the meaning, and chords.

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Verse 1

C           F      C
Nami, nami, ya sghayri,
F     C      G7
Ta ghafa ‘al hasiri.
(Sleep, sleep, my little one — until you doze off on the mat.)
C      F       C
Sleep now, close your eyes, my dear,
F     C      G7
Rest here on our mat, so near.

Verse 2

C        F      C
Bukra abuki gayy,
F     C      G7
Hamel ghallet el-lamoun.
(Tomorrow your father is coming, carrying in the lemon harvest.)
C       F      C
Tomorrow when the light returns,
F     C      G7
Papa’s coming home again.
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Chords — guitar & piano

C
×
Guitar
CEG
Piano
F
Guitar
CFA
Piano
G7
Guitar
DFGB
Piano
Good to know

What this song means

Nami Nami (“sleep, sleep”) is one of the best-known Arabic lullabies of Egypt. A parent hushes a restless child to rest on a straw mat as night falls, promising that morning — and a father returning from market day with gifts and warm clothes — will come again. Its soft, circular repetition makes it easy to hum long after the words fade.

Traditional Egyptian lullaby, passed down through oral tradition. The English lines here are a singable adaptation for this arrangement, offered as a respectful tribute — not a literal translation.

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Sources & rights

  • Words and melody: see the credits in the text of this page. Older songs are traditional or in the public domain; songs by known authors keep their authors' credit.
  • Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
  • Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
  • Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.

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