The gentle, hummed refrain Ethiopian mothers repeat to settle a restless baby — the Amharic equivalent of “hush little baby, don’t you cry.” Between its soft repeated syllables, the song promises that mother will soon return, riding home on a donkey with bread and milk cradled in her arms. Here you will find a singable English adaptation, the meaning, and chords.
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Verse 1
C F C
Eshururu ruru,
F C G7
Eshururu ruru.
(Hush now, hush now, little one.)
C F C
Hush now, hush now, don’t you cry,
F C G7
Rest your head, my lullaby.
Verse 2
C F C
Yemamuye enate tolo neyilete,
F C G7
Wetetun beguya dabowun bahiya yizechilete.
(Mother will come back soon, bringing milk and bread on the back of a donkey.)
C F C
Mother’s coming back to you,
F C G7
Bread and milk, and love so true.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
C
Guitar
Piano
F
Guitar
Piano
G7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
Eshururu is the gentle, hummed refrain Ethiopian mothers repeat to settle a restless baby — the Amharic equivalent of “hush little baby, don’t you cry.” Between its soft repeated syllables, the song promises that mother will soon return, riding home on a donkey with bread and milk cradled in her arms — comforting, familiar imagery from everyday Ethiopian life.
Traditional Ethiopian (Amharic) 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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