Nursery Rhymes›Dandini Dandini Dastana
Dandini Dandini Dastana
Key: Am~56 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
One of Turkey’s best-loved lullabies, sung for generations with the same playful refrain — a gentle story of cattle in the garden, a moon born from a mother’s love, and an old wish to keep every child safe from harm.
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Verse 1
Am Dm Am
Dandini dandini dastana,
Dm Am E7
dandini dandini dastana.
(Dandini dandini dastana – the traditional refrain that opens this lullaby.)
Am Dm Am
Hush now, hush now, little one, the cattle graze at rest,
Dm Am E7
the gardener will guard the field, so give your eyes a rest.
Verse 2
Am Dm Am
Dandini dandini dastana,
Dm Am E7
dandini dandini dastana.
(Dandini dandini dastana – the same gentle refrain, sung again.)
Am Dm Am
A moon was born from mother’s love, so bright and safe and warm,
Dm Am E7
sleep now, sleep now, little one, until the morning’s dawn.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
Am
Guitar
Piano
Dm
Guitar
Piano
E7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
Dandini Dandini Dastana has soothed babies across Turkey for generations, built around a repeating, sing-song refrain that gives the melody its rocking rhythm. Its verses shift from version to version, but often return to the same gentle images: animals settling for the night, a mother’s protective love, and old wishes — like guarding a child from the evil eye — tucked warmly inside a simple bedtime story.
Traditional Turkish lullaby. The Turkish refrain is the real, characteristic traditional opening; the English lyrics are a singable adaptation inspired by the song’s documented imagery, not a literal translation of every verse.
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