Nursery Rhymes›Taoto, Pepe
Taoto, Pepe
Key: Am~56 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
A traditional Tahitian lullaby about a family’s everyday care — mother gathering food at the reef, father searching the valley for the fei bananas that will become baby’s first sweet porridge.
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Verse 1
Am Dm Am
Taoto, pepe,
Dm Am E7
taoto te pepe taoto e.
(Sleep, baby – sleep, baby, sleep now.)
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, baby, sleep now, sleep so sweet,
Dm Am E7
mama’s at the reef tonight, gathering something to eat.
Verse 2
Am Dm Am
Papa’s in the valley now, picking plantains ripe and gold,
Dm Am E7
to make you porridge in the morning, sleep now, don’t be cold.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
Am
Guitar
Piano
Dm
Guitar
Piano
E7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
Taoto, Pepe is a traditional Tahitian lullaby that gently describes a family’s daily rhythm — mother gathering food at the reef, father searching the valley for fei, a variety of cooking banana used to make popoi, a sweet dish for the baby. In Tahitian, the word “pepe” beautifully means both “baby” and “butterfly,” adding a light, tender touch to this everyday scene of family care.
Traditional Tahitian lullaby. Lyrics and translation adapted from the well-known traditional text.
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