Nursery Rhymes›European Lullabies›Nina, Nana, Ylli Im
Nina, Nana, Ylli ImNina, Nana, Ylli Im
A lullaby from Albania

Nina, Nana, Ylli Im

Key: A minor~61 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Albania
Relax In No Time video

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Nina, Nana, Ylli Im Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by këngët e djepit, Albania’s traditional cradle songs, which open with the soothing ‘nina, nana’ refrain. Kengat e djepit have long been sung by mothers and grandmothers rocking a cradle by hand, often addressing the baby through images of stars, the moon, or the mountains outside, and these songs survived largely through oral memory even during Albania’s decades of near-total isolation from the outside world in the 20th century. Here you will find the lyrics, English translation, meaning, and chords.

Sing & play

Lyrics & chords

An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.

Verse

Am E Am
Nina, nana, ylli im,
Dm E Am
flenë malet, fle vendi im.
C G
Hëna ruan gjumin tënd,
Dm E Am
nina, nana, gjer në mëngjes.
In English

What the words mean

“Sleep, sleep, my little star — the mountains sleep, my homeland sleeps. The moon guards your sleep, sleep, sleep, until morning.”
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

Am
x
Guitar
CEA
Piano
Dm
xx
Guitar
DFA
Piano
E
Guitar
EBG#
Piano
C
x
Guitar
CEG
Piano
G
Guitar
DGB
Piano
Good to know

What “Nina, Nana, Ylli Im” Means

Albanian cradle songs (këngët e djepit) hold an important place in the country’s folklore, traditionally opening with the ‘nina, nana’ refrain shared with neighbouring traditions. This original arrangement calls the child ‘ylli im’ (my star) and sets the song against the still mountains of the Albanian countryside.

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Sources & rights

  • An original lullaby by Relax In No Time, inspired by the musical traditions of its region. The words, melody, arrangement and recording are ours.
  • 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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