Nursery Rhymes›African Lullabies›Lala, Lala, Ngwana
Lala, Lala, NgwanaLala, Lala, Ngwana
A lullaby from Botswana

Lala, Lala, Ngwana

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

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Lala, Lala, Ngwana Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Botswana's Setswana cradle-song tradition, or 'dipina', shaped by the Kalahari Desert and Okavango Delta. 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
Lala, lala, ngwana wa me,
Dm E Am
naga e ritibetse bosigo jo.
C G
Dinaledi di phatsima kwa godimo,
Dm E Am
lala, lala, ngwana wa me.
In English

What the words mean

“Sleep, sleep, my child, the land is still tonight. The stars twinkle above, sleep, sleep, my child.”
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 “Lala, Lala, Ngwana” Means

Botswana’s vast Kalahari Desert and the lush Okavango Delta shape much of the country’s Setswana song tradition, or ‘dipina’. This original lullaby borrows that quiet, starlit landscape, a fitting backdrop for a gentle bedtime song.

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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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