Nursery Rhymes›Okinawan Lullaby
Okinawan LullabyOkinawan Lullaby
A lullaby from Japan

Okinawan Lullaby

Key: A minor~56 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Okinawa, Japan
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Okinawan Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost island chain and once the independent Ryukyu Kingdom, with its own language and culture. Music here still centers on the sanshin, a three-stringed instrument traditionally covered in snake skin, and Okinawa is known worldwide as one of the planet’s “blue zones,” where people live unusually long, healthy lives. Here you will find the lyrics, meaning, and chords.

Sing & play

Lyrics & chords

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

Verse

Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the coral reef is calm,
Dm Am E7
the banyan tree stands watch tonight, beneath the ocean’s balm.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the shisha stand so still,
Dm Am E7
tomorrow’s sun will find the islands, bright upon the hill.
In English

What the words mean

“Sleep now, little one, the coral reef is calm, the banyan tree stands watch tonight, beneath the ocean’s balm. Sleep now, little one, the shisha stand so still, tomorrow’s sun will find the islands, bright upon the hill.”
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Chords — guitar & piano

Am
x
Guitar
CEA
Piano
Dm
xx
Guitar
DFA
Piano
E7
Guitar
EBG#
Piano
Good to know

What “Okinawan Lullaby” Means

Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost island chain, was once the independent Ryukyu Kingdom, with its own language, music, and culture distinct from mainland Japan. This original lullaby draws on the coral reefs, banyan trees, and shisha lion-guardian statues central to Okinawan island life.

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