Nursery Rhymes›Jacmel Lullaby
Jacmel Lullaby
Key: A minor~55 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Jacmel, Haiti
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Jacmel Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the coastal Haitian town of Jacmel, celebrated for its papier-mache artistry and colorful carnival masks. 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, manman’s little one, the painted masks rest still,
Dm Am E7
the papier-mache colors fade, upon the coastal hill.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the carnival is near,
Dm Am E7
tomorrow’s sun will rise for you, and chase away all fear.
In English
What the words mean
“Sleep now, manman’s little one, the painted masks rest still, the papier-mache colors fade, upon the coastal hill. Sleep now, little one, the carnival is near, tomorrow’s sun will rise for you, and chase away all fear.”
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
Am
Guitar
Piano
Dm
Guitar
Piano
E7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What “Jacmel Lullaby” Means
“Manman” means mother in Haitian Creole. The coastal town of Jacmel is celebrated for its papier-mache artistry, colorful masks and figures crafted by hand for carnival each year. This original lullaby draws on those papier-mache and coastal-town images of Jacmel life, with “manman” used as a warm address rather than a literal translation.
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