Nursery Rhymes›Cibao Lullaby
Cibao LullabyCibao Lullaby
A lullaby from Dominican Republic

Cibao Lullaby

Key: A minor~55 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Cibao, Dominican Republic
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Cibao Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Cibao valley of the Dominican Republic, birthplace of merengue tipico, played on accordion, guira, and tambora. 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, mai’s little one, the guira sings so soft,
Dm Am E7
the tambora rests tonight, up in the valley loft.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the mountain air 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, mai’s little one, the guira sings so soft, the tambora rests tonight, up in the valley loft. Sleep now, little one, the mountain air is near, tomorrow’s sun will rise for you, and chase away all fear.”
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

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

What “Cibao Lullaby” Means

“Mai” is a warm, colloquial Dominican Spanish word for mother. The Cibao valley around Santiago is the birthplace of merengue tipico, played on accordion, guira, and tambora, the oldest style of merengue still performed today. This original lullaby draws on those valley and folk-music images of Cibao life, with “mai” used as a warm address rather than a literal translation.

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