Nursery Rhymes›Umhlanga Lullaby
Umhlanga Lullaby
Key: A minor~53 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Umhlanga, Eswatini
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Umhlanga Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Umhlanga, the Reed Dance, one of Eswatini’s most important royal ceremonies. 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, make’s little one, the reeds are cut and still,
Dm Am E7
the royal dance has quieted now, upon the palace hill.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the river reeds are near,
Dm Am E7
tomorrow’s sun will rise for you, and chase away all fear.
In English
What the words mean
“Sleep now, make’s little one, the reeds are cut and still, the royal dance has quieted now, upon the palace hill. Sleep now, little one, the river reeds are 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 “Umhlanga Lullaby” Means
“Make” means mother in siSwati. Umhlanga, the Reed Dance, is one of Eswatini’s most important ceremonies, where young women cut reeds along the riverbanks and present them to the queen mother in a grand celebration. This original lullaby draws on those reed-cutting and royal-ceremony images of Eswatini life, with “make” used as a warm address rather than a literal translation.
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