Batak Lullaby (Butet)
Key: C~56 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
Butet is a beloved Batak lullaby from Tapanuli, North Sumatra, gently telling the story of a family with a baby daughter waiting for her father to come home. What began as a song of longing has been sung to generations of sleepy Batak children ever since.
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Verse 1
C F C
Sleep now, Butet, the rice fields rest tonight,
F C G7
father is coming home to you beneath the pale moonlight.
Verse 2
C F C
Sleep now, Butet, by Lake Toba so still,
F C G7
the mountains of Sumatra watch you from the hill.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
C
Guitar
Piano
F
Guitar
Piano
G7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
Butet, meaning “little girl” in the Batak language, began as a song about a family waiting for a father to return, and grew into one of the most cherished lullabies of the Toba Batak people of North Sumatra, near the shores of Lake Toba. Batak music is known worldwide for its distinctive tuned drums carrying the melody, a rare tradition even among the world’s musical cultures.
Traditional Batak Butet lullaby style. The English lyrics are an original singable arrangement offered as a respectful tribute to this cherished North Sumatran song.
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