Sesotho Lullaby (Hey, T’hola, T’hola)
Key: C~58 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
Hey, T’hola, T’hola is a traditional Sesotho lullaby, first recorded for Folkways Records in 1955 and later published in a choral songbook, still carrying the gentle call-and-response rhythm at the heart of Southern African song.
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Verse 1
C F C
Hey, t’hola, t’hola, sleep now, little one,
F C G7
the cattle rest in the kraal beneath the setting sun.
Verse 2
C F C
Hey, t’hola, t’hola, the hills are turning gold,
F C G7
sleep safe within these arms, my little one to hold.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
C
Guitar
Piano
F
Guitar
Piano
G7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
Sesotho lullabies like Hey, T’hola, T’hola grow out of the same call-and-response tradition found across Southern Africa, where a lead voice is answered and echoed by others. Recorded for Folkways as early as 1955, this gentle song has carried generations of Sesotho-speaking children to sleep across the grasslands and highlands of South Africa and neighbouring Lesotho.
Traditional Sesotho lullaby style, documented on Folkways Records. The English lyrics are an original singable arrangement offered as a respectful tribute to this living tradition.
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