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Brahms' Lullaby lyricsBrahms' Lullaby lyrics
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Brahms' Lullaby

Key: G76 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
⬇ Download the chord sheet (PDF)

Brahms’ Lullaby Lyrics. Composed by Johannes Brahms in 1868, this is perhaps the most famous lullaby melody in the world, heard in music boxes and nurseries across the globe. Formally titled Wiegenlied, German for “cradle song,” the piece was written as a personal gift for the newborn son of Brahms’s friend Bertha Faber, and the melody is said to gently echo a song Bertha herself used to sing when the two were young, a quiet, personal tribute that went on to become one of the most recognized tunes in the world. On this page, you will find the lyrics, the history behind the song, and chords for guitar and piano.

Soft piano version

▶ Watch on our YouTube channel, from 1:01:00

Verse 1

G                              D7
Lullaby, and good night, with pink roses bedight,
                                G
With lilies o'er spread, is my baby's sweet head.
       C          G    D7        G
Lay thee down now, and rest, may thy slumber be blessed!

Verse 2

G                              D7
Lullaby, and good night, your mother's delight,
                            G
Shining angels beside my darling abide.
        C        G      D7          G
Soft and warm is your bed, close your eyes and rest your head.
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

G
Guitar
DGB
Piano
D7
××
Guitar
CDA
Piano
C
×
Guitar
CEG
Piano
Good to know

What “Brahms’ Lullaby” Means

Composed by Johannes Brahms in 1868 as a gift for a friend’s newborn, the “Wiegenlied” (Cradle Song) has become the world’s most beloved bedtime melody. Its tender words, of roses, flowers and guardian angels, are a musical wish for a child’s safe, peaceful and dream-filled night.
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This lullaby is also available as a full handplayed recording.

⬇ Download the full chord sheet (PDF)

More songs to sing & play

Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies — each one with a different friend.

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Want to watch a full hour of this lullaby, handplayed on piano? Watch here →

Sources & rights

  • Words and melody: see the credits in the text of this page. Older songs are traditional or in the public domain; songs by known authors keep their authors' credit.
  • Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
  • Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
  • Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.

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