Nursery Rhymes›Chinese-Cuban Lullaby
Chinese-Cuban Lullaby
Key: A minor~54 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Chinese-Cuban, Cuba
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Chinese-Cuban Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Chinese-Cuban community of Havana’s Barrio Chino, one of Latin America’s oldest and largest Chinatowns. 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, mama’s little one, the lanterns glow so soft,
Dm Am E7
the old Chinatown rests tonight, up in the rooftop loft.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the quiet street 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, mama’s little one, the lanterns glow so soft, the old Chinatown rests tonight, up in the rooftop loft. Sleep now, little one, the quiet street is 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 “Chinese-Cuban Lullaby” Means
“Mama” means mother in Cantonese, the language of most Chinese immigrants who settled in Havana’s Barrio Chino from 1847 onward. This original lullaby draws on those lantern-lit and old-quarter images of Chinese-Cuban life, with “mama” used as a warm address rather than a literal translation.
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