Nursery Rhymes›European Lullabies›Guernesiais Lullaby
Guernesiais LullabyGuernesiais Lullaby
A lullaby from Guernsey

Guernesiais Lullaby

Key: A minor~53 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Guernesiais, Guernsey
Relax In No Time video

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Guernesiais Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Guernesiais, Guernsey’s own endangered Norman-French language, and the island’s long tradition of hand-knitting fishermen’s wool sweaters. The tightly-knit wool sweater once worn by Guernsey fishermen became so well known that its very name, the guernsey, is now used worldwide for that same style of garment, while Guernesiais itself is spoken fluently by only a small number of islanders, classified by UNESCO as severely endangered. 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, little one, the knitting rests tonight,
Dm Am E7
the wool between the needles rests, beneath the fading light.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the harbor wall 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, little one, the knitting rests tonight, the wool between the needles rests, beneath the fading light. Sleep now, little one, the harbor wall is near, tomorrow’s sun will rise for you, and chase away all fear.”
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

Am
x
Guitar
CEA
Piano
Dm
xx
Guitar
DFA
Piano
E7
Guitar
EBG#
Piano
Good to know

What “Guernesiais Lullaby” Means

Guernesiais is Guernsey’s own endangered Norman-French language, once spoken across the island, alongside a long tradition of hand-knitting the original guernsey wool sweater for the island’s fishermen. This original lullaby draws on those knitting and harbor-wall images of Guernsey heritage.

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Sources & rights

  • An original lullaby by Relax In No Time, inspired by the musical traditions of its region. The words, melody, arrangement and recording are ours.
  • 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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