Nursery Rhymes›European Lullabies›Hebridean Lullaby
Hebridean LullabyHebridean Lullaby
A lullaby from Scotland

Hebridean Lullaby

Key: A minor~55 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Hebridean, Scotland
Relax In No Time video

▶ More lullabies on YouTube

Hebridean Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by the Outer Hebrides, where women traditionally sang waulking songs while working handwoven Harris Tweed cloth. These songs were sung in rhythm as groups of women beat the newly woven cloth against a table to soften it, trading call-and-response Gaelic verses that could stretch on for as long as the work itself took. 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 waulking song is still,
Dm Am E7
the woven tweed rests folded now, upon the island hill.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the ocean spray 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 waulking song is still, the woven tweed rests folded now, upon the island hill. Sleep now, little one, the ocean spray 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 “Hebridean Lullaby” Means

In the Outer Hebrides, women traditionally gathered to sing waulking songs (puirt a beul) while working handwoven Harris Tweed cloth by hand. This original lullaby draws on those weaving and island-song images of Hebridean life.

More songs to sing & play

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

← All nursery rhymes Compare Lullaby Traditions 🌍

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.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source? Tell us. How we work · Get in touch