“Lalayi” is the Persian word for lullaby — a tradition thousands of years old, sung softly from heart to heart in homes across Iran, long before anyone thought to write the words down.
▶ More lullabies on YouTube
Verse 1
C F C
Lalayi, lalayi, close your eyes and rest,
F C G7
the moon is rising softly over the mountain’s crest.
Verse 2
C F C
Lalayi, lalayi, my heart, my soul, my own,
F C G7
sleep now, sleep now, little one, you’re never, ever alone.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
C
Guitar
Piano
F
Guitar
Piano
G7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
In Iran, lalayi is both a word and a whole living tradition — mothers have sung their children to sleep this way for thousands of years, each one composing her own gentle words in the moment, heart to heart. There is no single “correct” lalayi; it is remade quietly, night after night, in homes across the country.
Traditional Persian lullaby style. The English lyrics are an original singable arrangement offered as a respectful tribute to the lalayi tradition.
More songs to sing & play
Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies – each one with a different friend.
← All nursery rhymes