Nursery RhymesLele, Lele, Mwana Ame
Lele, Lele, Mwana AmeLele, Lele, Mwana Ame
A lullaby from Angola

Lele, Lele, Mwana Ame

Key: A minor~61 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Angola
Relax In No Time video

▶ More lullabies on YouTube

Lele, Lele, Mwana Ame Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Angola's Kongo-language cradle-song tradition, in which an older sibling often sings to soothe a baby brother or sister. Here you will find the lyrics, English translation, meaning, and chords.

Sing & play

Lyrics & chords

An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.

Verse

Am E Am
Lele, lele, mwana ame,
Dm E Am
yaya wa kumbamba nge.
C G
Mbu wambote, ngonda wa kia,
Dm E Am
lele, lele, mwana ame.
In English

What the words mean

“Hush, hush, my child, your big sister is watching over you. The sea is calm, the moon has risen, hush, hush, my child.”
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

Am
x
Guitar
CEA
Piano
Dm
xx
Guitar
DFA
Piano
E
Guitar
EBG#
Piano
C
x
Guitar
CEG
Piano
G
Guitar
DGB
Piano
Good to know

What “Lele, Lele, Mwana Ame” Means

In Angola’s Kongo-language tradition, a well-loved lullaby tells of an older sister singing to soothe her baby brother while their mother is away, a reminder that in many Angolan families, caring for a baby is a shared, everyday task. This original lullaby borrows that same gentle, sibling-sung warmth, with the Atlantic coast as its backdrop.

More songs to sing & play

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

← All nursery rhymes