Nursery Rhymes›Asian Lullabies›Nam, Ya Sadafati
Nam, Ya SadafatiNam, Ya Sadafati
A lullaby from Bahrain

Nam, Ya Sadafati

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

▶ More lullabies on YouTube

Nam, Ya Sadafati Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Bahrain's pearling heritage, a UNESCO World Heritage tradition at the historic heart of the Gulf's pearl trade. 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
Nam, nam, ya sadafati,
Dm E Am
al-bahr hadi hawl al-jazira.
C G
Ughniyat al-ghawwasin ba'idan,
Dm E Am
nam, nam, ya 'omri.
In English

What the words mean

“Sleep, sleep, my little shell, the sea is calm around the island. The divers’ song sounds far away, sleep, sleep, my life.”
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 “Nam, Ya Sadafati” Means

Bahrain was once the beating heart of the Gulf’s pearling trade, and its historic pearling sites are now a UNESCO World Heritage site. This original lullaby borrows that maritime heritage, with ‘sadafa’ (shell) as a tender nickname for the child.

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