Nursery Rhymes›Nélaw, Nélaw, Doomi
Nélaw, Nélaw, Doomi
Key: A minor~66 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Senegal
▶ More lullabies on YouTube
Nélaw, Nélaw, Doomi Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Wolof cradle-song tradition, built around the everyday word ‘nélaw’ (to sleep). 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
Nélaw, nélaw, doomi bu baax,
Dm E Am
guddi gi neex, xool bu laax.
C G
Ngelaw li yengal garab gi,
Dm E Am
nélaw, nélaw, sama xarit.
In English
What the words mean
“Sleep, sleep, my good little one, the night is sweet, look how calm it is. The breeze moves the tree gently, sleep, sleep, my little friend.”
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
Am
Guitar
Piano
Dm
Guitar
Piano
E
Guitar
Piano
C
Guitar
Piano
G
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What “Nélaw, Nélaw, Doomi” Means
In Wolof, ‘nélaw’ simply means ‘to sleep’, and mothers across Senegal use it as the opening word of countless cradle songs, often paired with warm terms like ‘doomi’ (little child). This original lullaby draws on that everyday word alongside the cooling evening breeze (‘ngelaw’), a comforting presence in Senegalese family life after a hot day.
More songs to sing & play
Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies — each one with a different friend.
← All nursery rhymes