Indonesia’s most famous lullaby is so beloved that its own name became the word for “lullaby” itself — meninabobokan, “to sing someone to sleep.” Gentle, playful, and just a little bit teasing, it’s the first song many Indonesian children ever hear.
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Verse 1
C F C
Nina bobo, oh Nina bobo,
F C G7
kalau tidak bobo, digigit nyamuk.
(Sleep, Nina, oh sleep, Nina — if you don’t sleep, the mosquito will bite.)
C F C
Sleep now, sleep now, little one, sleep now,
F C G7
or the little mosquito will come and give a bite.
Verse 2
C F C
Adik manis, adikku sayang,
F C G7
bobo lah bobo, di ayunan.
(Sweet little sibling, my beloved sibling — sleep, oh sleep, in the cradle.)
C F C
Sweet little one, my darling, my beloved,
F C G7
sleep now, sleep now, gently in your cradle.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
C
Guitar
Piano
F
Guitar
Piano
G7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
Nina Bobo is the best-known lullaby in Indonesia, so deeply woven into daily life that its title lent its name to the very act of singing a baby to sleep. Playful rather than solemn, it warns — half-teasingly — that mosquitoes await anyone who doesn’t drift off quickly enough, a gentle nudge dressed up as a bedtime story.
Traditional Indonesian lullaby (kroncong style). Lyrics and translation adapted from the well-known traditional text.
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