Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf
Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf Lyrics. A traditional German lullaby whose title means “sleep, little child, sleep,” with roots stretching back centuries. Its sweet, repetitive melody has made it a staple of the bedtime routine in Germany. Here you will find the full lyrics, English translation, meaning, and chords.
Lyrics & chords
The original German words, with guitar & piano chords above each line.
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Traditional verse
What the words mean
Chords — guitar & piano
A clean, printable PDF of the chords on this page. Free for members — sign in to download.
What “Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf” Means
Documented since 1611, this is a cornerstone of the German lullaby tradition. It builds a whole safe world in four short lines: the father out with the sheep, the mother by the tree, and — the loveliest image — a dream that falls softly from its branches like a leaf. Nothing is asked of the child except to close their eyes and let sleep, and the dream, arrive on their own.
More songs to sing & play
Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies — each one with a different friend.
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- A traditional song. It comes from oral tradition and has no single known author. We credit the tradition and its country.
- 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.
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