Nursery Rhymes›Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín
Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín
Key: Am~58 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
One of Iceland’s most cherished lullabies, first written down over a century ago and still hummed to babies today. Rain on the window, a watchful mother, and the wide, quiet dark outside — here you will find a singable English adaptation, the meaning, and chords.
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Verse 1
Am Dm Am
Sofðu unga ástin mín,
Dm Am E7
úti regnið grætur.
(Sleep, my young love — outside the rain is weeping.)
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, sleep, my little love,
Dm Am E7
the rain sings soft above.
Verse 2
Am Dm Am
Mamma vakir yfir þér,
Dm Am E7
gullið mitt og skarti.
(Mama keeps watch over you, my gold, my little treasure.)
Am Dm Am
Mama’s watching over you,
Dm Am E7
my gold, my little treasure.
Play it
Chords — guitar & piano
Am
Guitar
Piano
Dm
Guitar
Piano
E7
Guitar
Piano
Good to know
What this song means
Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín (“Sleep, My Young Love”) is one of Iceland’s best-loved lullabies, written down in the early 1900s and sung by parents ever since. In just a few lines it holds the whole feeling of an Icelandic night: rain against the glass, wind over black sand and glaciers far off, and a mother keeping quiet watch until morning. Its slow, circling melody makes it feel almost like breathing.
Traditional Icelandic lullaby. The English lines here are a singable adaptation for this arrangement, offered as a respectful tribute — not a literal translation.
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