Lullaby Encyclopedia›African Lullabies›Somali Lullaby (Hobeeya)
With Nelly · Somali Region, Ethiopia

Somali Lullaby (Hobeeya)

Key: C~54 BPMGuitar & Piano chords

Hobeeya, sometimes sung as Hobeey Hobeeya, is a traditional Somali lullaby carried across generations of mothers, sung in the Somali-speaking communities of the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia’s own Somali Region. Its opening hush, hobeeyaa hobeeheey, has soothed children for as long as anyone can remember.

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Verse 1

C         F      C
Hobeeya, hobeeya, sleep now, my perfect one,
F         C      G7
when you were born the whole world brightened like the sun.

Verse 2

C         F      C
Hobeeya, hobeeya, from the finest, deepest roots,
F         C      G7
sleep now, my treasure, while the quiet night takes root.
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Chords — guitar & piano

C
x
Guitar
CEG
Piano
F
Guitar
CFA
Piano
G7
Guitar
DFGB
Piano
Good to know

What this song means

Hobeeya is one of the best-loved lullabies of Somali oral tradition, sung by mothers to calm and bless a child, often praising the newborn as a gift of pure joy to the whole family. Somali culture carries a vast, largely oral treasury of poetry and song, and lullabies like this one are still passed by voice from mother to child today, both across Somalia and in Somali communities throughout the Horn of Africa.

Traditional Somali hobeeya lullaby style. The English lyrics are an original singable arrangement offered as a respectful tribute to this living oral tradition.

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Sources & rights

  • Words and melody: see the credits in the text of this page. Older songs are traditional or in the public domain; songs by known authors keep their authors' credit.
  • 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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