Nursery Rhymes›African Lullabies›Umhlanga Lullaby
Umhlanga LullabyUmhlanga Lullaby
A lullaby from Eswatini

Umhlanga Lullaby

Key: A minor~53 BPMGuitar & Piano chordsOriginal · Umhlanga, Eswatini
Relax In No Time video

▶ More lullabies on YouTube

Umhlanga Lullaby Lyrics. An original lullaby inspired by Umhlanga, the Reed Dance, one of Eswatini’s most important royal ceremonies. Each year, thousands of young women travel from across the kingdom to cut reeds and carry them to the Queen Mother’s royal residence, a tradition of unity and respect that has continued for generations. Here you will find the lyrics, meaning, and chords.

Sing & play

Lyrics & chords

An original arrangement, with guitar & piano chords above each line.

Verse

Am Dm Am
Sleep now, make’s little one, the reeds are cut and still,
Dm Am E7
the royal dance has quieted now, upon the palace hill.
Am Dm Am
Sleep now, little one, the river reeds are near,
Dm Am E7
tomorrow’s sun will rise for you, and chase away all fear.
In English

What the words mean

“Sleep now, make’s little one, the reeds are cut and still, the royal dance has quieted now, upon the palace hill. Sleep now, little one, the river reeds are near, tomorrow’s sun will rise for you, and chase away all fear.”
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

Am
x
Guitar
CEA
Piano
Dm
xx
Guitar
DFA
Piano
E7
Guitar
EBG#
Piano
Good to know

What “Umhlanga Lullaby” Means

“Make” means mother in siSwati. Umhlanga, the Reed Dance, is one of Eswatini’s most important ceremonies, where young women cut reeds along the riverbanks and present them to the queen mother in a grand celebration. This original lullaby draws on those reed-cutting and royal-ceremony images of Eswatini life, with “make” used as a warm address rather than a literal translation.

More songs to sing & play

Back to all our nursery rhymes and lullabies — each one with a different friend.

← All nursery rhymes Compare Lullaby Traditions 🌍

Sources & rights

  • An original lullaby by Relax In No Time, inspired by the musical traditions of its region. The words, melody, arrangement and recording are ours.
  • 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.

Spotted a mistake or know a better source? Tell us. How we work · Get in touch