Turks have always admired and emphasized oral traditions in poems, sagas and rhymes throughout their history. Babies grow up with lullabies, children play alongside the comfort of nursery rhymes, soldiers are sent off to the military with marches and the deceased are sent off to eternity with requiems.
Lullabies are sung as a melody according to a syllabic meter and in a plain language, usually to have children sleep or to stop them from crying. Turkish lullabies are various and rich, with each region having its own style and expressions. Lyrics are usually inconsistent and are composed of quatrains and refrains.
Lullabies are also great at teaching yabangees Turkish, with their slow and soft spoken lyrics. Here are some of the most famous lullabies of Anatolia that every Turkish person must have heard at least once when they were babies.
Uyusun da Büyüsün
Uyusun da büyüsün ninni
Tıpış tıpış yürüsün ninni
E… E… E… E…
Uyu yavrum ninni
Turkish Vocabulary:
Uyumak: To sleep
Büyümek: To grow
Ninni: Lullaby
Tıpış tıpış yürümek: To walk with short but fast steps
Yavru: Baby
Fış Fış Kayıkçı
Fış fış kayıkçı
Kayıkçının küreği
Tıp tıp eder yüreği
Akşama fincan böreği
Yavrum yesin büyüsün
Tıpış tıpış yürüsün
Turkish Vocabulary:
Fış fış: The sound that sea makes (Swish swoosh)
Kayıkçı: Boatman
Kürek: Shovel / Spade
Kayıkçının küreği: Boatman’s spade
Tıp tıp etmek (Pıt pıt atmak): To beat (only used for heart) (thump thump)
Akşam: Evening
Fincan: Cup
Börek: Turkish pastry dish
Fincan böreği: A special type of Turkish pastry dish that is round and as big as a Turkish coffee cup
Yağmur yağar
Yağmur yağar sere serpe
Kulağında elmas küpe
Uyuturum kızımı koka öpe
E… E… Ninni
Yağmur yağar lüle lüle
Oğlum gelir güle güle
Ter bıyığını sile sile
E… E… Ninni
Turkish Vocabulary:
Yağmur: Rain
Yağmur yağmak: Rain to fall
Sere serpe: Sprawling
Kulak: Ear
Kulağı: His / her ear
Kulağında: On his / her ear
Elmas: Diamond
Küpe: Earring
Uyutmak: Make someone sleep
Kız: Girl / Daughter
Kızım: My daughter
Koka öpe (Koklayarak öperek): Sniffing and kissing
Lüle lüle: Curled (usually used for hair)
Oğul: Son
Oğlum: My son
Gelmek: To come
Gülmek: To laugh / to smile
Güle güle: With a smile
Ter: Sweat
Bıyık: Moustache
Ter bıyığı: A moustache from sweat
Silmek: To wipe
Sile sile: Wiping
Dandini Dandini Dastana
Dandini dandini dastana
Danalar girmiş bostana
Kov bostancı danayı
Yemesin lahanayı
E… E… E… E…
Biner atın iyisine
Düşer yolun kıyısına
Haber verin dayısına
Şeker alsın kuzusuna
E… E… E… E…
Turkish Vocabulary:
Dana: Calf
Danalar: Calves
Girmek: To enter
Bostan: Farm
Kovmak: To dismiss (someone or something)
Kov: Dismiss that!
Bostancı: Farmer
Yemek: To eat
Yemesin: Shall not eat
Lahana: Cabbage
Binmek: To get on / to ride
At: Horse
İyi: Good
Atın iyisi: The best horse
Düşmek: To fall
Yol: Road
Kıyı: Side
Yolun kıyısına: The side of the road
Haber vermek: Let someone know
Dayı: Uncle (From mother’s side)
Dayısı: His / Her uncle
Şeker: Candy
Almak: To buy
Kuzu: Sheep (term of endearment)
Kuzusu: His / her sheep (term of endearment)
Dandini Dandini Danalı Bebek
Dandini dandini danalı bebek
Mini mini elleri kınalı bebek
Annesi babası çok sever
Uyur büyür nazlı bebek
E… E… E… E…
Turkish Vocabulary:
Bebek: Baby
Mini mini: Tiny
El: Hand
Eller: Hands
Elleri: His / her hands
Kına: Henna
Kınalı: Dyed with henna
Anne: Mom
Annesi: His / her mom
Baba: Dad
Babası: His / her dad
Çok: Very much / A lot
Sevmek: To love
Nazlı: Coy
Let us know in the comments how you would translate these Turkish lullabies to English or what kind of lullabies you have in your native country!
