Sleepsong – English Lyrics

• By: Secret Garden

Lyrics & Translation

While 'Sleepsong' is an instrumental masterpiece, it is a perfect gateway for learners to practice active listening. By focusing on the emotional nuances and the phrasing of the violin and piano, you can learn to connect musical melody to atmospheric vocabulary and emotional expression in English-speaking musical contexts.

[English]

Lay down your head

And I'll sing you a lullaby

Back to the years

Of loo-li, lai-lay

And I'll sing you to sleep

And I'll sing you tomorrow

Bless you with love

For the road that you go

May you sail far

To the far fields of fortune

With diamonds and pearls

At your head and your feet

At your head and your feet

To banish misfortune

May you find kindness

In all that you meet

May there always be angels

To watch over you

To guard you each step of the way

To guard you and keep you

Safe from all harm

Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay

May you bring love

And may you bring happiness

Be loved in return

To the end your days

Now fall of to sleep

I'm not meaning to keep you

I'll just sit for awhile

And sing Loo-li, lai-lay

May there always be angels

To watch over you

To guard you each step of the way

To guard you and keep you

Safe from all harm

Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay

Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay

Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lullaby /ˈlʌləbaɪ/ B2	noun - a quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep
bless /blɛs/ B1	verb - to ask for God's favor and protection
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃuːn/ B2	noun - chance or luck as an external force
diamonds /ˈdaɪəməndz/ A2	noun - a precious stone consisting of a clear, colorless crystalline form of carbon
pearls /pɜːrlz/ B1	noun - a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue of a mollusk
banish /ˈbænɪʃ/ C1	verb - to get rid of something unwanted
misfortune /ˌmɪsˈfɔːrtʃuːn/ B2	noun - bad luck; an unfortunate condition
kindness /ˈkaɪndnəs/ A2	noun - the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate
angels /ˈeɪndʒəlz/ A2	noun - spiritual beings believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God
guard /ɡɑːrd/ B1	verb - to watch over in order to protect or control
safe /seɪf/ A1	adjective - protected from or not exposed to danger or risk
harm /hɑːrm/ B1	noun - physical injury or damage
happiness /ˈhæpinəs/ A1	noun - the state of being happy
awhile /əˈwaɪl/ B2	adverb - for a short time
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to be in a state of rest