Sleep Baby Sleep

First recorded: 1611

Origin: Germany

Lyrics

Sleep, baby, sleep,Thy father guards the sheep;Thy mother shakes the dreamland tree,And down drops a little dream for thee,Sleep, baby, sleep.

Sleep, baby, sleep,The large stars are the sheep,The little stars are the lambs, I guess,The bright moon is the shepherdess,Sleep, baby, sleep.

"Sleep, Baby, Sleep" turns the night sky into a flock: the big stars are sheep, the little stars lambs, the moon their shepherdess. Translated from the German "Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf," it is one of the oldest lullabies in Europe, with a text traced back to 1611.

Origins

The earliest documented version of the text dates back to 1611, appearing in a collection of musical medleys by German composer Melchior Franck. Over the next two centuries, various regional folk verses were added to the song.

The popular lyrics were printed in 1808 in Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy's Magic Horn), a famous collection of German folk poems compiled by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano. The melody used today was arranged in 1781 by composer Johann Friedrich Reichardt, who adapted an existing folk tune. In 1857, composer Johannes Brahms also arranged the song as part of his children's folk song collection.

Meaning & Interpretation

The lullaby relies on rural, domestic imagery to convey a sense of safety and peace. The father tending sheep represents protection, while the mother shaking the "dreamland tree" to drop sweet dreams is a poetic metaphor for sleep.

In the second verse, the song projects this pastoral scene onto the night sky. The large stars represent the sheep, the small stars are the lambs, and the moon is the shepherdess watching over them. This transformation of the night sky makes the dark feel familiar and comforting.

What is the origin of the lullaby Sleep Baby Sleep?

The song originates from Germany under the title "Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf." Its text was first recorded in 1611 by Melchior Franck, and its modern melody was arranged in 1781 by Johann Friedrich Reichardt before being translated into English.

How did Johannes Brahms use the Sleep Baby Sleep melody?

In 1857, German composer Johannes Brahms arranged the lullaby for voice and piano. He included it as the fourth song in his children's collection 15 Volkskinderlieder (15 Folk Children's Songs), dedicated to the children of Robert and Clara Schumann.