نيني يا مومو
This is probably the best-known Moroccan lullaby. It's called "Nini ya moumou". You can find the pronunciation below the song.
نيني يا مومو
Sleep My Baby
Lullaby
Lullaby
(Arabic)
(English)
ﻨﻳﻧﻲ ﻴﺎ ﻤﻮﻤﻮ
ﺤﺗﻰ ﻴﻃﻳﺐ ﻋﺷﺎﻨﺎ
ﻮ ﻻ ﻤﺎ ﻄﺎﺐ ﻋﺷﺎﻨﺎ
ﻴﻃﻳﺐ ﻋﺷﺎ ﺠﻳﺭﺍﻨﺎ
ﻨﻳﻧﻲ ﻴﺎ ﻤﻮﻤﻮ
ﺤﺘﻰﺘﺟﻲ ﻋﺩﻣﻮ
ﺒﻮﺒﻮ ﻔﺎﻠﻣﻳﺩﻳﺔ
ﻘﺎﻗﺎ ﻔﺎﻠﺻﻳﻧﻳﺔ
Sleep my baby
Until the meal is ready,
And if it isn't
The neighbor's will be.
Sleep my baby
Until your mommy's arrived
The bread is on the table
The sweets are on the tray.
Notes
Transliteration
Nini ya momo
nini ya moomoo
Hatta yTib 3shana
oo ila ma Tab 3shana
yTib 3sha jiranna.
Nini ya moomoo
Hatta tji 3andoo moo
Booboo falmidiya
Qaqa faSSiniya
All "i" are pronounced "ee"
"3" is a sort of "ah" pronounced down in the throat
"T" is a dark "t" pronounced with the roof of the mouth upwards
"H" is a sort of strong "h"
"j" like in "leasure"
"q" is a dark "k", pronounced with the roof of the mouth upwards
"S" is a dark "s" pronounced with the roof of the mouth upwards
In the recordings you can hear the 1st verse sung over again.
Many thanks to Bernard Prima for sharing his recording with us.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Monique Palomares for the translation and the midi tune.
Illustration: Walter Satterlee
