Drift Away Lullaby

In Slavic culture, some lullabies, known as death lullabies, depict a child’s death. Some believe these songs are a way for mothers to cope with high child mortality. In contrast, others think they protect the baby—caught in the liminal state between sleep and wakefulness—by tricking malevolent spirits. I composed this lullaby to evoke this protective ritual, drawing on melodies from my family tradition and using traditional lyrics.

Lyrics and Translation

Бай-ай-ай /baj-aj aj/ lullaby sound (hush)

ау /аˈu/ lullaby sound / forest call that is used when someone is lost

Баю-баю /ˈbajʊ-ˈbajʊ/ lullaby sound (hush)

Да беспропасно засыпай /da bʲesprɐˈpasnə zɐsɨˈpaj/ sleep deeply/drift away

Да безызводно помирай /da bʲɪzɨzˈvodnə pəmʲɪˈraj/ now you die beyond recall

Татка с работки гробок принесе /ˈtatkə s rɐˈbotkʲɪ ɡrɐˈbok prʲɪnʲɪˈsʲe/ Daddy will bring you a little wooden bed*

Да мамка у печки блинов напеке /da ˈmamkə u ˈpʲet͡ɕkʲɪ blʲɪˈnof nəpʲɪˈkʲe/ and mommy will soon bake for us some tasty bread**

Да бабка у зыбки саванок сошье /da ˈbabkə u ˈzɨpkʲɪ sɐvɐˈnok sɐˈʂːe/ Your grandma by the cradle weaves a soft shroud

*Literal translation: "Daddy will bring you a little coffin"

**Literal translation: "And mommy by the stove will bake crêpes." Crêpes are a traditional funeral food resembling the sun in shape and symbolizing rebirth.

Pronunciation Instructions

The following recordings demonstrate how to pronounce the lyrics. They were made by Adele Faizullina and Inga Chinilina. The recordings are intended for people who do not speak the language. Because multiple dialects exist, if you speak the language and pronounce the lyrics differently, there is no need to follow this particular pronunciation.