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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Shoheen, sholyoh, the soft shades are creeping,
Shoheen, my heart's love, the angels are near.
Shoheen, sholyoh, my darling is sleeping,
Marie's machushla, while mother is near.
Hush O, my treasure is dreaming,
Lu, la, sleep on 'till day.
Hu, la, miles now are beaming,
Shoho, sorrows away.
Shoheen, sholyoh, in your white cradle lying,
God give you m'leanabh, your night's sweet repose.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
The Kerry Lullaby is a traditional Irish lullaby associated with County Kerry on Ireland's Atlantic coast. Like many Irish lullabies, it blends English words with Irish language terms of endearment — "machushla" (mo chuisle, meaning "my pulse", a term of deep affection), "m'leanabh" (my child), and the melodic "shoheen sholyoh" which is derived from the Irish lullaby refrain "suí hin, suí hó".
The lullaby tradition in Ireland is rich and ancient, and Kerry in particular has long been associated with a distinctive musical heritage. The county's isolation on the western seaboard, its dramatic landscape of mountains and sea, and its strong Irish-language tradition all contribute to lullabies of particular emotional intensity.
The imagery in this lullaby is characteristic of the Irish tradition: angels near the cradle, soft shades creeping in at dusk, the mother keeping watch while the world stills. The repeated "hush O" and "sleep on 'till day" have the quality of a genuine spoken comfort, a voice in the room rather than a performance.
"Sorrows away" is a small but significant phrase — the lullaby names the sorrows even as it banishes them, acknowledging that the world contains difficulty while asserting that sleep is, for now, a refuge from it.
