Introducing Songs in the Shade of the Cherry Tree, a riveting selection of 20 nursery rhymes and lullabies from Ukraine, collected from refugees living in France, Germany and Poland. These interpretations of popular songs tug at the heartstrings and reveal a rich vibrant culture. Vocals are accompanied by musicians playing traditional instruments like the bandoura, sopilka, and accordion. Lyrics are presented in the original alphabet and English, alongside illustrations by award-winning illustrator Qu Lan. At the end of the book, notes describe the cultural background behind each song.
“Those who can sing the famous Mother Goose rhymes by heart may enjoy adding these Ukrainian lullabies to their repertoire – some of which are meant to amuse, and some to caution against the follies of humans and the perils of nature,” writes Meaghan Thurston in the Montreal Review of Books. Below, we share a few of our favourites.
Ой ходить сон коло вікон
Oi khodyt son kolo vikon • Look, Sleep Is Wandering Below the Windows
The opening of this magnificent lullaby inspired the first notes of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” In the late 1920s, he heard the work performed at Carnegie Hall by the Ukrainian National Choir under the direction of Alexander Koshetz.
Занадився Журавель
Zanadyvsia zhuravel • The Crane
This song is performed with a traditional game in the form of a round dance. The children choose a “crane” to stand in the middle of the circle and imitate the bird by lifting their legs straight and high. As they dance in a circle, they sing lyrics about a pesky crane who eats their crops and attempt to shoo the scoundrel away.
Сорока-ворона
Soroka-vorona • Black and White Magpie
This song, about a magpie, is the basis for a children’s finger game. Starting with the pinkie, the child’s fingers are folded into the palm one by one to form a fist.
Два півники
Dva pivnyky • Two Roosters
This poetic nursery rhyme, in the form of a fairy tale or fable, teaches respect for others and cooperation. In primary schools, the song is performed with a series of gestures that act out the song lyrics.
Гойда, гойда-гой, ніченька іде
Hoida, hoida-hoi, nichenka ide • Hoida, Hoida-Hoi, Night Is Falling
This lullaby was famously performed by renowned Ukrainian singer Nina Matviyenko. The lyrics take the vantage point of a parent as they put their children to sleep at nightfall. Outside, a cherry tree shivers in the cold and asks to come in. The singer invites the tree inside, wishes for happy dreams and encourages the children to grow like the tree.
Подоляночка
Podolianochka • The Water Carrier
A recent cover by Jerry Heil and alyona alyona (who you may know from Eurovision 2024) reveals the empowering undertones of this song, which describes a woman who falls while carrying her water. Their reinterpretation underscores the “importance of uniting womanhood and standing against misogyny.”
Watch the trailer below.
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20 Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from Ukraine for Children
Introducing Songs in the Shade of the Cherry Tree, a riveting selection of 20 nursery rhymes and lullabies from Ukraine, collected from refugees living in France, Germany and Poland. These interpretations of popular songs tug at the heartstrings and reveal a rich vibrant culture. Vocals are accompanied by musicians playing traditional instruments like the bandoura, sopilka, and accordion. Lyrics are presented in the original alphabet and English, alongside illustrations by award-winning illustrator Qu Lan. At the end of the book, notes describe the cultural background behind each song.
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“Those who can sing the famous Mother Goose rhymes by heart may enjoy adding these Ukrainian lullabies to their repertoire – some of which are meant to amuse, and some to caution against the follies of humans and the perils of nature,” writes Meaghan Thurston in the Montreal Review of Books. Below, we share a few of our favourites.
Ой ходить сон коло вікон
Oi khodyt son kolo vikon • Look, Sleep Is Wandering Below the Windows
The opening of this magnificent lullaby inspired the first notes of George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” In the late 1920s, he heard the work performed at Carnegie Hall by the Ukrainian National Choir under the direction of Alexander Koshetz.
Занадився Журавель
Zanadyvsia zhuravel • The Crane
This song is performed with a traditional game in the form of a round dance. The children choose a “crane” to stand in the middle of the circle and imitate the bird by lifting their legs straight and high. As they dance in a circle, they sing lyrics about a pesky crane who eats their crops and attempt to shoo the scoundrel away.
Сорока-ворона
Soroka-vorona • Black and White Magpie
This song, about a magpie, is the basis for a children’s finger game. Starting with the pinkie, the child’s fingers are folded into the palm one by one to form a fist.
Два півники
Dva pivnyky • Two Roosters
This poetic nursery rhyme, in the form of a fairy tale or fable, teaches respect for others and cooperation. In primary schools, the song is performed with a series of gestures that act out the song lyrics.
Гойда, гойда-гой, ніченька іде
Hoida, hoida-hoi, nichenka ide • Hoida, Hoida-Hoi, Night Is Falling
This lullaby was famously performed by renowned Ukrainian singer Nina Matviyenko. The lyrics take the vantage point of a parent as they put their children to sleep at nightfall. Outside, a cherry tree shivers in the cold and asks to come in. The singer invites the tree inside, wishes for happy dreams and encourages the children to grow like the tree.
Подоляночка
Podolianochka • The Water Carrier
A recent cover by Jerry Heil and alyona alyona (who you may know from Eurovision 2024) reveals the empowering undertones of this song, which describes a woman who falls while carrying her water. Their reinterpretation underscores the “importance of uniting womanhood and standing against misogyny.”
Watch the trailer below.