Burmese Music

Musical tradition: Burmese children songs, lullabies and play songs

Musician(s): Truetender Htun and Paw

Instruments: Vocals

These recordings were made with Truetender Htun and Paw Kobo.  These are everyday songs, sung in the home to children and with children.

This is a Burmese lullaby. The words say: “Mommy it’s time to sleep, come and sleep near me, hold me and I can sleep on your arm. Can you tell me a story when I sleep, if you don’t tell me a story I’ll cry”  – Truetender Htun

This song means: “I love my mom, I love my dad, when they’re with me I will follow their directions and I will be a good kid for them.”

Paw learned this song while living in a refugee camp near the Thai-Burma border.

Translation: “Two birds, sitting on a tree branch, the boy and the girl see it, the girl says ‘I like the dove, can you catch it for me?’ The boy says, “I can’t catch it for you, if my mom finds out, she’ll be mad! She says I can’t catch the bird.” So the girl finds food for the bird every day, because she likes the bird.”