Learn our favorite ninne nanne to rock your baby to sleep in Italian.
During those precious minutes while you rock your baby to sleep, Italian lullabies – or ninne nanne – are a lovely way for you to share the Italian language. For most parents and children, the songs routinely sung at bedtime become extra special and memorable.
In this post, we share our favorite Italian lullabies. Every song is linked to a Youtube video with lyrics or closed captions – just click the song title. You’ll be able to easily follow along, learn the songs, and start sharing them with your baby!
For even more bedtime songs in Italian, check out our Italian Lullabies Spotify playlist or Italian Lullabies YouTube playlist.
Table of Contents
Ninna Nanna Ninna Oh may be the most famous lullaby in Italy. In this traditional bedtime song, the singer asks, “questo bimbo a chi lo do / who should I give my baby to?” and then hypothesizes.
If I give my baby to the Befana or Christmas witch, she will keep him for a week. If I give my baby to the Bove Nero or Black Ox (or the Uomo Nero or Bogeyman in many versions), he will keep him for a year. If I give my baby to the Lupo Bianco or White Wolf, he will keep him for a long time.
The most common version of the song ends with the baby falling asleep – il mio bimbo addormentate. Presumably, the singer has decided to keep their baby (phew!).
Ninna Nanna Ninna Oh is slow, melodic, and soothing. A must-have in your lullaby repertoire.
Chorus:
Ninna nanna, ninna oh, questo bimbo a chi lo do?
Se lo do alla Befana, me lo tiene una settimana
Se lo do al al Bove Nero, me lo tiene un anno intero
Se lo do al Lupo Bianco, me lo tiene tanto, tanto
Ninna nanna, nanna fate, il mio bimbo addormentate
You may have guessed it. Brilla Brilla La Stellina is the Italian version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. You already know the tune to this one.
As for the lyrics, they are not directly translatable with the English lyrics, but the idea is certainly the same. A little star is twinkling in the sky above us. The singer wonders who the star belongs to. Now, the star comes closer.
A nice, calming, simple song that your child will probably end up learning in both English and Italian. The stars really do unite us no matter where we are!
Chorus:
Brilla brilla la stellina
Su nel cielo piccolina.
Brilla brilla sopra noi,
Mi domando di chi sei.
Brilla brilla la stellina,
Ora tu sei più vicina.
Another traditional Italian lullaby, Farfallina Bella e Bianca is usually a favorite of both babies and parents. I learned about this song from my aunt, who remembered it from her childhood.
During the first six months of my daughter’s life, this is the only song that would make her fall asleep for naps in the baby carriage.
As the title suggests, the song is about a beautiful, white butterfly. The butterfly flies around without tiring. It finds a red, sweet-smelling flower. Then, it finds a sunflower. When the sun comes out, the butterfly falls asleep.
A simple and sweet song that will remain in your head long after your baby falls asleep.
Chorus:
Farfallina bella e bianca
vola vola mai si stanca
vola qua, vola là
In Ninna Nanna degli Animaletti by Mario Pagano and Luciano Simoncini, children have a wonderful dream about being with their animal friends. As the children are sleeping, the animals are also sleeping: the groundhogs, mice, and the little bear. In the lair, the hare sleeps. In the fountain, the fish sleeps. Soundly sleeping are also the elephant, monkey, frog, and spider.
In the stall, the donkey dreams of being a butterfly. Under the stars, the gazelle fell asleep. The ant, squirrel, and bunnies sleep. So do the whale, shrimp, ostriches, and codfish.
The moon shines on the snails. Under a head of lettuce, the turtle sleeps.
Although it may be a bit harder to learn than some of the other lullabies, Ninna Nanna degli Animaletti is really a cute song. As your child will probably love animals, this lullaby is also nice way to teach them the Italian words for many different types of animals.
Chorus:
Dorme ogni bimbo di questo mondo
Sogna di fare un bel girotondo
Insieme a tutti gli animaletti
Il più bel sogno farà
I love the lullaby Ninna Nanna del Chicco di Caffè by Franca Evangelisti and Mario Pagano. It is written from the perspective of a child.
In the first verse, the child tells their mom that they will stay in bed with her and sing her a lullaby. In the second verse, all of the houses are sleeping, the city is sleeping, even the ants are resting. But mamma never rests. In the last verse (the sweetest one), the child tells mamma that they will buy her beautiful things when they are older. For now, mamma should close her eyes and dream about everything she would want.
What is the chorus about? Seven bowls on the king’s table. There isn’t salad. In the bowl for mamma, there is just a coffee bean. Confused? Remember this sung is from the perspective of a child – it doesn’t have to make perfect sense to us adults!
Fortunately for mamma, at the end of the song, the child says they will put whatever she wants in her bowl on the king’s table – ci mettiamo su tutto quello che vuoi tu.
For the standards of lullabies, this one has a bit of a faster pace. The silly lyrics and catchy tune make it fun to sing.
Chorus:
Ninna nanna mamma
Insalata non ce n’è;
Sette le scodelle sulla tavola del re.
Ninna nanna mamma
Ce n’è una anche per te
Dentro cosa c’è
Solo un chicco di caffè
Stella Stellina is a traditional lullaby and rhyme that is well-known all across Italy. It is about nightfall. There is a star, a little star. The flame of the candle is going out. In the stall, all of the baby and mother animals are getting ready for bed: the cows, the sheep, the hens. Everyone has their mamma, and everyone is going to sleep.
As most children tend to love animals, once they start really understanding the words of your lullabies, they will probably like this one in particular. If all of the animals are sleeping, maybe they’ll be convinced to drift off too …
Chorus:
Stella stellina
La notte s’avvicina
La fiamma traballa
La mucca è nella stalla
La mucca e il vitello
La pecora e l’agnello
La chioccia e il pulcino
Ognuno ha il suo bambino
Ognuno ha la sua mamma
E tutti fan la nanna
When you’re ready for a break from repeating the words “ninna nanna” or singing about animals, this is a nice option.
Ninna Nanna di Frà Simon is a simple tune about two friars who rang Brother Simon’s church bell. Din don, din don went the bell. The friars asked for bread and wine. At night, they rang the bell. The day was finished, and it was time to go to bed.
This traditional lullaby is easy to memorize and to rock to rhythmically – just like Brother Simon’s chiming church bell.
Chorus:
Din don, din don
La campana di Fra Simon
Eran due che la sonavan
Pane vin i’ domandavan
Din don, campanon
La campana di Fra Simon
La sonavan nott’e dì
Che il giorno l’è finì
Ed è ora di dormir
Din don, din don
Dormi Piccino by Carlo Rossetto was written especially for mamma to sing. As the song’s repeating line goes, la mamma è con te – mamma is with you.
Mamma invites her baby to dream with her of a land made of toys. She wants her baby to have a sweet sleep and to enter into a dream world, a place where you can even fly. Mamma is watching over her baby, and she will stay with them until the morning.
As the song finishes, it turns into repetition of whispers of “dormi, dormi”. In particular, I feel like this song is meant for the littlest piccini – during those first very delicate months of baby’s life.
Chorus:
Dormi, dormi
La mamma è con te
These are just a few of the many wonderful Italian lullabies.
To listen to over 1.5 hours of lovely bedtime songs, check out our Italian Lullabies Spotify playlist or Italian Lullabies YouTube playlist.
If you prefer to listen to music on Youtube, I recommend this playlist of traditional regional Italian lullabies. As your baby falls asleep, these are nice to have on in the background. My favorites are: Fate le Ninne from Abruzzo, Fate la Nanna Coscine di Pollo from Tuscany, Scende la Notte from Molise, and Ninna Nanna Monelletto from Umbria. You can find most of these regional Italian lullabies on our Spotify playlist as well.
Are we forgetting any of your favorite Italian lullabies? Comment below to let us know.
For the daytime hours, see our post on Italian songs for kids that are perfect for singing and dancing.
Happy listening, happy singing, and buona notte!
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