Pars Today

Perhaps, the first musical piece that everybody hears in life is the lullaby. Lullabies are highly varied in Iran due to the variety of cultures, languages and dialects. With this prelude you must have understood the topic of this episode.

Lullaby can be considered as the first melodious and poetic bond between mother and child. It is an invisible string that stretches from the lips of mother to the ears of the child. It soothes the child in a way that the child sleeps comfortably and calmly. Lullaby conveys the honest aspirations of mother and the moves of the cradle increase its musicality and tone.

Lullabies are indeed part of the oral literature and folkloric heritage of every nation and ethnic group. It can be said that no mother reads them from a written text and all mothers know lullabies by heart. Even the girls and women who have not experienced motherhood know who to read lullabies by instinct. But when a mother sits by her child she often starts whispering a lullaby in a mellifluous tone.

Lullabies are simple poems which consist of short lines. They are communicated from generation to generation. Maybe lullabies are the oldest folkloric songs which have emerged in female literature.

A mother, through reading lullaby is in fact speaking with her child though the child doesn’t understand her. For sure, she knows that the child doesn’t understand the lullaby but she is content that the child hears her voice. The poems of lullabies are very simple and at timed they might have no rhythm or rhyme but they are very rich in terms of emotion and love. Lullabies differ according to cultural, linguistic, ethnic and social varieties. What is worthy of note is that the lullabies have been preserved more among rural communities. The themes of these communities include bravery, patriotism, generosity, manliness, obedience of parents, altruism, hospitality, the importance of knowledge acquisition and above all the love of the Prophet of Islam and his infallible progeny (Blessings of God upon them). What is interesting to note is that the theme of the lullabies vary if the child is male or female. The lullabies related to girls mostly revolve round female merits like chastity, modesty, affection, womanly arts, and at times beauty. What is interesting is that most of the lullabies in Iran are highly impacted by the love of the infallible figures and their obedience. This has its roots in the remarks of the Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) when he recommended the faithful to bring up their children with his love and the love of his progeny. Some of the lullabies have a nostalgic mood as they contain the love of the mother for her husband who has gone to work and make a living. These lullabies may include the feelings of wife toward her husband or can convey the wife’s nostalgic feeling for her husband indirectly; that is to say that the mother expresses her feelings toward her husband through the words of her child as if it is the child who is missing the father.

Lullabies are mostly preserved intact but they may be affected by the change of lifestyle and socio-cultural  upheavals. In short, lullabies reflect the ideals, beliefs and outlook of every nation and ethnic group.

RM/ME