The Emperor's Cradle Song

The Emperor's Cradle Song is a nursery rhyme and lullaby, also called the Royal Lullaby, that has been popular throughout northern Heberia, especially in Noam, for over twelve centurís. It is in the form of a rhyming couplet, repeated with a soothing simple melody, sung to children to induce sleep.

Words

Despite its extreme age, the words of the rhyme have remained remarkably consistent:

NOAMESE

Ангя ангя бүү үгила
Абхаъ киекие син сатятаялүя

RIADICISED

Angya angya buu ugila
Abkhai kiyekiye sin satyatayaluya

TRANSLATED

Little one, little one don’t you weep,
The noble older sister will rock you to sleep.

Origin

The Emperor’s Cradle Song is one of the oldest nursery rhymes on the Noamese language. It first appeared in a collection of children’s poems published in 1353 entitled Khüükhdüüded Zoriulsan Shüleg (Poems for Children). The first western translation appeared in Séamus Úllord’s Nursery Rhymes of the East, published in Bréifne in 1784. The melody is believed to be of ninth centurí origin. The rhyme itself is believed to date from the seventh centurí.

Most scholars agree the roots of the Emperor’s Cradle Song lie in the late second centurí BCS Boslogo Rebellion. During the Altanüye Baishin, throughout the reign of Emperor Khüch (c.132 - 98 BCS; r. 116 - 98 BCS), members of the Boslogo tribe sought to overthrow him and establish their own dynasty on the throne of Noam. Emperor Khüch was able to put down the initial insurrection, but the Boslogo were later joined by the Kholbuut and the Kharkhnuud and eventually gained the upper hand against the Emperor’s forces in 99 BCS.

At the time, Emperor Khüch had four children with his senior wife, Temulun. The oldest were three daughters, the Princesses Khünma, Samga, and Cota, who ranged in age from 15 to 8. The youngest was his infant son, and heir to the throne, Khürüch, born the previous year, and the “little one” who appears in the lullaby. The “noble older sister” of the nursery rhyme refers to Princess Khünma.

According to legend, when the Boslogo army invaded the royal palace in 99 BCS, they assassinated the Emperor and slaughtered nearly the entire royal family, the only exception being 15 year old Princess Khünma and her infant brother Prince Khürüch. Avoiding detection, she managed to carry the Crown Prince away from the palace and evade the attacking rebels, eventually making her way to the stronghold of her mother’s family.

There were many times during their escape when the cries of a baby would have led to their capture and eventual death. But each time, the young Princess sang the words of the Emperor’s Cradle Song to her young brother, which never failed to quiet him to sleep.

Emperor's Cradle Song

Эзэн хааны өлгий дуу

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NURSERY RHYME

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Princess Khünma and the Infant Emperor Khürüch

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^{IMAGE CREDIT
Lullaby, by the Author, via Wombo Dream.}