Just like other lullabies, the cradle songs in the nursery rhymes popular in Anren County, Hunan Province are ballads sung by the mother to her baby, which is one of the earliest children's songs that the baby has heard since its birth. In order to get the kids to bed and create a comfortable sleeping environment, the mother rocks the cradle rhythmically while singing the ballad gently. Feeling warmth of the mother's love in the song, the baby is gradually sleeping, never crying. 

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVByVfyeYRRb44h3ZHinmGfTBXajrcG9ZJeFrbuvQDBuv/%E5%9B%BE%E7%89%87.png)

> (The cradle where we slept when we were babies. When you rock the cradle, the two bamboo tubes below will roll back and forth on the uneven ground, giving a musical sound in a rhythmic manner. It's nice to lie in it.)

1

 ***Rock and Rock***

*Rock and rock*

With the cradle-rocking 

*My baby is growing up*

To collect firewood 

*Three loads one day*

*Nine loads three days*

*In sunny days*

*We’ve firewood to sell*

In rainy days 

*We’ve firewood to burn*

*Taking them to the market*

*We may sell for money* 



2

**Rockabye **

*Rockabye, rockabye* 

*To the Grandma's Bridge*

*Chicken feed on rice*

*Ducks on green duckweed*

*Cows on grass in the field*

*Horses on grass by the roadside*

*Adults eat to do work*

*My baby eats to have a good night*



3

**Bugs, Fly Away**

*Bugs, fly away, fly away*

*Don’t bite my baby*

My baby hides in the doorway 

*My baby*

*Eat well to build up your body*

*I’ll find you a wife some day*



These "cradle songs" are characterized with warm-hearted content, short words, slow rhythm and soft tone, which are easy to read aloud, so they are still popular to this day.

湖南安仁童谣中的“摇篮歌”和其他摇篮曲一样，它是以母亲的口吻唱给婴儿听的歌谣，是婴儿出生后最早听到的儿歌作品之一。母亲为了哄着孩子，让孩子在恬静、舒适的气氛中安然入睡，一边有节奏地推着摇篮，一边轻轻唱着歌谣。孩子在歌声中感受到温馨的母爱，不哭不闹，渐渐安睡。

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXmMz9AF8uC6jHVn3VkE4W48ponFhwSaVApfH3r5pDtm1/%E5%9B%BE%E7%89%87.png)

（我们小时候睡的摇篮。推动搖篮，下面两竹筒就会在凹凸不平的泥地上来回滚动，发出有节奏的悦耳的响声。躺在里面好舒服哦！）

（一）、摇摇摇

摇摇摇，摇摇摇，

摇大宝宝捡柴烧，

一日捡三担，

三日捡九挑。

天晴有柴卖，

落雨有柴烧，

挑到街上卖，

还有银子装荷包（口袋）。

（二）、摇呀摇

摇啊摇,摇啊摇，

摇到外婆桥。

鸡吃白米饭，

鸭吃绿浮萍；

牛吃田墈草，

马吃路边茅。

大人吃了找事做，

小孩吃了睡觉觉。

（三）、虫虫飞

虫虫飞，虫虫走。

虫虫莫咬宝宝手，

宝宝躲到灶门口。

吃饱饱，有力气。

长高长大娶媳妇。

这些“摇篮歌”内容亲切，词句简短，节奏徐缓，声调柔和，读来朗朗上口，至今仍流传。

原作者： @hqy
译者： @bring