Cossack Lullaby facts for kids

The Regions of North Caucasus

The drainage basin of the Terek River

The Terek River

"The Cossack Lullaby" (Russian: Казачья колыбельная песня) is a special song for babies. A famous Russian writer named Mikhail Lermontov wrote it in 1838. He wrote it while he was in a place called the Caucasus.

What is "The Cossack Lullaby"?

This song is a "cradle song." It's like a gentle tune a parent sings to help a baby sleep. Mikhail Lermontov wrote it in 1838. He was living in the Caucasus region at the time.

Why Was Lermontov Exiled?

In 1837, another very famous Russian writer, Alexander Pushkin, died. He was in a duel, which is a fight with weapons between two people. Lermontov admired Pushkin greatly. He wrote a poem called Death of the Poet. In this poem, Lermontov suggested that Pushkin was a victim of the powerful people around the Tsar, who was like a king. Because of this poem, Lermontov was immediately sent away. This is called being "exiled." He was sent to the Caucasus region.

How Lermontov Wrote the Song

While Lermontov was in the Caucasus, he heard an old woman singing. She was a Terek Cossack. The Cossacks were a group of people known for being good warriors. They lived near the Terek River. This woman was singing a cradle song to her baby. Lermontov liked the song so much that he wrote it down. This became "The Cossack Lullaby."

At that time, the Terek Cossacks helped protect Russia's southern border. They defended it against groups like the Ingush and Chechens. The song reflects some of the dangers they faced. Lermontov is said to have even put the song to music himself. This happened when he was traveling through a city called Voronezh. The song later became very popular in big cities like Saint Petersburg and Moscow.

Words of the Lullaby

The song has six parts, called stanzas. Here are two of them with their meaning in English. They show how a mother sings to her child. She tells the child to sleep peacefully. She also mentions the dangers outside, but assures the child that their father is a brave warrior.

Images for kids

• 

  The Terek River