Lullabies, the Requirements of a Child

«48 Lullabies for Four Seasons» is the name of a book recently published by Iran's Maryam Islami. Here you can read an interview with her, published in Ketab-e-Hafteh.

What happened that you decided to publish this book?

Lullabies are songs which mothers have told their children for many years in order to put them to sleep but, in fact lullabies can be thought of as the stories of the Iranian mothers regarding their wishes, expectations and internal requirements. In other words, lullabies are the first communicational tool of a child with poetry and music indicating human necessities.

Lullabies have been made by laymen; hence, they do not have any connection with the principles of poetry, meter, and rhyme and have been simply composed. On the other hand, lullabies are traditional and are not matched with the modern life.

So, is it possible to update lullabies as myths and tales are rewritten and revised?

Rewriting and revising of lullabies can cause these agreeable lyrics to stay alive. So, those who are interested in this kind of literature should update them. Today lullabies are composed both for a mother and a child living in the modern situation and geography.

"Lullaby lullaby flower pennyroyal/the world as a street all" this simile is matched with the modern life, but "lullaby lullaby plum flower/left no apple no apricot either" represents the rural atmosphere which, in most lullabies, is mentioned. What's the difference for?

In winter lullabies, I got back and reviewed my memories but in "night came and it's the time to sleep/skein of memories was unfolded deep/ how many nights my mother too/said lullabies and made tomorrow reap7', my purpose was to review the old memories and traditional lullabies.

Lullabies have different themes; political, social, religious and etc. themes which among them you just mentioned the natural element.

First, a child should play games and this task will be fulfilled when making contact with the nature, knowing well the natural elements and understanding the beauties of life. Composing political lullabies mean making a world which children do not understand and do not have any image of it; therefore, is it not better to make them aware of the material world first!?

On one hand, you consider lullabies belonging to feminine literature but on the other hand you have talked about a child and the childish world.

A child is the best and sweetest reason for a mother and she can embrace her in various situations in order to tell her wishes and desires. In fact, all my attempts are to say that a mother and a child are inseparable from each other.

Why did you select the quatrain?

Lullabies cannot be long because they are some parts of poetry, and the quatrain gives this opportunity to the writer to compose shortly. On the other hand, there are facilities like meter and rhyme in this form and children highly like music and rhythm. Of course, I composed lullabies in blank verse.

"Bugbear" is an element exists in all lullabies; something becomes symbolic in your lullabies. Tell us a little about it.

Bugbear is brought with various goals in lullabies to take a child into a fanciful creature and make him sleep. But in my lullabies, the bugbear is an emotion itself which exists in human beings. But the power of this bugbear is not matched with mothers. A mother herself can cope with all problems and give comfortable sleep to her child.

In fact, a mother says that you sleep and I care about you.

A mother summons all natural elements to be silent in order that her child sleeps comfortably. She asks moonlight to scatter light in such a way that does not wake up her child and wants the spring to course gently. In general, it can be mentioned that a mother wants and wishes a happy world for her child and expects a life better than before.

-Lullaby lullaby pistachio flower

-got tired your mother

-O flower sleep 0 wallflower

-world's eyes not move higher.

Taken from: Mahjubah Magezine