Dandini Dandini Dastana is a Turkish nursery rhyme. Dandini Dandini Dastana doesn’t actually mean anything in either English or Turkish passed the name of the song, but rather is used as a non-lexical transitional sound that connects each verse. The lyrics on whole are very pleasant, it describes a story of motherhood/early childhood on a farm and reminded me of a couple of western nursery rhymes. This particular recording has three different membranophones and three different chordophones, interestingly the singular vocalist is playing a membranophone while also singing. I picked this Turkish nursery rhyme because I’ve never in my life listened to Turkish music before.

Song/Video link:

Dandini dandini dastana
The cattle entered the garden
Gardener, banish the calf,
Do not let him eat the cabbage.
Huuu huuu huuu hu

Dandini dandini danali baby
Baby with little henna hands,
Mother and father love very much,
The spoiled baby sleeps and grows.
Huuu huuu huuu hu

Dandini dandini danadan
A moon was born from a mother’s womb,
Spared from all harm
God bless you from the evil eye.
Huuu huuu huuu hu

P.S. this is my second time writing this because the website crashed