Hushie-ba, Birdie Beeton Lyrics
A Scottish lullaby tells the baby that its mother has gone to Seaton to buy a lambskin to wrap the baby in.
Hushie-ba, Birdie Beeton
Hushie-ba, birdie beeton,
Your mammie's gane to Seaton,
For to buy a lammie's skin
To row your bonnie boukie in.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hushie-ba-birdie-beeton/
- Type
- Lullabies
- Tune
- Sung as a lullaby
- Best for ages
- 1 to 4 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Hushie-ba, birdie beeton | Rock a baby or a soft toy in your arms. |
| To buy a lammie's skin | Stroke a soft blanket or piece of fleece. |
| To row your bonnie boukie in | Wrap the toy gently in the blanket. |
What Does Hushie-ba, Birdie Beeton Mean?
The lullaby is written in Scots. It tells the baby that mammie has gone to Seaton to buy a lammie's skin, a soft lambskin, to wrap the baby up in. Row here is a Scots word for wrap, and boukie and bonnie are tender names for the baby's little body. Only the last line talks about the wrapping, and by then the baby is usually getting sleepy.
The first line uses a kind of baby talk, birdie beeton, which is a pet name that adds to the soothing sound.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints the verse in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories, among his Scottish baby rhymes. He also gives another verse that begins "Bye baby, buntin'", with a similar idea of a skin to wrap the baby in.
The rhyme does not say which Seaton is meant.
Learning Activities
- Wrap it up: practise wrapping a doll in a soft blanket as you sing.
- Feel the fleece: compare soft materials such as wool, cotton and fleece.
- Scots words: learn row, boukie and bonnie and use them in play.
- Compare lullabies: sing this beside 'Bye baby, bunting' and talk about the likenesses.