Armenian lullabies: what "oror" means, the old songs, and recordings to play tonight

Ask an Armenian grandmother for a lullaby and she will probably start with "oror, oror." This guide explains what the word means, where the old lullabies come from, and which recordings to play at bedtime, from children's albums to the village songs of historic Armenia.

By The Armenly team. Written October 27, 2026.

About The Armenly team — The people who build and check the Armenly catalog of Armenian music.

Key findings

The Armenian word for a lullaby, oror, imitates the to and fro of a rocking cradle, and it is sung in nearly every one [1].
The word changes by region: heyroor, nannik, loorik, nenni, roorik or nana [1].
Most traditional lullabies are village songs passed down by women, and their words often carry a mother's worries and longing [1].
The most played lullaby in the Armenly catalog is "Oror" by the duduk player Lévon Minassian, with about 1.8 million Spotify plays (catalog of September 17, 2026).

What "oror" means

Oror is both the word for a lullaby and the sound of one. It imitates the to and fro of a rocking cradle, and it is chanted through nearly every Armenian lullaby [1].

Other regions have their own word: heyroor, nannik, loorik, nenni, roorik or nana [1]. That is why the same kind of song can be called "Oror," "Nani bala nani" or "Taroni oror" ("the lullaby of Taron").

The traditional lullabies

The old lullabies are mostly village songs, passed down by women. Their melodies are light, built on simple repeated phrases that copy the rocking of the cradle, and their words often hold a mother's worries: an absent husband, a hard year, a prayer to God, the Holy Mother or a saint [1].

Each region of historic Armenia sang them differently, and the differences between the lullabies of Van, Moush, Talish, Kessab and Trebizond can still be heard [1]. A few are known by name: "Taroni oror" from Taron, "Talishi oror" from Talish, "Nani bala," and "Nazei oror," which remembers the genocide [1].

The singer Hasmik Harutyunyan recorded them with the Shoghaken Ensemble on "Armenian Lullabies" (2004), which the New York Times named an outstanding world music CD that year [2]. In 2019 Khatchadour Khatchadourian released "Oror ou Nani," an album of lullabies sung by a man [3].

Taroni Oror — Hasmik Harutyunyan with the Shoghaken Ensemble — the lullaby of Taron
Anga Oror — Hasmik Harutyunyan with the Shoghaken Ensemble — from "Armenian Lullabies"
Nazei Oror — Hasmik Harutyunyan with the Shoghaken Ensemble — from "Armenian Lullabies"
Talishi Oror — Khatchadour Khatchadourian — the lullaby of Talish, from "Oror ou Nani"
Nani Bala Nani (Traditional Version) — Khatchadour Khatchadourian — from "Oror ou Nani"

Newer lullabies everyone knows

"Ari im sokhak" ("Come, my nightingale") and "Anush knik" ("Sweet sleep") are lullabies of the newer urban folk genre rather than the village tradition [1].

Ari Im Sokhak — Arpi — "Come, my nightingale," 2019
Ororotsayin (Ari Im Sokhak) — Zulal — a cappella trio
Taroni Oror Ou Anoush Qnik — Khatchadour Khatchadourian — "Sweet sleep," with the lullaby of Taron

The most played Armenian lullabies

The lullabies played most in the Armenly catalog, one per title, by Spotify plays as recorded on September 17, 2026. Play counts are indicative, not official chart figures. Songs with "oror" in the title that are dances, such as the "shoror" of Erzurum, are left out.

Oror — Lévon Minassian — on the duduk, about 1.8 million plays
Koon Yeghir Balas — Taline — "Sleep, my child," about 956,000 plays
An Armenian Lullaby — Taline — about 691,000 plays
Oror Im Mangig — Taline — about 504,000 plays
Oror Im Siroonig / Lullaby — Taline — about 429,000 plays
Dikniki Orore / My Doll's Lullaby — Taline — about 413,000 plays
Gayane Suite No. 2: V. Lullaby — Aram Khachaturian — from the ballet, about 199,000 plays
Oror (Yalla Tnam) — Lena Chamamyan — about 140,000 plays
Oror - Lullaby — Mariam Matossian — about 64,000 plays
Ruri—lullaby — Zulal — about 52,000 plays

A bedtime playlist

For a baby, start with an instrumental: Lévon Minassian's duduk "Oror," then Khachaturian's lullaby from "Gayane."
For a toddler learning Armenian, Taline's children's albums, whose lullabies carry English titles.
For grown-ups who grew up with them, the village lullabies sung by Hasmik Harutyunyan.

Armenian children's songs — the Kids & Family shelf
Calm Armenian music — for after the lullabies

Questions people ask

What is an Armenian lullaby called?

Oror. The word imitates the rocking of a cradle and is sung in nearly every Armenian lullaby. Some regions say nana, nenni, nannik, loorik, roorik or heyroor instead.

What is the most famous Armenian lullaby?

Among the old village lullabies, "Taroni oror" and "Nani bala" are known by name; among newer ones, "Ari im sokhak" ("Come, my nightingale") and "Anush knik" ("Sweet sleep"). In the Armenly catalog, the most played lullaby is "Oror" by the duduk player Lévon Minassian, with about 1.8 million Spotify plays.

Are there Armenian lullabies for children learning the language?

Yes. Taline's children's albums include several, such as "Oror Im Mangig," "Oror Im Siroonig" and "Koon Yeghir Balas," and they are the most played Armenian lullabies on Armenly after Lévon Minassian's "Oror."

What are Armenian lullabies about?

The traditional ones are mostly songs mothers sang in the village, and their words often carry worries and longing: for a husband away from home, for a better year, and prayers for the child.

Sources

[1] Lullabies of Armenia — Wikipedia, read October 27, 2026
[2] Hasmik Harutyunyan — Wikipedia, read October 27, 2026
[3] "Oror ou Nani" lullaby collection: a spiritual awakening — The Armenian Weekly, read October 27, 2026

Cite this page

The Armenly team, "Armenian lullabies: what "oror" means, the old songs, and recordings to play tonight." Armenly, October 27, 2026. https://armenly.com/guides/armenian-lullabies

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