yölaulu

Yölaulu is a Finnish term that translates to "night song." The word is formed from yö (night) and laulu (song). In Finnish culture, yölaulu is used as a descriptive label for songs or poems connected with night, such as lullabies intended to soothe or nighttime ballads that evoke dreams, solitude, or the hush of the late evening. As a generic concept, it encompasses works across different periods rather than referring to a single, unified genre. In folklore and oral tradition, night-time songs often function as soothing or comforting objects for children or as expressions of longing and memory revived in the stillness of night.

In modern usage, Yölaulu appears as a title or motif in various works by different authors and musicians, with each creator giving their own interpretation of night as a mood, setting, or emotional state. Because the term is descriptive rather than a formal category, it does not denote a specific canonical piece. Translations into English typically render it as "night song," and in contexts emphasizing lullaby-like function, as "night-time lullaby."

Within Finnish literature and music, yölaulu sits among nocturnal motifs that explore themes such as nature at night, insomnia, dream, and longing, often bridging folk roots and contemporary expression. See also: lullaby, nocturnal motif.