قُولا له أيَّ شيءٍ مُبْهجٍ قُولا

لا تُتْركا الطِّفلَ في عَينيهِ مَخْذُولا

Say to him some pleasant thing, say

Do not leave the child with disappointment in his eyes

للحُزنِ فيْ قَسَماتِ الطفلِ أُغنيةٌ

من اليَباسِ وحُلْمٌ مات مَقتُولا

For sadness, in the features of the child, there is a song

Of barrenness, and a dream that died, murdered

للرملِ فيْ جَيْبَهِ ذكرى اليتيم فكم

عَبَّ الأَسى كُلما زادَ المَسَا طُولا

For the sand in his pocket, the memory of the orphan - so much

Sorrow has passed whenever the suffering grew longer

لم يُبْقِ للعِيْدِ ثوباً يَرْتَدِيهِ غداً

أَبْلى الثيابَ لوَعْدٍ كانَ مأمولا

He has no clothes left to wear for the feast tomorrow

Worn out the clothes for a promise that was hoped for

خُذا الثلاثيْنَ مِنْ عُمْرٍ تَلَبَّسَهُ

وأرجِعا العِيدَ فيْ ضِحْكاتِهِ الأُولى

Take the thirty from an age he was dressed in

And return the feast to his first laughter