أَقُولُ أَوْلاَدِي وَمَا ذَلِكُمْ

أَقُولُ أَوْلاَدِي وَمَا ذَلِكُمْ

لأَنَّهُمْ ليْسُوا بِجِدِّ الْكِبَارِ

لأَنَّهُمْ ليْسُوا بِجِدِّ الْكِبَارِ

I call them my children, and that is not

I say my children though they are not

because they lack the seriousness of grown-ups;

The equals of the great departed ones

لَكِنَّما التَّاجُ عَلَى مَا بِه

لَكِنَّما التَّاجُ عَلَى مَا بِه

مِنْ عِظَمٍ تَعْلُوهُ دُرٌّ صِغَارْ

مِنْ عِظَمٍ تَعْلُوهُ دُرٌّ صِغَارْ

rather, the crown, for all

Yet crowns become the little gems which grace

its grandeur, is topped by tiny pearls.

The splendid greatness they encase