قُولا له أيَّ شيءٍ مُبْهجٍ قُولا

قُولا له أيَّ شيءٍ مُبْهجٍ قُولا

لا تُتْركا الطِّفلَ في عَينيهِ مَخْذُولا

لا تُتْركا الطِّفلَ في عَينيهِ مَخْذُولا

Tell him anything cheering, you two—tell him.

Say to him some pleasant thing, say

Do not leave the child in his eyes forsaken.

Do not leave the child with disappointment in his eyes

للحُزنِ فيْ قَسَماتِ الطفلِ أُغنيةٌ

للحُزنِ فيْ قَسَماتِ الطفلِ أُغنيةٌ

من اليَباسِ وحُلْمٌ مات مَقتُولا

من اليَباسِ وحُلْمٌ مات مَقتُولا

Grief has a song in the child's features,

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

Of barrenness, and a dream that died, slain.

Of barrenness, and a dream that died, murdered

للرملِ فيْ جَيْبَهِ ذكرى اليتيم فكم

للرملِ فيْ جَيْبَهِ ذكرى اليتيم فكم

عَبَّ الأَسى كُلما زادَ المَسَا طُولا

عَبَّ الأَسى كُلما زادَ المَسَا طُولا

The sand in his pocket holds the orphan's memory—and how much

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

Sorrow he drank whenever the evening grew longer.

Sorrow has passed whenever the suffering grew longer

لم يُبْقِ للعِيْدِ ثوباً يَرْتَدِيهِ غداً

لم يُبْقِ للعِيْدِ ثوباً يَرْتَدِيهِ غداً

أَبْلى الثيابَ لوَعْدٍ كانَ مأمولا

أَبْلى الثيابَ لوَعْدٍ كانَ مأمولا

He kept no garment to wear for Eid tomorrow.

He has no clothes left to wear for the feast tomorrow

He wore out the clothes for a promise once hoped for.

Worn out the clothes for a promise that was hoped for

خُذا الثلاثيْنَ مِنْ عُمْرٍ تَلَبَّسَهُ

خُذا الثلاثيْنَ مِنْ عُمْرٍ تَلَبَّسَهُ

وأرجِعا العِيدَ فيْ ضِحْكاتِهِ الأُولى

وأرجِعا العِيدَ فيْ ضِحْكاتِهِ الأُولى

Take the thirty years from a life that has possessed him,

Take the thirty from an age he was dressed in

And bring Eid back into his earliest laughter.

And return the feast to his first laughter