During the civil war that started in Lebanon on April 13th 1978, a little girl from a very famous Lebanese family: the Bandali family, a group of musicians that composed and sang many songs, has shined. This little girl was Remi Bandali, she was one year old when the war has started, when she turned 4 years old, she sang a very famous song about the war that didn’t end before 1990. (The main civil war because we had extra conflicts as well ).
She traveled abroad and sang it on many international stages. Any Lebanese that lived the war or any conflict, will cry when they hear this song! I know I do and I saw many others do!
Remi was a clever child, she sang the song in 3 languages and the song title was:
“A’touna El Tufoole” = “Give Us The Childhood”
I can assure you that the entire world applauded, but they kept applauding for the next 12 years at our great performance and pain!
The French and English translations sang by Remi in the video, were not a literal translation for the Arabic version, just some lines for some parts. I’m publishing below the Arabic version with also Latin words pronunciation and the English translation of the Arabic version. Then the French and English lines that were sang and were a bit different from the Arabic version.
You can watch the video first to hear the song and if it’s didn’t open please let me know. I mean if you really want to hear it of course 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z1YSw-pXzU
Arabic version + Latin words:
جينا نعيدكم… بالعيد منسألكم
Jeena N’ayedkon … Bel-Eid Mnes’alkon
ليش ما في عنا… لا أعياد ولا زينة
Lesh Ma Fee ‘Enna … La ‘Ayyad Wala Zeineh
يا عالم
Ya ‘Alam
أرضي محروقة
Ardhi Mahroo’a
أرضي حرية مسروقة
Ardhi Huriyyeh Masroo’a
سمانا عم تحلم… عم تسأل الأيام
Samana ‘Am Tehlam … ‘Am Tes’al El-Ayam
وين الشمس الحلوة… ورفوف الحمام
Wein Esh-Shames El-Helwe … W-Rfouf El-Hamam
Ya ‘Alam
أرضي محروقة
Ardhi Mahroo’a
أرضي حرية مسروقة
Ardhi Huriyyeh Masroo’a
أرضي زغيرة… متلي زغيرة
Ardhi Zgheere … Metli Zgheere
ردولها السلام… اعطونا الطفولة
Redoulha Es-Salam …. ‘Atouna Et-Tufoole
اعطونا الطفولة
A’touna Et-Tufoole
اعطونا الطفولة
A’touna Et-Tufoole
اعطونا… اعطونا… اعطونا السلام
A’touna … ‘Atouna … ‘Atouna Es-Salam
English Translation for the above Arabic version:
We’ve came to wish you happy holidays … and during the holidays we ask you
Why is that we do not have any holidays or decorations
Ye, World
My land is burned down
My land is stolen freedom
Our sky is dreaming, asking the days
Where is the beautiful sun … and where is the fluttering of the doves?
Ye, World
My land is burned down
My land is stolen freedom
My land is small … like me, it is small
Give the peace back to it, give us childhood
Give us the childhood
Give us the childhood
Give us … give us … give us peace
French version as sang by Remi:
A mon
enfance A mes quatre ans
A I’innocence
Au beau jardin A ce Liban
Qu’appellent les enfants
Je vous demande vous prie de rendre
Toute I’innocence
De mon enfance De mon enfance
Sauvez I’enfance
Sauvez I’enfance
Sauvez I’enfance
Sauvez Sauvez
Sauves I’enfance
English version as sang by Remi:
I am a child
With something to say
Please listen to me
I am a child
Who wants to play
Why don’t you let me
My doors are waiting
My friends are praying
Small hearts are begging
Give us a chance
Give us a chance
Give us a chance
Give us a chance
Give us a chance
Please
Please
Give us a chance
Love to hear your thoughts.
Photo credit featured image: Patrice Murciano – No War for our children
Huguette Antoun – April 4th 2019
Huguette Antoun 
C’est triste.. Surtout quand on comprend les paroles d’origine “arabe” et aussi l’interprétation de la petite Rémi, avec toute son L’innocence de sa voix et de ses gestes, beaucoup d’émotions… Plus le partant partage et surtout pour perpétrés le souvenir…🍃
C’est très triste même quand je l’entends maintenant! Les paroles sont très émouvants! Merci pour lire et entendre proprement comme d’habitude 🙂 j’apprécie beaucoup
Tout le plaisir est pour moi… Merci a vous…🌹
🙏🏻🙏🏻😊
Beautiful but sad song.
The tears won’t stop!
Sorry if it made you sad, it stills do until now
Thank you for stopping by.
Thank you for the beautiful song!
My pleasure! I checked your blog and sorry didn’t understand the language, I recommend you provide a translation if you wish of course to have more readers 🙂
Best of luck
Thank you!
ありがとう😊
👍😊
❤️
😊❤️
Woah! That’s a very touching song! 😭
It still makes me cry until this very day!
Thank you Priya ❤️
This song must be very popular as in for evoking a nationalist sentiment and very close to you native Lebanon citizens ❤
Yes it is because Remi sang it worldwide and she was so little and she sang what the Lebanese kids were exactly feeling ❤️
❤❤
This is so heart wrenching … 💕
Still wrenching my heart until this very moment
Thank you for stopping by 💕
It move me to the core!❤️
Thank you for stopping by ❤️ It is moving and still touches many hearts!
I couldn’t help but cry😭 It’s heart houching❤ I can’t even imagine how much pain you guys feel on hearing this.
More love to you❤
So Sorry! Wasn’t my intention 😦 It actually kept playing in my head all day and still! I really made myself miserable today! Thank you dear appreciate your words and kindness ❤
I couldn’t hold back my tears.
Your words truly portray the feelings of your heart.
What a pity is that when one is Captive in Freedom.
God bless you More and Most.
Thank you so much for stopping by! I appreciate your words and kindness
I don’t have words that could do justice with your spirit.
Few years back we faced the crucial condition in Pakistan, but الحمداللہ today is much better than yesterday.
God bless you.
Sorry to hear that your country faced crucial condition, glad is much better! God bless you as well, thank you so much for your kind words
انشاءاللہ!
Conditions in your country will soon get better.
Our Pak Army and government took strict measures to curb the unleashed terrorism and chaos.
God bless you.
Well it’s now war free, hamdellah, as we always say just some economic issues and political conflicts
Wish the best to your country Pakistan as well and God bless you 🙂
شکرالحمداللہ!
For your homeland.
Economic and political issues are common issues of our countries.
May you people see utmost peace for ever. AMEEN.
🙏🏻🙏🏻
That is so very beautiful, so touching, so sad too, really don’t know what to say. Thanks for sharing that.
Thank you so much Steve for your touching words and sorry if it made you sad
That’s okay,being sad once in a while isn’t a problem, I was probably feeling a bit sad already anyhow.😺
Sorry to hear that Steve! Hope this sadness will melt away very soon! Some days we just can’t help it, I made myself miserable today and the song is stuck in my head
Anyway we always smile and keep moving ☺☺ I’m sure Muffin will cheer you up 😺
She always tries her best!
😊😊👍
Beautiful
Thank you so much!
Welcome.
Always dear Huguetta
Sad indeed, but poignant too in terms of the circumstance, what is so obviously striking is the innocence of Remi, but yet the passion, very moving.
Thank you so much for stopping by! Well I can tell you that this song can make most citizens here cry! Appreciate your interaction 😊
My pleasure, thanks for posting it 🙂
🙏🏻😊
Good afternoon, she is very cute, but i can hear the sadness in her voice, why can’t we live in peace, for kids is so difficult to understand, made me cry, i’m sensitive at this point, specialy when she sang in french sauve enfant❤️
Hello Ilona, thank you so much for stopping by and sorry if this song made you cry 😢 we still cry until now when we hear it, too emotional for me!
Yes the girl was too young but she knows the country is burning despite her smile and innocence she was so smart…
Unfortunately nothing to be done when the war strikes, many still paying the prices until this moment especially children and women
Appreciate your lovely interaction ❤️
I can get emotional easily, but its a part of human being some less some more❤️
We are whom we are, no shame of that 🙂
sauvez l’enfance
👍😊
Thank you for sharing this song with the rest of the world and explaining about it, and reminding me again about it. Remi is from my hometown btw. Children are the primary victims of war, they are deprived from their childhood and innocence early on; living on constant terror and fear instead of playing outside and enjoying life; instead they watch their loved one die/suffer. This song also reminds me that the world turned blind eyes on what was going on here, instead they played a key part in fueling the war even more.
This song still makes me cry! Wow from your hometown? All children adored Remi back to then! Ma ba3ref shi 3anna basss kenna n7ebba
We paid a huge price, we didn’t have time to live our best days…
Yes I wanted to transmit the message how the world kept applauding on our performance ! Kellun kenu mshterkin w ne7na mhebil
Nakkadet 3ala 7ali mn mbereh b hal ghinneyi
Thank you for all your interactions dear ❤️😊
Very touching and also pertinent to other countries where war is inflicted upon them.
It is pertinent to all countries and all the children of the world that are paying huge prices!
Thank you Ronnie 🙏🏻
This is so heart touching!🙏
Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words 🙏🏻
I don’t understand the words but with the help of your translation and her voice I can feel the strong emotion reaching my heart.
Thank you Jessica for stopping by, yes the translation is necessary but it’s hard not to feel the strong emotions ❤️ glad it did reached your heart
crushingly beautiful. i want to look more closely but then i am afraid. cant imagine living through all that when i cant look at photos. thank you.
Thank you for stopping by! I can understand for sure and hope you will never live through such horror
i want that terror to be gone from this place for us all. i enjoy your blog. ✌🏼
The war was over but we still paying its prices until this day but we’re survivors and we’re managing to live and be happy
Thank you for your kind words 😊
Well really thanks to wordpress i got to read the post again and I felt the same emotions i had felt the first time. The pictures you showed are heart wrenching. And the girl! The way she sings at this age is commendable and the lyrics make this song touch our hearts. I was born long after the partition but I have heard and I still hear anecdotes of tears of the stories at the time of partition of India, it was kind of a civil war too.
Thank you Ramyani and sorry you had to read this twice! Just because it brings sadness and such emotions…We are always touched when wars happen in our country even if we didn’t live it so I understand your feelings and I wish you will never experience this because I know how awful it feels!
Much love ❤
I am sorry that you faced this but everywhere there is some kind of war going on. I just hope that stops and people can finally live in peace
💕
I hope so as well! There’s enough pain and death in this world 💕💕
incredibly poignant and moving. – tsk
Powerfully moving songs! Thank you for sharing them with us and telling us the story behind them.
Thank you for stopping by and for your interaction, it’s appreciated 😊
Those are some powerful lyrics. Well done on the post!
Thank you for stopping by, glad you liked it
you’re welcome!