Spanish Songs, Translated

🕊️ When a Song Becomes a Message: The Story of Que Canten los Niños

Some songs are written to entertain.

Others are written to be heard.

1. 🕊️ When a Song Becomes a Message: The Story of Que Canten los Niños
2. 🎧 Hear the Song
3. 🎵 Que Canten los Niños [Spanish → English Translation]
4. 📘 Words That Carry the Song
5. 🌱 Final Thoughts: Letting the Smallest Voices Speak

Que Canten los Niños was originally written and recorded in 1979 by José Luis Perales, during a period marked by war, censorship, inequality, and political tension across the world. Instead of pointing fingers or naming enemies, the song chose a quieter but far more powerful symbol: children.

The idea was simple, and disarming –

if children are allowed to sing, then truth and sincerity survive.

Over the decades, the song has been adopted far beyond its original context. It’s been sung in schools, peace movements, humanitarian campaigns, and public demonstrations. Each generation seems to rediscover it when the world feels too loud and unjust.

In the 2000s, the song found new life through Bebe. Her remakes stripped away polish and grandeur, replacing them with vulnerability and urgency. Where earlier versions sounded hopeful, Bebe’s interpretations feel raw, almost fragile – as if the song were asking, again, to be listened to now.

For Spanish learners, Que Canten los Niños is exceptional:

• slow, clear pronunciation
• repetitive, chant-like structure
• simple present-tense verbs
• emotionally powerful but linguistically accessible

Below is a line-by-line Spanish → English translation, followed by vocabulary notes to help you understand both the language and the values carried by the song.

🎧 Hear the Song

(This isn’t background music. Let it play once in silence – then come back to the words.)

🎵 Que Canten los Niños [Spanish → English Translation]

Que canten los niños, que alcen la voz

Let the children sing, let them raise their voices

Que hagan al mundo escuchar

Let them make the world listen

Que unan sus voces y lleguen al sol

Let them unite their voices and reach the sun

En ellos está la verdad

In them lies the truth

Que canten los niños que viven en paz

Let the children who live in peace sing

Y aquellos que sufren dolor

And those who suffer pain

Que canten por esos que no cantarán

Let them sing for those who will not sing

Porque han apagado su voz

Because their voice has been silenced

Yo canto para que me dejen vivir

I sing so they let me live

Yo canto para que sonría mamá

I sing so that mom can smile

Yo canto porque sea el cielo azul

I sing so the sky can be blue

Y yo para que no me ensucien el mar

And I sing so they don’t dirty the sea

Yo canto para los que no tienen pan

I sing for those who don’t have bread

Yo canto para que respetes la flor

I sing so you respect the flower

Yo canto porque el mundo sea feliz

I sing so the world can be happy

Yo canto para no escuchar el cañón

I sing so I don’t have to hear the cannon

Que canten los niños, que alcen la voz

Let the children sing, let them raise their voices

Que hagan al mundo escuchar

Let them make the world listen

Que unan sus voces y lleguen al sol

Let them unite their voices and reach the sun

En ellos está la verdad

In them lies the truth

Que canten los niños que viven en paz

Let the children who live in peace sing

Y aquellos que sufren dolor

And those who suffer pain

Que canten por esos que no cantarán

Let them sing for those who will not sing

Porque han apagado su voz

Because their voice has been silenced

Yo canto porque sea verde el jardín

I sing so the garden can be green

Y yo para que no me apaguen el sol

And I sing so they don’t put out the sun

Yo canto por el que no sabe escribir

I sing for the one who doesn’t know how to write

Y yo por el que escribe versos de amor

And I sing for the one who writes love poems

Yo canto para que se escuche mi voz

I sing so my voice can be heard

Y yo para ver si les hago pensar

And I sing to see if I can make them think

Yo canto porque quiero un mundo feliz

I sing because I want a happy world

Y yo por si alguien me quiere escuchar

And I sing in case someone wants to listen

Que canten los niños, que alcen la voz

Let the children sing, let them raise their voices

Que hagan al mundo escuchar

Let them make the world listen

Que unan sus voces y lleguen al sol

Let them unite their voices and reach the sun

En ellos está la verdad

In them lies the truth

Que canten los niños que viven en paz

Let the children who live in peace sing

Y aquellos que sufren dolor

And those who suffer pain

Que canten por esos que no cantarán

Let them sing for those who will not sing

Porque han apagado su voz

Because their voice has been silenced

📘 Words That Carry the Song

Recommended level: A2–B1

🌱 Core Vocabulary

Spanish	English	Notes
cantar	to sing	Central action of the song
alzar la voz	to raise one’s voice	Speak up, protest
unir	to unite	Collective action
verdad	truth	Moral core
dolor	pain	Physical & emotional

🌍 Social & Symbolic Language

Spanish	English	Meaning
han apagado su voz	their voice has been silenced	Censorship, injustice
no tienen pan	don’t have bread	Poverty
el cañón	cannon	War, violence
ensuciar el mar	dirty the sea	Environmental damage
verde el jardín	green garden	Hope, future

🧠 Why the Language Works for Learners

• Imperative + subjunctive (que canten, que alcen) → collective call
• Simple present tense → timeless message
• Repetition → anthem-like structure
• Concrete nouns → easy to visualize and remember

🎶 Why This Song Keeps Returning

• Written during global political unrest — still relevant today
• Frequently sung by children’s choirs worldwide
• Covered across genres and decades
• Bebe’s versions add urgency and emotional fragility
• Used in education to teach peace, empathy, and civic values

🌱 Final Thoughts: Letting the Smallest Voices Speak

Que Canten los Niños reminds us that power doesn’t always shout. Sometimes, it asks.

For Spanish learners, this song shows how simple words can carry enormous meaning. You don’t need advanced grammar to talk about justice, kindness, or hope.

If you’d like to keep learning Spanish through songs that shaped culture and conscience – or if you want to learn Spanish with a teacher who uses music, history, and real conversation —

📩 Write to me at effietrumpet19@gmail.com

Because when children sing

and when we listen

the world stops and takes notice!