Kleine Jongen [Full Text] [English translation]

Li'l lad1

You exist in this world

So you shall have to fight

Just like me

I should know

That life ain't easy

There's adversity

At any time

Li'l lad

There are plenty of good people

But there are bad people too

Alas, 't is true

Just remember

That you'll come to see

That honesty is the best policy2

Trust in me

This life will pass

There's so little time so live 'cause you're free

But make sure you do it wisely, make people happy

Then you'll truly be happy

Because life is so short

Plenty of things will change as you'll get older

Right now you're playing with toys, but that won't last long

It's a shame but you won't stay little

Li'l lad

In school you'll already see

That everything is about marks3 and power

That's what life is

So learn what you need to learn

Because then you will be the last one to laugh

Li'l lad

When you'll grow up

Your father might not be here

Teach4 then

To your own children

The wise lessons of your ol' man

This life will pass

There's so little time so live 'cause you're free

But make sure you do it wisely, make people happy

Then you'll truly be happy

Because life is so short

Plenty of things will change as you'll get older

Right now you're playing with toys, but that won't last long

It's a shame but you won't stay little

Li'l lad

1. little lad2. This is an idiom, literally: honesty takes the longest (time)3. The Dutch system of marking tests in school is in numbers 1-10, so literally it says numbers4. Literally: tell