Gone you sons of darkness   Gone you tyrants of old   From the land where we hear lautari playing   Here in the outfield of Europe   A cry for freedom was heard   Rang out to the world   And we all stood watching    Hold the light   Keep it burning so bright   For the children       Copii Romania   Must they live so long In the shadows   Copii Romania   Will we turn and say   Like many times before   We did not know?       Once there was a proud people   Filled with laughter and song   Could they feel something wrong   Through the air was blowing?   Here by the mighty Karpatii   The fight for freedom began   The fight for life still goes on   But no-one listens any more       Hold the light   Keep it burning so bright   For the children       Copii Romania   Must they live so long In the shadows   Copii Romania   Will we turn and say   Like many times before   We did not know?