"This song is sung by children during the Gargee'an celebration on the 15th night of Ramadan. In some cities of Khouzestan province, where most Arabs of Iran live, people celebrate Gargee'an." -Fatima

Kids dress up in traditional attire and go door to door singing on Gargee'an. They receive sweets and nuts at each household. This tradition has existed in the Gulf for hundreds of years.

گرگیعان و گرکیعان - Iranian Children's Songs - Iran - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image

Notes

Transliteration

Gargee'an wa Gargee'an
Allah ya'atikom redh'an
Allah yekhali ra'ee al-bait
Jina nedogh al-hajar be-rejlina be-rejlina
Wahed tabag lilou tabag lilou
Wahed tabag marjan tabag marjan
Yedhwi ala al-soltan alaal-soltan
Ta'atoona lou na'tikom
Dirat Maka newadikom
Hay Maka al-ma'moorah
Mabniyah bejass o noorah
Ya ahl al-ostooh ta'toona lou enrooh?

Thanks and Acknowledgements

This song was compiled by Siham Sajirati who collected folkloric children songs of Arabs of Iran and published them in a book in 1999 called "Sajirati, Siham" (Helle Ya Rommane. Ahwaz: Khaledin publication house).

Many thanks to Fatima Baji for contributing, transliterating and translating this song.

Image: Wikimedia Commons