h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Another challenge for my friends.

As you know I work on projects with children and I have decided to ask people to take part in the Never Ending Children's Play Song. I think you may like it, but you never know.

The song is to encourage inclusive play. Every other line will be English. The lines in between will be in other languages.

The other language lines have to be written in such a way as they can be read by English speaking children. So, for instance, the "j" in spoken Spanish would be written as an "h" to get the nearest sound in English.

Your challenge, should you wish to accept, it is to come up with a couplet. The first line of the couplet is in English and is to rhyme with the second line.

The second line bust be a translation of "Let's play together" in a language we don't have. It must also be written in a way that when a child reads it out the child from the other culture hears a close representation of what it should sound like even if they wouldn't recognise the written words. So no going to internet translation sites and copying text. We need to know how to pronounce it!

How it will be sung. If you think of the standarfd Hollywood depiction of boot camps in the American Army consider the drill sergeant marching alongside the new recruits. He sings one line and they reply with the next. That's how this song will be sung.

So let me give you the first few couplets:

1, Now’s the time for us to play
Ow kalenay keleyay

2, You want me to play with you?
Ekata sellum karamu


3, We could also play with him
Gel beraber oynayalim

4, Playing alone would be your loss
Vamos a hugar huntos

5, Play with us before you go
Aynu wada iyarno

6, Stay and play! There’s no rush
Vamosh brinkar zhuntoosh

7, Fun’s in a big number
Run women eech wanba!

If you don't want to have a go that's OK but you can try and guess the languages for each of these. I have to say number 7 is my personal favourite!

Hebrew:

All of you come play with me
Bo-oo Sahakoo Eeti

( Wow, it looks weird written phonetically like that)

I'll see if I can come up with Arabic too.