El Vendedor de Pañuelos

I've had people around me
Who have taught me
To value every grain of rice
To fight until finding the last piece
To use the heart more than the head

At 22 the birth of my 2 little ones
At 26 the journey to the land of dreams
I had to take them out of Africa
Someone told me Spain was a magical land

Somehow I had to feed them
They gave me life
I knew I would make it
And I managed to arrive with 25 more
In the boat that daddy built for them

And there I was with my 2 children
On that beach
Running so we wouldn't get caught

Black without papers
Tell me who I am here
In this prison
Where those who have
Make you suffer

Every day I go to a different traffic light
The handkerchief seller
That's what people call me
Enough for me
Seeing my children chew food
That makes me happy

I've always been a nobody
I haven't had light switches
To turn on and off whenever I want

Your life has been easy, right, kid?
You don't know how lucky you are
You can talk to mom
You can tell her you love her
I'm surprised that in this big city
No one values what they have

Why do you walk with an empty heart?
If yours is nothing compared to mine

He is a warrior
With leather skin
Sword of handkerchiefs
In foreign traffic lights
The whole world
Should know you
The best heroes
Sleep in ATMs

He is a warrior
With leather skin
Sword of handkerchiefs
In foreign traffic lights
The whole world
Should know you
The best heroes
Sleep in ATMs ok ok

You're stressed because your Xbox doesn't work
I was stressed because I didn't receive warmth
When I walked 15 kilometers
To get back home
With a small bowl of rice

Survival, that's how I learned to live
I've seen friends die of hunger
In front of me, imagine how I feel
I see food wasted every day
And I almost die inside

Something is happening in Spain
Depressed kids
Because their phones have no credit
Parents who don't make it to the end of the month
But pay for the car
And Cristiano Ronaldo's vest

Are you crazy or what?!
You teach your children
That the bad guys are the idols
That they should have
For what, so they can be bad too
So they can aspire to pawns in this chess game?!

I only sell handkerchiefs
But I know much more about education
Than those parents with money
I can't afford to give toys
To my children but sincere 'I love yous'

Have you ever asked
Your child's heart
What kind of father they dream of having?
Maybe they don't see you
Perhaps a handkerchief seller
Teaches you more than you think

He is a warrior
With leather skin
Sword of handkerchiefs
In foreign traffic lights
The whole world
Should know you
The best heroes
Sleep in ATMs

He is a warrior
With leather skin
Sword of handkerchiefs
In foreign traffic lights
The whole world
Should know you
The best heroes
Sleep in ATMs ok ok

I still remember that day
When I crossed paths with that person
Selling handkerchiefs at a traffic light
And yet he was the only one smiling
The only one who seemed to have a bit
Of hope in his face
His life taught him to value
Taught him to be happy with little
He deserves the applause of all of you