“Relax” by Maná
Album: Amar es Combatir (To Love is To Fight), 2006. It won a 2007 Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
Style: Rock. Oh man, this song is so catchy. Maná is brilliant when it comes to singing about desperation without being sentimental or sounding hopeless. It’s sad, but it’s not saddening. I like the beat.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Translation:
Siento que el mundo no para, me vuelvo loco.
Siento que el sol no calienta nada, ni un poco.
I feel that the world doesn’t stop, I go crazy.
I feel that the sun doesn’t warm anything, even a little.
Vivo en el borde y al filo de una navaja,
Pero por dios en mi tierra nadie se raja.
I live on the brink and at the edge of a knife,
But for (the love of) God, in my land nobody cracks.
Mi corazón ya no aguanta, ya está cansado,
Una mujer y problemas me están matando.
My heart can’t stand it anymore, it is tired,
A woman and problems are killing me.
Quiero subirme al balcón de la luna llena.
Quiero volar, olvidarme de tanta pena.
I want to climb to the balcony of the full moon.
I want to fly, forget so much grief.
Si me clavo, no la libro, oh no no.
No me voy a dar un tiro.
Relax.
If I nail myself, I don’t free her, oh no no.
I’m not going to shoot myself.
Relax.
Me voy a estallar.
Lo voy a olvidar todo esta noche.
No quiero pensar, no.
I’m going to shatter.
I’m going to forget it all tonight.
I don’t want to think, no.
Hoy tengo mucho trabajo, ya no lo aguanto.
Siento que todo conmigo se está pasando.
I have so much work today, I can’t stand it anymore.
I feel that everything, with me, is passing.
Quiero mudarme a una casa que esté en la playa.
Quiero comprar una nave de buena talla.
I want to move to a house on the beach.
I want to buy a ship of good quality.
Salgo en las noches pensando que estoy prendido,
Pero en verdad que la paso bien aburrido.
I walk out at night thinking that I’m dazzling,
But really I spend my time terribly bored.
Busco el calor en los brazos de una gitana,
Pero al final siempre llego solo a mi cama.
I seek warmth in the arms of a gypsy,
But in the end I always return to my bed alone.
[Chorus repeating]
Si me clavo no la libro, oh no no.
No me voy a dar un tiro.
Relax.
If I nail myself I don’t free her, oh no no.
I’m not going to shoot myself.
Relax.
Me voy a estallar.
Lo voy a olvidar todo esta noche.
No quiero pensar, no.
I’m going to shatter.
I’m going to forget it all tonight.
I don’t want to think, no.
Si me clavo, no la libro, oh no no.
No me voy a dar un tiro.
Relax (x3)
If I nail myself, I don’t free her, oh no no.
I’m not going to shoot myself.
Relax (x3)
Me voy a estallar,
Lo voy a olvidar todo esta noche,
No quiero pensar, no
Relax.
I’m going to shatter,
I’m going to forget it all tonight,
I don’t want to think, no,
Relax.
Me voy a estallar,
Lo voy a olvidar todo esta noche,
No quiero pensar.
I’m going to shatter,
I’m going to forget it all tonight,
I don’t want to think.
Translation Notes:
Vivo en el borde y al filo de una navaja
I live on the brink and at the edge of a knife
Note that both “el borde” and “el filo” mean the edge. Borde is a general term used for anything from the edges of cliffs to tables to clothing, whereas filo is usually reserved for sharp edges like those of a knife.
navaja = knife as a tool (not a kitchen knife; that’s usually called un cuchillo).
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nadie se raja
nobody cracks
rajarse means to back out of something, to escape
“no te rajes!” = “don’t get cold feet!”
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Salgo en las noches pensando que estoy prendido
I walk out at night thinking that I’m dazzling
prendido, prendida [adjective] – it means dressed up and ready for a night out; sharp, glamorous, looking handsome, etc. It couldn’t find a good unisex equivalent in English.
***
Si me clavo no la libro
If I nail myself I don’t free her
“Clavar” means to nail, but it also implies being clingy. Either that, or it’s Catholic symbolism for the nails on Jesus Christ. I don’t know. Interpret that as you will.
***
Me voy a estallar
I’m going to shatter (myself)
estallar can also mean to break, to erupt, to explode, to crack
Related phrase implied: “estallar a lagrimas” = to burst into tears
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“Relax” by Mana
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