“Huele a Tristeza” (Smells of Sadness) by Maná, English translation

“Smells of Sadness” Lyrics Translation
Album: Luna (Moon), 2003
Style: Slow rock, Latin rock. Melancholy song about missing a lover and not knowing where they are.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Sólo huele a tristeza,
Huele a soledad.
En mis ojos perdidos
Sólo hay humedad.

It smells only of sadness,
It smells of loneliness.
In my lost eyes
There is only moisture (lit. humidity).

Siento un grande vació en mi corazón.
Siento escalofríos de ansiedad.

I feel a great emptiness in my heart.
I feel shivers of anxiety.

Chorus:
———————————————
¿Dónde está la otra parte de mi corazón?
¡Ay amor! ¿Dónde andas?
¿Dónde vivirás? ¿Dónde, dónde estás?

Where is the other part of my heart?
Oh love! Where are you?
Where will you live? Where, where are you?

Huele a tristeza este corazón,
Sabe a tu ausencia, sabe a dolor.
Huele a tristeza este corazón,
Sabe a dolor.

It smell of sadness, this heart,
It tastes of your absence, it tastes of sorrow.
It smells of sadness, this heart,
It tastes of sorrow.
———————————————

Necesito de alguien,
Alguien a quien amar.
Necesito de todo,
Todo mi corazón.

I need (of) someone,
Someone to love.
I need (of) all,
My entire heart.

Te he estado buscando,
Cielo, tierra, y mar,
Debajo de las piedras,
Y hasta en el sol.

I have been looking for you,
Heaven, earth, and sea,
Under rocks,
And even in the sun.

[Chorus]

Huele a tristeza este corazón…

It smells of sadness, this heart…

[Musical interlude]

Sabe, sabe, sabe a dolor.
Sabe, sabe, sabe a dolor.

It tastes, tastes, tastes of sorrow.
It tastes, tastes, tastes of sorrow.

Translation Notes:

huele from verb oler (to smell)
sabe from verb saber (to taste; to know)

In Spanish, saber means both “to taste” and “to know,” but not simultaneously. You can tell when the verb refers to taste from context.

saber a [something/verb] = to taste of [something]; to know how to [verb]
saber como/cómo [something/verb] = to taste like [something]; to know how [something]; to know how to [verb]

e.g.
saber como dulce = to taste like candy
saber cómo reir = to know how to laugh
saber cómo él puede hacer eso = to know how he can do that

Note: In French, sentir means “to smell” and “to feel.” It can also mean to taste, though goûter = to taste, too.

—

¿dónde andas? = where are you? where are you roaming now? where do you walk on the map?
¿dónde estás? = where are you? where are you physically located?

andas from verb andar (to go, to walk, to travel by foot)
estás from verb estar (to be)

—

Alguien a quien amar
Someone to love
Someone who (I can) love

amar a alguien = to love someone

—

Sabe a tu ausencia, sabe a dolor
It tastes of your absence, it tastes of sorrow

(el) dolor = sorrow, pain

Every time I hear this song, I think duele (“it hurts”) is suggested by the similar sounding huele and Maná knows it! It is subliminal and clever. No one says huele a tristeza (smells of sadness) in regular speech. This “tastes of sorrow” just adds to it.

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“Huele a Tristeza” by Mana, song lyrics translation