“Our Vow” (1956) Lyrics
Composer: Benito de Jesús, famously sung by Julio Jaramillo.
Style: Pasillo, waltz-like originally. Many covers in different styles.
Country: Ecuador originally, but popular across Latin America.
Listen: Julio Jaramillo (Ecuador), José Feliciano (Puerto Rico), Javier Solis (Mexico), Vicente Fernández (Mexico) La Santa Cecilia (Mexican-American), Juanes (Colombia).
“Nuestro Juramento” is a well-known romance song across Latin America and arguably Julio Jaramillo’s most famous song. It is about human mortality and passion. It is two lovers who declare to continue loving each other forever, and to be devastated should the other die. The verb jurar means “to swear, to vow” and a juramento is an oath or a vow.
Translation:
No puedo verte triste porque me mata
Tu carita de pena, mi dulce amor.
Me duele tanto el llanto que tú derramas
Que se llena de angustia mi corazón.
I cannot see you sad because it kills me,
Your little face (full) of sorrow, my sweet love.
It pains me so much, the tears that you spill,
That my heart fills up with anguish.
Yo sufro lo indecible si tú entristeces,
No quiero que la duda te haga llorar.
I suffer unspeakably if you sadden,
I do not want doubt to make you cry.
Hemos jurado amarnos hasta la muerte
Y si los muertos aman,
Después de muertos amarnos más.
We have vowed to love each other until death
And if the dead (can) love,
After dying, to love each other more.
Si yo muero primero, es tu promesa,
Sobre de mi cadáver dejar caer
Todo el llanto que brote de tu tristeza
Y que todos se enteren de tu querer.
If I die first, it is your promise,
Over my cadaver let fall
All the tears that spring from your sadness
And let everyone hear of your love.
Si tú mueres primero, yo te prometo,
Escribiré la historia de nuestro amor
Con toda el alma llena de sentimiento;
La escribiré con sangre,
Con tinta sangre del corazón.
(x2)
If you die first, I promise you,
I will write the story of our love
With my whole spirit filled with emotion;
I will write it with blood,
With the tinted blood of the heart.
(x2)
Translation Notes:
Me duele tanto el llanto que tú derramas
It pains me so much, the tears that you spill
llanto [noun] = crying, weeping
—
Yo sufro {lo indecible} si tú entristeces
I suffer unspeakably if you sadden
I suffer {the unspeakable} if you sadden [*literally]
entristecer [verb] = to sadden, to become sad
decir [verb] = to say
—
Y si los muertos aman, / Después de muertos amarnos más
And if the dead (can) love, / After dying, to love each other more
después de morir = after dying
un muerto = a dead person
después de muertos = after being/becoming dead
—
Y que todos se enteren de tu querer
And let everyone hear of your love
And let everyone become aware of your love [*literally]
enterarse (de) = to become aware (of), to find out (about)
La Santa Cecilia has a slight variation of this line, like this:
Y que todos se enteren fui tu querer
And let everyone find out I was your love
More Renditions:
Juanes – Colombian pop/rock singer:
Javier Solis – Mexican 20th century singer and actor:
José Feliciano – Puerto Rican singer most famous for the Christmas song “Feliz Navidad”:
Vicente Fernández – Mexican 20th century mariachi singer:
Songlations 