“Cachito [De Tu Corazón]” by Maná, English translation of lyrics

“A Bit [of Your Heart]” Lyrics
Album: ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (Where Will the Children Play?), 1992; Maná MTV Unplugged, 1999; Luna (Moon), 2003
Style: Acoustic rock, simple one-sided romance song asking for a little love.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (recorded, live)

Translation:

Tan solo un adicto,
Un adicto de tu sol
Y es que con solo un cachito,
Un pedacito de tu luz,
Yo llegaría al cielo
O me caería al suelo
Por ti, amor
.

Just an addict,
An addict of your sun
And it’s just that with only a bit,
A piece of your light,
I would reach the heavens
Or I would fall to the ground
For you, my love.

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“Historia de un Sueño” by La Oreja de Van Gogh, English translation

“Story of a Dream” Lyrics
Album: Lo Que Te Conte Mientras Te Hacias La Dormida (What I Told You When You Pretended to Sleep), 2003
Style: Bittersweet love song to a child, from a dead loved one who sends a message through dream to let them know that everything is ok. This song makes me tear up a bit. ♥
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Perdona que entré sin llamar.
No es esta la hora y menos el lugar.
Tenía que contarte que en el cielo no se está tan mal.

Forgive me for entering without warning.
This isn’t the time and even less the place.
I had to tell you that it isn’t so bad up in heaven.

Mañana ni te acordarás,
“Tan sólo fue un sueño,” te repetirás.
Y en forma de respuesta, pasará una estrella fugaz.

Tomorrow you won’t even remember,
“It was only a dream,” you will repeat to yourself.
And in (form of an) answer, a shooting star will pass.

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“Ay Papacito” by Groupo Limite (LMT), English translation of lyrics

“Ay Daddy” Lyrics
Singer: Alicia Villarreal
Style: Regional Mexican, joyful dance song, about being happy being in love and being happy dancing. This song was nominated for Best Regional Mexican Song in the 2003 Latin Grammy Awards.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

[Hablado:]
(Risa)
Parece que me están esperando.
¿Es cierto? ¿Ya estamos listos?
¿Hey? ¿Que cosa? Ya está corriendo,
Subele, subele dame más volmen,
Que se sienta el ritmo.

[Speaking:]
(Laughter)
It looks like they’re waiting for me.
Is it true? Are we ready?
Huh? What was that? It’s started (running) now,
Raise the volume, raise it, give it more,
So you can feel the rhythm.

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“Dios No Lo Quiera” by Sanchez Alonso, English translation of lyrics

“May God Not Want It” Lyrics
Style: Romantic song lamenting a lover who is pulling away.
Country: Mexico
Composed by: Enrique Sánchez Alonso (Mexico)
Listen, sung by: Tania Libertad, Ana Gabriel, Javier Solis, Los Tres Ases, and many more.

Translation Notes:

Dios no lo quiera
Pero presiento que has dejado de quererme.
En estos días se te nota diferente,
Se han vuelto frías tus caricias de repente.

May God not let it be
But I feel that you no longer love me.
In these days, your presence is different,
Your caresses have turned cold suddenly.

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“Que Vuelvas” by Shakira, English translation of lyrics

“That You Return”
Album: ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?), 1998
Style: Ballad/rock about wanting someone to return.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

¿Y qué voy a hacer con mi despiste selectivo,
Y con mi sueño frustrado de aprender a cocinar?
¿Y qué voy a hacer con los domingos y feriados?

Ningún plan es apropiado
Cuando intento no pensar
.

And what am I going to do with my selective tangents
And my frustrated dream of learning how to cook?
And what am I going to do with Sundays and holidays?
No plan is appropriate
When I try to stop thinking.

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“Demasiado Tarde” by El Sueño De Morfeo, English translation of lyrics

“Much Too Late”
Style: Emo alternative rock with folk music elements about unfulfilled potential and wanting to change
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Rondaba los veinte años
Y sin darse cuenta ya era toda una mujer
Había empeñado su vida, aunque no lo sabia,
En hacerle feliz a él.
Pero nadie la escuchó,
Cuando en silencio gritó…

She was roaming those twenty years
And without realizing it she was fully a woman
She had pawned her life, though she didn’t know it,
To make him happy.
But nobody heard her,
When in silence she yelled…

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“Todo Tiende” by Ojos de Brujo, English translation of lyrics

“Todo Tiende”
Album: Techarí (Free), 2006
Style: Fast-paced flamenco/hip hop.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Mendigando eternidades,
Mendigos piden a mendigos
Lo que no tienen ni pueden darse.

Panhandling eternities,
Vagrants ask vagrants
For what they do not have nor can give each other.

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“Dulce Locura” (Sweet Madness) by La Oreja de Van Gogh, English translation of lyrics

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“Combatiente” by Maná, English translation of lyrics

“Combatant” Lyrics
Album: Amar es Combatir (To Love is To Battle), 2006
Style: Latin rock
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Desde crió, me conducían el soñar.
Toda era imposición.
Desde niño, controlaban lo que iba a pensar.
Mataban la ilusión
.

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“Salió el Sol” (The Sun Rose) by Don Omar, English translation of lyrics

“The Sun Rose” or “The Sun Appeared” or “The Sun is Here”
Album: King of Kings, 2006
Style: Reggaeton
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Don, Don, Don, Don!

CHORUS A:
———————————————–
Salió el sol-oh-ol…
Cuerpo bronceado y sus amigas buscaban acción.
La canción…
Que causa en ellas y sus cuerpos esa sensación,
Reggaeton-oh-on…
Piden Reggaeton-oh-on…
Del mejor…

(Pon the river, pon the river, pon the river, pon the bank, pon the bank)
Sientan la presión.

The sun appeared-eh-eared…
Bronzed body and her friends were seeking action.
The song…
What causes in them and their bodies that sensation,
Reggaeton-oh-on…
They ask for reggaeton-oh-on…
Of the best…
(Pon the river, pon the river, pon the river, pon the bank, pon the bank)
Feel the pressure.
———————————————–

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“El Libro” by La Oreja de Van Gogh, English translation

“The Book” Lyrics
Album: Dile al Sol (Tell the Sun)
Style: Jazzy
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Qué distinto parece el mundo al girar,
Si sonríes sentada en cualquier bar,
Conversando sobre la eternidad.

How different the world looks as it spins,
If you smile sitting in any bar,
Speaking about eternity.

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“Papeles Mojados” (Wet Papers) by Chambao, English translation

“Wet Papers” Lyrics Translation
AlbumCon Otro Aire (With Another Air), 2007
Style: Romani-influenced Spanish music about the perils of immigration and fears of refugees.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Miles de sombras cada noche trae la marea.
Navegan cargaos de ilusiones que en la orilla se quedan.
 [*ilusiones = dreams, hopes, lit. illusions]
Historias del día día, historias de buena gente.
Se juegan la vida cansaos, con hambre y un frío que pela.

Every night, the tide brings in thousands of shadows.
They navigate laden with dreams left at the shore.
Stories of the day, the real day, histories of good people.
They gamble their lives fatigued, with hunger and a cold that hurts.

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