“Alma Mía” by Julio Jaramillo, English translation of lyrics

“Mine Soul”
Style: Pasillo love song serenade from mid-20th century Ecuador. Julio Jaramillo’s lyrics are so poetic.
Country: Ecuador
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

[Spoken by observers:]

La cuarta canción y no sale.
¡La cuarta!

The fourth song and she does not come out.
The fourth!

[Serenade begins:]

El día que me olvides, alma mía,
Yo sé que existirás en mi penar,
Al verme solo, triste y olvidado,
Mi vida la haría arrancar. (x2)

The day that you forget me, my soul,
I know that you will exist in my suffering,
On seeing me alone, sad, and forgotten,
My life I would tear out. (x2)

Hay cosas que se reciben con resinación,
Hay golpes que el destino da sin compasión,
Pero cuando se pierde un cariño,
No hay nadie que calme ese dolor. (x2)

There are things that are received with resignation,
There are hits that destiny deals without compassion,
But when a love is lost,
There is no one who calms that pain. (x2)

Fuiste tú todo mi ser,
Mi amor todo te entregué,
Y el amor que te profeso
Es el más puro, mujer.

You were my whole being,
My love I entrusted entirely to you,
And the love that I profess to you
Is the most pure, woman.

Si los lazos que nos unen
Se llegaran a romper,
Que se acabe ahorita mismo
La existencia de mi ser.
(x2)

If the ties that unite us
Were ever to break,
May it end at this very moment,
The existence of my being.
(x2)

[Repeat entire song]

Translation Notes:

Title: Alma Mía (Mine Soul, Soul of Mine)

It can just be “my soul,” and that’s how I translate it in the song, but I thought it might be ambiguous in the title. It is an affectionate way to refer to a dear loved one, either romantic or familial (often said from parent to child), like “my love”.

—

Si los lazos que nos unen se llegaran a romper
If the ties that unite us were ever to break (lit. were to come to break)

—

Que se acabe ahorita mismo
La existencia de mi ser.

May it end at this very moment,
The existence of my being.

it = the existence of my being

Another way to translate this:

Que se acabe ahorita mismo la existencia de mi ser.
May the existence of my being end at this very moment.

—

Pero cuando se pierde un cariño
But when a love is lost

cariño [m. noun] = affection, endearment; love

Amor is the most general translation for “love,” so let me try to explain cariño.

Cariño is often used either to talk about affection and endearment (slightly more specific than “love”), or to talk about love that is more familiar.

Everyone uses amor, whereas cariño is usually reserved for the kind of love that is less about passion and more about affection and fondness.

amor: lover-lover, bibliophile-books

cariño: child-teddy bear, old couples, bibliophile-specific book

either one: parent-child, husband-wife, long-term couples

—

The first stanza (“El día que me olvides…”) may be edited slightly in the future. Lines 2 and 3 throw me off a little because I don’t see the connection. Maybe the punctuation after line 2 should be a period. Or after line 3? I’m debating. Otherwise, the translation is very straight-forward.

—

“Alma Mia” by Julio Jaramillo song translation from Spanish to English