“Tres” (Three) by Juanes, English translation

“Three”
Album: La Vida Es… Un Ratico (Life Is… A Brief Moment), 2007
Style: Pop, love song about waiting for someone.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Yo no pienso que me pueda de ti olvidar.
Yo no pienso que mi corazón resista un día más.
Yo no soy lo que tú quieras que sea este amor.
Sólo soy la puerta abierta que te da mi corazón.

I do not think that I can forget about you.
I do not think that my heart will stand another day.
I am not what you want this love to be.
I am only the open door that gives my heart to you.

Chorus A:
———————————————————A
Mi vida está pendiente más de ti,
Preguntando por ti,
Caminando por ti,
Esperando por ti,
(Velando por ti,)
Navegando por ti,
Volando por ti,
Soñando…

My life is (more) on the lookout for you,
Asking for you,
Walking for you,
Waiting for you,
(Moonlighting for you,) [*alt. Keeping vigil for you]
Navigating for you,
Flying for you,
Dreaming…
———————————————————A

Chorus B:
———————————————————B
Cuando cuente tres otra vez, vuelve a salir.
Quererte a mí me hace feliz.

When I count to three again, come back out.
Loving you makes me happy.

Si el cielo se torna gris
Y el ‘tino [destino] llegue a su fin,
No quiero jamas sentir
Que de mi vida te vuelves a ir.

If the sky turns gray,
And destiny comes to its end,
I do not ever want to feel
That you are leaving from my life again.
———————————————————B

---

Muted background phrases:
(Coyote!)

(¡Sentimiento, compadre!)

(Feeling, buddy!)

(?, papá.)

(?, daddy.)

(Y aqui su servilleta… Juanes le llevo.)

(And here your napkin… Juanes brought it.)

---

En el oscuro de mi alma aún brilla la luz,
Iluminando la sabana donde el cielo es azul.
Por un poquito de tu boca, me muero si toca.
Por un poquito de tu corazón, hago lo que sea, hago lo que sea.

In the darkness of my soul light still shines,
Lighting the bed sheet where the sky is blue.
For a bit of your mouth, I die if it touches.
For a bit of your heart, I will do whatever, I will do whatever.

[Chorus A: “Mi vida está pendiente más de ti…“]

[Chorus B: Cuando cuente tres otra vez, vuelve a salir…“, x2]

Translation Notes:

Yo no pienso que me pueda de ti olvidar.
I do not think that I can forget about you.
I do not think that I can about you forget. [*lit., syntax switch for style]

—

Quererte a mí me hace feliz.
Loving you makes me happy. [*literal]
Loving you, for me, it makes me happy. [*more literal]

Quererte me hace feliz. [*alt. condensed]
Loving you makes me happy. [*literal]

hacer feliz a ___
to make ___ happy

{Quererte} {(hace) a mí} {me hace feliz}
{Loving you} {(makes) me} {makes me happy}

Basically, just emphasis.

—

No quiero jamas sentir / Que de mi vida te vuelves a ir.
I do not ever want to feel / That you are leaving from my life again.

{No quiero} {jamas sentir} {que} {de mi vida} {te vuelves a ir}
{I do not want} {to ever* feel} {that} {from my life} {you leave** again}

*jamas means “never” by itself, but in conjunction with a negative phrase (“I do not want”), it means “ever.”

**volver by itself means “to return,” but volver + [verb] means “to repeat + [verb]” or “to again + [verb].”

—

compadre = close friend, long-term friend, pal; lit. co-father, godfather

There is no good English equivalent for the word compadre as it is used between the parents of a child and the child’s godfather. I cannot just write “godfather” because that makes it sound like the compadre is the parent’s godfather rather than the parent’s child’s godfather. I cannot just write “co-father” because the word can also be used less literally among close friends who are childless. All this trouble and the word is not even in the actual song, only in a muted background line that you cannot hear well. See? I am so dedicated! ;-)

—

Y aqui su servilleta… Juanes le llevo.
And here your napkin… Juanes brought it.

Here is another muted background line. I thought maybe servilleta meant “handkerchief” in Colombia, but I cannot find evidence of that. I could be mishearing the line.