“One or the Other” Lyrics
Style: Upbeat cumbia, romance, relationship ultimatum. She wants either commitment or a breakup.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Translation:
Una de dos:
Te quedas al lado mio o te vas de una vez.
No soy de las que se entregan por un simple placer.
Sabes que no te miento y si no date la vuelta.
(x2)
One or the other:
You stay by my side or you leave once and for all.
I am not one of those girls who give themselves up for simple pleasure.
You know I don’t lie to you and if you don’t, turn around now.
(x2)
Una de dos:
Te quedas con mis locuras o te doy el adiós.
Tú sabes que yo no escribo a media tinta mi amor.
Te das por completo; no quiero reservas, no, no.
One or the other:
You stay with my crazy whims or I give you the door [*alt. say goodbye to you].
You know that I don’t profess my love with half-faded ink.
You give yourself completely; I don’t want reservations, no, no.
Ay, ay, ay, así es la vida.
A veces cobra factura y alguien tiene que pagar. {¡Yo no!}
Ay, ay, ay, así es la vida.
De pronto nos pone enfrente y otras veces hasta atrás.
Ay, ay, ay, that’s life.
Sometimes it throws a bill at us and someone has to pay. {Not me!}
Ay, ay, ay, that’s life.
Some moments it puts us ahead and sometime at the end.
Dame tu nochesita, sabes,
Toma mi mañanita, sabes,
Quiero a tu corazón,
Toma mi corazón (por eso).
(x2)
Give me your nights, you know,
Take my mornings, you know,
I want your heart,
Take my heart (for it).
(x2)
[Repeat song]
Translation Notes:
Así es la vida
That’s life
Life is like that [*lit.]
—
Te quedas al lado mio o te vas de una vez.
You stay by my side or you leave once and for all.
I want to point out this common phrase de una vez (lit. once and for all). Word-for-word literally, it means “for one time.”
—
Tú sabes que yo no escribo a media tinta mi amor.
You know that I don’t profess my love with half-faded ink. [*lit.]
A media tinta is a way of saying half-way, half-heartedly, half-completely.
—
De pronto nos pone enfrente y otras veces hasta atrás.
Some moments it puts us ahead and sometime at the end.
de pronto = suddenly, without warning
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