“Hermanita” by Aventura, English translation (anti-domestic violence song)

“Dear Sister” Lyrics
Album: Love & Hate, 2003
Style: Bachata, sorrowful. It’s a sad song about a man seeing his sister suffer domestic violence. He sings about his observations, how he fears for her, and how he wishes she left the monster.
Country: USA (New York); Dominican Republic
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Cómo pasan los años. Ayer eramos niños.
Mami y papi luchaban por nuestro porvenir.
Tú cuidabas de mí; hoy yo velo por ti.
Hermanita, te adoro. Sé que no eres feliz.

How the years pass. Yesterday we were children.
Mom and Dad struggled for our future.
You took care of me; today I stay awake for you.
Sister, I adore you. I know you are not happy.

Otro golpe en la cara. Esto es cada semana.
Y como siempre una excusa – ¿Qué tú ganas al fin? Que él se burle de ti.
¿Pero qué hago yo aquí?
Aunque quiero ayudarte, tú lo aceptas así.

Another hit in the face. This is every week.
And like always an excuse – What do you gain in the end? That he jeer at you.
But what do I do here?
Though I want to help you, you accept it like this.

Tú eres mi sangre
Y mi meta es salvarte,
Y rezo por tí.

You are my blood
And my goal is to save you,
And I pray for you.

Hermanita, él no te quiere, quiere.
Tiene como veinte mujeres
Y tú lo ves.

Sister, he does not love you, love you.
He has like twenty women
And you see it.

Te maltrata,luego tú lo defiendes.
Dale mente, no te conviene.
¿Que no lo ves?

He mistreats you, then you defend him.
Think about it, it does not benefit you.
Don’t you see it?

Lloras – cada vez que te pega.
Lloras – me da rabia y pena.
Lloras – cómo siento tú temor.

You cry – every time he hits you
You cry – it causes me fury and sorrow.
You cry – how I feel your fear.

Lloras – de sus manos puedes morir.
Lloras – ese hombre te hace sufrir.
Lloras – él te hizo ese moratón.

You cry – at his hands you could die.
You cry – that man makes you suffer.
You cry – he gave you that bruise.

Lloras – cuando escupe tu cara.
Lloras – y con malas palabras
Lloras – él se siente superior.

You cry – when he spits (at) your face
You cry – and with bad words
You cry – he feels superior.

Ese hombre es un animal,
Un cobarde sin dignidad
Por pegarle a una mujer.

That man is an animal,
A coward without dignity
For hitting a woman.

Él no es digno de que tanto lo ames.
Piensa bien, tú eres la culpable,
Y tú lo ves.

He is not worthy of you loving him so much.
Think well, you are at fault,
And you see it.

[Musical bridge]

Ladies, keep your head on, come on.

Mis sobrinos no deben
Ver su mami correr.
En tu casa hay un monstruo
Y tú duermes con él.

My nephews should not
See their mother run.
In your house there is a monster
And you sleep with him.

Anda y cuenta las horas que te ha hecho feliz,
Luego cuenta los años que te ha hecho sufrir.

Go and count the hours that he has made you happy,
Then count the years that he has made you suffer.

Yo no soporto ver a mi hermana llorando.
Ese hombre es una rata.

I cannot stand seeing my sister crying.
That man is a rat.

No existe hombre que pueda obligarte
A estar con él. Puedes alejarte.
¿Que no lo ves?

There does not exist a man who can force you
To be with him. You can get away.
Don’t you see it?

No es respeto, lo que yo veo es miedo.
Tú le temes a ese perro.
¿Que no lo ves?

It is not respect, what I see is fear.
You fear that dog.
Don’t you see it?

Lloras – cuando llega a la casa,
Lloras – como un perro borracho,
Lloras – y te pega sin razón.

You cry – when he comes home,
You cry – like a drunk dog,
You cry – and he hits you without reason.

Lloras – y los niños sólo lo ven,
Lloras – le gritan, Daddy no,
Lloras – no le pegues otra vez.

You cry – and the children just see him,
You cry – they scream at him, Daddy no,
You cry – do not hit her again.

Lloras – ese tipo te humilla,
Lloras – y te habla mentiras,
Lloras – él no tiene corazón.

You cry – that guy humiliates you,
You cry – and he tells you lies,
You cry – he has no heart.

Debería mejor cambiar.
Que me venga a mí a pegar.
Yo lo pongo en su lugar.

He should change instead.
(Let him) come hit me instead.
I would put him in his place.

Una otra
Una otra
Lala, I love ya,
Your little brother’s got your back.

Another (song),
Another (song),
Lala, I love ya,
Your little brother’s got your back.

Translation Notes:

hermanita = sister + affectionate diminutive = dear sister

Sometimes the -ita suffix means “little,” but he says that she took care of him and then says “your little brother’s got your back”, so she is not his younger sister.

The –ita suffix can also be used as an affectionate diminutive. In this song, “hermanita” means “dear sister”, not “little/younger sister”.

—

Tú cuidabas de mí; hoy yo velo por ti.

You took care of me; today I stay awake for you. [Preferred translation]
You took care of me; today I light candles for you. [Extra layer of meaning]

velar [verb] = to stay awake considerably past dark and past the normal time to sleep; to keep vigil; to keep guard well into the night

vela [f. noun] = candle

The image of someone velando is of someone staying up, burning a candle for light. Someone with a lot of work, perhaps a student, or someone with a lot on their mind. It can also mean keeping guard at night. It sometimes refers to staying up to take care of a very ill person (to keep vigil at someone’s bedside). Velar has connotations of responsibility, diligence, and devotion.

—

Dale mente, no te conviene

Think about it, it does not benefit you
Think about it, it does not suit you
Think about it, it does not serve you any good

—

Él no es digno de que tanto lo ames

He is not worthy of you loving him so much

(Él no es digno) (de) (que tanto lo ames)
(He is not worthy/deserving) (of) (that so much you love him)

—

Piensa bien, tú eres la culpable
Think well, you are at fault

That’s what it says! Awkward wording but he means “at fault” for loving the monster, not for getting hit. :-/

—

Yo no soporto ver a mi hermana llorando
I cannot stand seeing my sister crying
I do not endure/support/withstand seeing my sister crying [lit.]

—

Tú le temes a ese perro
You fear that dog

Without “le,” the translation would be the same. I’m trying to come up with an explanation for why “le” is there, but I suspect it might ultimately be a dialect thing.

Another way of saying it would be,

Tú le tienes miedo a ese perro.

You fear that dog. You are afraid of that dog.
You have (for it) fear towards that dog. [Excessively literal]

In this case, you need “le” for the verb tener (to have).

—

Debería mejor cambiar

He should change instead
He should better change [literal word-for-word]

mejor = better

Also see:

Bebe’s “Malo”, a domestic violence song from the woman’s point of view.