Category: Song translation

“Dámelo” by Juanes, English translation of lyrics

“Give It To Me”
Album: Mi Sangre (My Blood), 2004
Style: Rock, shamelessly sleazy. Juanes wants to seduce a woman and “get to know her” tonight. Oh Juanes.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Intro whispers:

Ey… sí, tú… sí, sí, tú que está ahí. Escucha, ey…

Hey… yeah, you… yeah, yeah, you right there. Listen, hey…

¿Qué tengo que hacer para tener
En mi labios esos tus labiecitos bonitos?
¿Qué te tengo que hacer para tener
De tu sabor un poquito?

What do I have to do to have
In my lips those pretty little lips of yours?
What do I have to do to have
Of your taste a little?

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“Clase de Amor” by Juanes, English translation of lyrics

“A Type of Love”
Album: La Vida Es Un Ratico (Life is a Brief Moment), 2007
Style: Rock, bitter love, breakup. Juanes sings about a dysfunctional relationship at the point of breakup. If this is the type of love that is offered, Juanes doesn’t want it.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Tú ya lo sabes que nadie como yo te amó,
Que nadie nunca te entregó
El corazón de la manera como lo hice yo.

You already know it, that nobody loved you like me,
That nobody ever surrendered
His heart to you the way that I did.

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“Mira La Vida” (Look at Life) by Julieta Venegas, English translation

“Look at Life” Lyrics
Album: MTV Unplugged Julieta Venegas, 2008
Style: Optimistic upbeat song, a bit hypnotic, about life saying yes to you and you saying yes to life, about looking forward to the future, about celebrating a birth.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Chorus:
————————————–
Mira la vida abriéndose camino.
Mira la vida diciendo que sí.

Look at life opening a way for itself.
Look at life saying yes.
————————————–
(x2)

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“Revolución” by Amaral, English translation of lyrics

“Revolution”
Album: Pájaros en la cabeza (Birds in my head), 2005
Style: Rock. A song about wanting freedom and to be heard.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Somos demasiados y no podrán pasar
Por encima de los años que tuvimos que callar,
Por los libros prohibidos y las entradas secretas.

We are many and they will not be able to pass
Over the years that we had to keep quiet,
Because of the forbidden books and the secret entrances.

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“La Gota Fría” (The Cold Drop) by Emiliano Zuleta, Carlos Vives, English translation

“The Cold Drop” Lyrics Translation
Composer: Emiliano Zuleta Baquero
Style: Vallenato, a genre from the Caribe (Caribbean) region of Colombia. The lyrics are about a 1938 feud between composers Emiliano Zuleta Baquero and Lorenzo Morales. The song has become a popular Colombian song.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube has various singers (Carlos Vives, Julio Iglesias, Aymée Nuviola)

Translation:

Acordate [acuerdate] Moralito de aquel día
Que estuviste en Urumita
Y no quisiste hacer parranda.

Remember, Moralito, of that day
When you were in Urumita
And you didn’t want to go partying.

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“Mujer Latina” (Latin Woman) by Thalía, English translation

“Latin Woman” Lyrics Translation
Album: Amor a la Mexicana (Love to the Mexican Woman), 1997
Style: Salsa, pop, quick beat, energetic, joyful. This happy song comes from one of Thalía’s most popular albums. It’s good for dancing.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Chorus 1:
———————————————
Vengo, vengo, vengo de caña.
Vengo, vengo, vengo del son.
Tengo, tengo, tengo en el alma
Ritmo, ritmo, ritmo y sabor.

I come from, come from, come from sugar cane.
I come from, come from, come from son.
I have, have, have in my soul
Rhythm, rhythm, rhythm and flavor.
———————————————

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“Ana” by Maná, English translation of lyrics

“Ana” Lyrics Translation
Album: Maná: MTV Unplugged, 1999
Style: Accoustic rock. Story of teen tragedy. Ana is a teen with an unplanned pregnancy, she knows her parents won’t support her, and she’s feeling real desperate.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Ana tiene quince.
Niña se le vino un problemón.
Algo está creciendo,
En su vientre hay algo en expansión.

Ana is fifteen.
Girl finds herself with a huge problem.
Something is growing,
In her womb something expanding.

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“Mi Mundo Sin Ti” (My World Without You) by Soraya, English translation

“My World Without You” Lyrics Translation
Style: Pop/techno, breakup song. The song starts with the singer asking what her world will be like without her ex, then answering that it will be extremely better, “the opposite of the desert of your love” and “a garden where I can breathe.”
Album: Corazón de fuego (Heart of fire), 2005
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

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“No Soy Como Tú” (I Am Not Like You) by Amaral, English translation

“I Am Not Like You” Lyrics Translation
Album: Pájaros En La Cabeza
Style: Emo rock, piano, war. Song lyrics paint a picture of a post-nuclear war world and a character who feels alone.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

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“A Dios Le Pido” by Juanes, English translation of lyrics

“I Ask God”
Album: Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), 2003
Style: Rock, hopeful for the future, love song
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Que mis ojos se despierten
Con la luz de tu mirada, yo…
A Dios le pido.

That my eyes wake up
With the light of your gaze, I…
Ask God.

Que mi madre no se muera y
Que mi padre me recuerde,
A Dios le pido.

That my mother not die and
That my father remember me,
I ask God.

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“Nadie Como Tú” (No One Like You) by La Oreja de Van Gogh, English translation

“Nobody Like You” Lyrics
Album: Lo que te conté mientras te hacías la dormida (What I told you when you pretended to sleep), 2003
Style: Pop, sweet, love song telling a long-term romantic partner about how much they are valued. They are irreplaceable and their shared memories are a treasure of the heart.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Nadie como tú
Para hacerme reír.
Nadie como tú
Sabe tanto de mí.

Nobody like you
To make me laugh.
Nobody like you
Knows so much about me.

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“Que Me Quedes Tú” by Shakira, English translation of lyrics

“As Long As I Have You”
Album: Laundry Service, 2001
Style: Pop/rock, love song bargain in an apocalypse scenario. She is willing to let a lot fall to ruin “as long as I have you.”
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Translation:

Que se arruinen los canales de noticias,
Con lo mucho que odio la televisión.
Que se vuelvan anticuadas las sonrisas,
Y se extingan todas las puestas de sol.

Let the news station channels fall to ruins,
I hate television anyway.
Let smiles become ancient relics,
And let all the rays of sunlight be extinguished.

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