Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“Before Seeing the Sun” Lyrics
Album: Coti, 2003
Style: Pop/rock song about waiting for a romantic interest to show interest back.
Country: Argentina
Listen: YouTube
Si te vas, se me va a hacer muy tarde
Y además, sólo intento cuidarte.
¿Ay cuándo, mi vida, cuándo
Va a ser el día que tu pared desaparezca?
If you leave, it is going to get very late for me
And what’s more, I only intend to take care of you.
Oh when, my love, when
Is it going to be the day that your wall disappears?
“I Cried You A River”
Album: ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (Where Will The Children Play?), 1992
Style: Slow rock song about heartbreak, acceptance, and moving on.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Yo aquí llorándote un río,
Mandándome al olvido,
Qué cosa más injusta, amor.
Me here crying you a river,
Sending myself to oblivion,
What a most unjust thing, my love.
“The Town Son”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera about poverty with dignity.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Es mi orgullo haber nacido
En el barrio más humilde,
Alejado del bullicio
(Y) de la falsa sociedad.
It is my pride to have been born
In the most humble neighborhood,
Away from the hustle and bustle
(And) from the false society.
“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
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.
“Rosa, Rosa”
Style: 1960s European-style precursor to rock and roll. This song celebrates a woman named Rosa.
Country: Argentina
Listen: YouTube
Ay, Rosa, Rosa tan maravillosa
Como blanca diosa,
Como flor hermosa
Tu amor me condena
A la dulce pena de sufrir.
Oh, Rosa, Rosa, so marvellous
Like a white goddess
Like a beautiful flower
Your love condemns me
To the sweet sorrow of suffering.
“Lemon and Salt”
Album: Limón y Sal, 2006
Style: Alternative rock, love song to a moody lover, whimsical, fairy tale-like, not very subtle werewolf references. Could be a cute song to do for Halloween in Spanish class.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube. The music video is kind of amazing in a strange way.
Tengo que confesar que a veces
No me gusta tu forma de ser.
I have to confess that sometimes
I do not like your way of being.
“Beloved Dove” Lyrics
Style: Ranchera, love song. A popular old romantic song in Mexico.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Por el día que llegaste a mi vida,
Paloma querida, me puse a brindar,
Y al sentirme un poquito tomado,
Pensando en tus labios, me dio por cantar.
For the day that you entered into my life,
Beloved dove, I began to toast,
And on feeling a little drunk,
Thinking of your lips, I was inspired to sing.
“Forbidden Love”
Album: Amor Prohibido, 1994
Style: Pop love song. This is a very Romeo and Juliette style of love song, about love between people of different social classes and the disapproval from others.
Country: USA (Texas)
Listen: YouTube
Con unas ansias locas quiero verte hoy.
Espero ese momento en que escuche tu voz.
With a crazy yearning I want to see you today.
I await that moment when I can hear your voice.
“Fatality”
Style: Pasillo eulogy mourning a lost love. Very poetic.
Country: Ecuador
Listen: YouTube
Nocturno de celaje deslumbrante,
Tu encanto rememoro a cada instante,
Romance de un momento en que viviera.
Nocturne of glittering, hued sky,
I recall your charm at every instant,
The romance of a moment I would live.
“The King”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera very popular in Mexico. This is one of José Alfredo’s most famous songs.
Country: Mexico
Listen on YouTube: José Alfredo Jiménez (original), Vicente Fernandez, Alejandro Fernández, and now George Strait (possibly because of my translation? I don’t know, but if so, I am very honored!)
Yo sé bien que estoy afuera
Pero el día que yo me muera
Sé que tendrás que llorar.
(Llorar y llorar, x2)
I am fully aware that I am out
But the day that I die
I know that you will have to cry.
(Cry and cry, x2)
Dirás que no me quisiste,
Pero vas a estar muy triste
Y así te vas a quedar.
You will say that you did not love me,
But you will be very sad
And that is how you will stay.
“Mine Soul”
Style: Pasillo love song serenade from mid-20th century Ecuador. Julio Jaramillo’s lyrics are so poetic.
Country: Ecuador
Listen: YouTube
[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)
“(Kiss Me) Softly”
Album: Suavemente, 1998
Genre: Merengue song about wanting a kiss
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Chorus:
————————————–
Suavemente, besame
Que quiero sentir tus labios
Besandome otra vez.
(x2)
Softly, kiss me
Because I want to feel your lips
Kissing me again.
(x2)
————————————–
Songlations 
You must be logged in to post a comment.