Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“Flaca o Gordita” (Skinny or Fat) by Olga Tañon
Album: Soy Como Tú (I am like you), 2006
Style: Romantic merengue love song
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Qué bonito!
Ya llevamos tanto tiempo
Pareciera que fue ayer
Cuando te bese por primera vez
Me prometiste que por mi morirías.
How nice!
We’ve been together for so long
It would seem as if it were yesterday
When I kissed you for the first time
You promised me that you’d give your life for me (die for me).
“Dare-are-are” Lyrics Translation
Album: Calle 13, 2005
Style: Urban, hip hop and reggaeton fusion encouraging women to be daring and show off their bodies, dance wild, and party without reservations. The music video won “Best Short Form Music Video” at the 2006 Latin Grammy Awards.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube (Explicit)
REFRAIN:
————————————–
Atrévete-te-te salte del closet,
Destápate, quítate el esmalte.
Deja de taparte que nadie va a retratarte.
Levántate ponte hiper.
Dare-dare-dare, get out of your closet*,
Uncover yourself, take off your nail polish.
Stop covering yourself ‘cuz no one’s gonna take your picture.
Get up, make yourself hyper.
Préndete, sácale chispa al estalter,
Préndete en fuego como un lighter,
Sacúdete el sudor como si fueras un wiper,
Que tú eres callejera*, street fighter.
Light yourself, draw sparks from the starter,
Light yourself on fire like a lighter,
Shake off your sweat like if you were a wiper,
‘Cause you’re a street girl, a street fighter.
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“Sky Eyes” / “Heavenly Eyes”
Album: El Sueño de Morfeo (The Dream of Morpheus), 2005
Style: Pop
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
Juegan los momentos,
Heridas sin palabras,
Heridas con palabras
Sin apenas decir nada.
The moments play,
Wounds without words,
Wounds with words
After hardly saying anything.
“Maria of the Barrio” Lyrics
Style: Upbeat pop/salsa/merengue. This was the title song of a soap opera starring Thalia.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Y a mucha honra, Maria la del Barrio soy.
La que de escuincla* quedó resola*
Y pa’* cambiar su suerte
De su barrio querido se fué
Pa’ poder comer.
And to much honor, Maria of the Barrio am I.
The one that as a little runt was left all alone
And to change her luck
From her dear barrio went away
So she could eat.
“You and Me”
Album: Thalía, 2002
Style: Pop, techno, love song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Sigue esa voz que escuchas,
Que viene desde adentro.
No es normal sentir
Todo lo que yo siento.
Follow that voice that you hear,
That comes from deep inside you.
It is not normal to feel
Everything that I feel.
“Flies in the House”
Albums: ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?) and Shakira MTV Unplugged
Style: Rock, subdued and soft, melancholy
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Mis días sin ti son tan oscuros,
Tan largos, tan grises,
Mis días sin ti.
My days without you are so dark,
So long, so gray,
My days without you.
“Roses” Lyrics
Group: La Oreja de Van Gogh (Van Gogh’s Ear)
Style: Pop, sweet melancholy, romantic song
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
En un día de estos en que suelo pensar
“Hoy va a ser el día menos pensado.”*
Nos hemos cruzado, has decidido mirar,
A los ojitos azules que ahora van a tu lado.
In one of those days when I happened to think
“Today is going to be an unremarkable day.”
We’ve crossed (paths), you’ve decided to look,
Into the little blue eyes that are by your side now.
“To The North” Translation
Album: Residente/Visitante (Resident/Visitor), 2007
Style: Urban/hip hop
Countries: Puerto Rico, Cuba
Listen: YouTube (uncensored but no video or music video but silenced swear words)
Girl:
Unas piernas que respiran…
Veneno de serpiente…
Por el camino del viento…
Voy soplando agua ardiente*
A pair of legs that breathe in…
Venom from snakes…
By the way of the wind…
I go exhaling blazing water…
Announcer:
El día habia comenzado entusiasmado y alegre.
The day had begun enthusiastically and joyfully.
Spoken:
-Dice… Pasaporte!
-Ha donde va por ahí, luminario, en esta noche tan fea?
-Usted no se anima?
-Mire como ‘sta el camino. ‘Ta negaiiiito!
-No hombre, cómo, el camino es lo de menos.
-Lo importante es que haiga bronca.
-(He) says… Passport!
-Where you goin’, luminary, in this night so ugly?
-Don’t you dare?
-See how the road is. It’s terrible!
-No man, how (can you say that), the road is the least of it.
-What matters is for there to be a fight in you.
“The Key to My Heart”
Album: La Llave De Mi Corazon (The Key to My Heart), 2007
Style: Bilingual version of an upbeat, romantic merengue/pop hit.
About: The album won six Latin Grammy Awards in 2007, including “Album of the Year,” and this song won “Song of the Year.” The album also won “Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album”. Some of the English is in italics because it’s part of the original song and not a translation. I tried not to repeat English parts too much.
Country: Dominican Republic
Listen: YouTube
Buenas noches damas y caballeros*
Demos la bienvenida a
Juan Luis Guerra Y Cuatro Cuarenta
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
Let’s give a (warm) welcome to
Juan Luis Guerra And Cuatro Cuarenta*
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yo escuchaba el otro día
Una emisora radial
Un siquiatra, Doctor Luis
Daba consejo matrimonial
I was listening the other day (to)
A radio transmission*
A psychiatrist, Doctor Luis
Was giving marriage advice
“Eres Mi Religion” (You Are My Religion) by Maná
Album: Revolucíon de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Style: Latin rock song about a man who was low, depressed, unhappy… then met the love of his life and his life brightened. He calls her his blessing, his light, his sun. Love song to her.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Iba caminando por las calles empapadas en olvido.
Iba por los parques con fantasmas y con ángeles caídos.
Iba sin luz, iba sin sol,
Iba sin un sentido, iba muriéndome.
Iba volando sobre el mar con las alas rotas.
I went walking through streets soaked in oblivion.
I went through parks with ghosts and fallen angels.
I went without light, I went without sun,
I went without a feeling, I went dying.
I went flying over the sea on broken wings.
“Who Cares?” Lyrics Translation
Album: Thalía, 2002; originally in No es pecado (It is not a sin), 1986 by Spanish rock/synth-pop band Alaska y Dinarama.
Style: Pop cover of a song by Alaska y Dinarama. Thalía tells us she is going to live her life how she wants, and others should mind their business!
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
La gente me señala,
Me apunta con el dedo,
Susurra a mis espaldas,
Y a mí me importa un bledo.
People signal towards me,
They point at me with their fingers,
They whisper behind my back,
And I don’t give a damn.
“The Story of a Love” Lyrics, also. “A Lovestory”
Written by Carlos Eleta Almaran, sung by many.
Style: Romantic classic from Mexico
Country: Mexico
Listen: Ana Gabriel (Mexico), Eydie Gormé y Trio Los Panchos (USA & Mexico), Guadalupe Pineda (Mexico), Pedro Infante (Mexico), Luis Miguel (Mexico), Luz Casal (Spain), Laura Fygi (Netherlands)
Ya no estás más a mi lado, corazón.
En el alma sólo tengo soledad,
Y si ya no puedo verte,
¿Por qué Dios me hizo quererte?
Para hacerme sufrir más.
You are no longer at my side, my love.
In my soul I have only loneliness,
And if I can no longer see you,
Why did God make me love you?
To make me suffer more.
Songlations 
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