Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“The Answer” by Los Lonely Boys, English Translation of Spanish Version
Album: Los Lonely Boys, Track #12
Style: Rock
Country: USA (Texas)
Listen @ YouTube
¿A poco no está
Duro pa’ ti?
¿Pa’ que sigues así
Si aquí estoy yo?
Isn’t it
Hard for you?
Why do you continue like this
If I’m here?
Los Lonely Boy’s self-titled album is English with Spanish. The songs are pretty short, so I’m just going to translate all the Spanish parts in bilingual songs in one post.
TRACK #1: “Señorita”
You’re my little señorita, y tú eres la más bonita
You’re my little señorita, and you are the most beautiful
Señorita = affectionate diminutive of señora (lady, Mrs., Madam); Miss, Mademoiselle
Continue reading ““Los Lonely Boys” 2004 Album Translation”“Blessed, Your Light”
Album: Amar es Combatir (To Love is to Fight)
Style: Sweet, love song. Maná sings a lot of bittersweet, ambiguous, and energetic songs. They sing about desperation and sexual tension and poverty and all sorts of sad affairs. This is none of that. This is a song about pure happiness and romantic bliss. It’s very sweet.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Bendito el lugar, y el motivo de estar ahí,
Bendita la coincidencia,
Bendito el reloj que nos puso puntual ahí,
Bendita sea tu presencia.
Blessed location, and the motive for being there,
Blessed the coincidence,
Blessed clock that set us there punctually,
Blessed be your presence.
Bendito Dios por encontrarnos en el camino,
Y de quitarme esta soledad de mi destino.
Bendita la luz, bendita la luz de tu mirada (x2)
Desde el alma.
Blessed God for introducing us on the road,
And for taking away this solitude from my destiny.
Blessed be the light, blessed be the light of your gaze (x2)
Coming from the soul.
“The Little Lady Duck” / “Mama Webster”
Style: Children’s song about a money-strapped mother duck
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube. Also, this website has mp3 files. “La Patita” is on the second column.
La patita
De canasta y con reboso de bolita
Va al mercado
A comprar todas las cosas del mandado.
Mama Webster
With basket and polka dotted shawl
Goes to market
To buy all the things for groceries.
“The Ugly Doll” Children’s Song Translation
Composer: Francisco Gabilondo Soler (“Cri-Cri”)
Style: Children’s song about an abandoned doll. I remember Cri-Cri’s songs from my childhood. I hadn’t heard these songs in sooo long. You have no idea! Cri-Cri is Mexico’s best known writer of children’s story songs. A quick search didn’t bring up any English translations, so here I am!
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube. This website has mp3 files. “La Muñeca Fea” is on the first column, about two-thirds of the way down the list.
Escondida por los rincones,
Temerosa que alguien la vea,
Platicaba con los ratones,
La pobre muñeca fea.
Hidden around the corners,
Fearful of being seen,
She chatted with the mice,
The poor ugly doll.
“Maria Christina”
Composer: Cesar Rosas
Album: Good Morning Aztlán, 2002
Country: USA (Mexican-American)
Maria le gusta el mambo
Esto no puedo negar
Pero yo prefiero cumbia
Es lo mejor para gozar
Maria likes mambo
This I can’t deny
But I prefer cumbia
It’s the best for rejoycing
“Justice, Land and Liberty” Song Translation
Album: Revolución de Amor (Love Revolution), 2002 — Grammy and Latin Grammy winner
Style: Latin rock anthem
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Justicia tierra y libertad (x2)
Oye tú mi canto, óyelo, óyelo,
Oye tu mi llanto, óyelo, óyelo.
Justice, land and liberty (x2)
Hear you my song, hear it, hear it,
Hear you my cry, hear it, hear it.
“We’re Sea and Sand”
Album: Amar es Combatir (To Love is To Fight), 2006. It won a 2007 Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
Style: Rock/pop
Country: Mexico
Ese hombre que te trae bien embrujada,
Ese hombre, gandalla, deudor,
¿Dónde estás? Vuelve mi amor
Que somos mar y arena.
That man that has you terribly bewitched,
That guy, vagabond, debtor,
Where are you? Return, my love
Because we’re sea and sand.
“Relax” by Maná
Album: Amar es Combatir (To Love is To Fight), 2006. It won a 2007 Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
Style: Rock. Oh man, this song is so catchy. Maná is brilliant when it comes to singing about desperation without being sentimental or sounding hopeless. It’s sad, but it’s not saddening. I like the beat.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Siento que el mundo no para, me vuelvo loco.
Siento que el sol no calienta nada, ni un poco.
I feel that the world doesn’t stop, I go crazy.
I feel that the sun doesn’t warm anything, even a little.
Vivo en el borde y al filo de una navaja,
Pero por dios en mi tierra nadie se raja.
I live on the brink and at the edge of a knife,
But for (the love of) God, in my land nobody cracks.
“It’s For You”
Album: Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), 2002
Style: Soft rock with a beat, almost pop, love song
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Cada vez que me levanto
Y veo que a mi lado estás
Me siento renovado.
Every time I rise
And see you at my side
I feel renewed.
Y me siento aniquilado,
Aniquilado si no estás.
Tú controlas toda mi verdad
Y todo lo que está de más.
And I feel unbalanced,
Unbalanced if you aren’t around.
You control my whole truth
And everything else (of barest mention).
“Ice and Fire”
Style: Merengue, pop dance song about a hot/cold relationship.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Hay un sorbo de tus besos
En el vino que me embriaga.
Hay un soplo de tu aliento
Cuando escucho tus palabras.
There’s a whiff of your kisses
In the wine that intoxicates me.
There’s a gust of your scent
When I listen to your words.
“It Has Not Stopped Raining”
Albums: No ha parado de llover (It has not stopped raining), 1995; Maná MTV Unplugged, 1999
Style: Rock, melancholy
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Desde que te perdí
La luz se ha puesto muy mojada.
Mirada triste esta nublada
Y en mis ojos no ha parado de llover.
Since I lost you
The light has become very watery.
Sad gaze, this cloudyness
And in my eyes, it has not stopped raining.
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