“Pale Flower” Lyrics
Album: 3.0, 2013
Style: Pop, bachata, tropical music. Song about nurturing a flower and blossoming a relationship.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Hallé una flor
Un día en el camino
Que apareció marchita y deshojada,
Ya casi pálida, ahogada en un suspiro.
Me la llevé a mi jardín para cuidarla.
I found a flower
One day walking
That appeared, wilted and leafless,
Already almost faded, drowning in a sigh.
I took it to my garden to take care of it.
“Living My Life” English Lyrics
Album: Marc Anthony 3.0, 2013
Style: Joyful anthem encouraging you to seek happiness.
Country: USA (New York & Puerto Rico)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
“Something With Meaning” Lyrics
Album: Residente o Visitante (Resident or Visitor), 2007
Style: Hilarious but explicit rap song, slow tempo, increasingly disturbing lyrics
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube. This song is hilarious because of its disturbing build-up and then the abrupt end after the first end. Residente Calle 13’s voice acting in this song is great.
***Warning: Explicit language, graphic descriptions of violence.***
La gente está jugando con mi mente
Y ando con la mirada borracha.
Mi cabeza está pensando en remolacha,
Por eso no tiene sentido esta guaracha.
People are playing with my head
And I walk around with a drunk look.
My head is thinking about beets;
That’s why this song makes no sense.
“I Want For You” Lyrics
Style: Romantic bolero
Countries: USA (New York), Mexico, Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Quiero para ti,
De una tarde de abril,
Su magico esplendor.
I want for you,
From an April afternoon,
Its magical splendor.
“Our Vow” (1956) Lyrics
Composer: Benito de Jesús, famously sung by Julio Jaramillo.
Style: Pasillo, waltz-like originally. Many covers in different styles.
Country: Ecuador originally, but popular across Latin America.
Listen: Julio Jaramillo (Ecuador), José Feliciano (Puerto Rico), Javier Solis (Mexico), Vicente Fernández (Mexico) La Santa Cecilia (Mexican-American), Juanes (Colombia).
“Nuestro Juramento” is a well-known romance song across Latin America and arguably Julio Jaramillo’s most famous song. It is about human mortality and passion. It is two lovers who declare to continue loving each other forever, and to be devastated should the other die. The verb jurar means “to swear, to vow” and a juramento is an oath or a vow.
“The Sun Appeared”
Album: King of Kings, 2006
Style: Reggaeton
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
CHORUS A:
———————————————–
Salió el sol-oh-ol…
Cuerpo bronceado y sus amigas buscaban acción.
La canción…
Que causa en ellas y sus cuerpos esa sensación,
Reggaeton-oh-on…
Piden Reggaeton-oh-on…
Del mejor…
(Pon the river, pon the river, pon the river, pon the bank, pon the bank)
Sientan la presión.
The sun appeared-eh-eared…
Bronzed body and her friends were seeking action.
The song…
What causes in them and their bodies that sensation,
Reggaeton-oh-on…
They ask for reggaeton-oh-on…
Of the best…
(Pon the river, pon the river, pon the river, pon the bank, pon the bank)
Feel the pressure.
———————————————–
“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. 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.
—————————————
“To The North” Translation
Album: Residente/Visitante (Resident/Visitor), 2007
Style: Urban/hip hop
Countries: Puerto Rico, Cuba
Listen: YouTube
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.
“Ice and Fire” Lyrics
Style: Merengue, pop
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.
Songlations 