Tag: Genre: Bolero

“Soledad y El Mar” (Solitude and the Sea) by Natalia Lafourcade ft. Los Macorinos, English translation

“Solitude and the Sea” Lyrics
Album: Musas (Muses), 2017
Style: Folk sentimental romantic, bolero song about being alone with the sea, feeling lonely but also relaxed, enjoying the ocean air. The music rises and falls like the waves.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

[Intro dialogue:]

¿Otra? ¿Nos echamos otra?

Another? Should we do another?

[Lyrics:]

En el canto de las olas,
Encontré un rumor de luz.
Por un canto de gaviotas
Supe que allí estabas tú.

In the song of the waves,
I found the rumor of a light.
By the cry of the seagulls
I knew you were there.

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“Sin Cariño y Sin Amor” (Without Affection or Love) by Tania Libertad, English translation

“Without Affection and Without Love” Lyrics
Album: Momentos De Amor (Moments of Love), 2011
Style: Bolero about an ex who didn’t show affection or love, and wishing that destiny lets him feel that sadness also.
Country: Peru, Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

¿Para qué vivir fingiendo
Si la vida es corta y, a veces, tan cruel?
¿Para qué seguir soñando
Con aquel cariño que ha de ser infiel?

Why live pretending
If life is short and, sometimes, so cruel?
Why keep dreaming
About that sweetheart who has to be unfaithful?

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“Dile Que Por Mí No Tema” (Tell Them Not To Fear Me) by Celia Cruz, English translation

“Tell Them Not To Fear Me”
Album: Dile Que Por Mi No Tema / Bajo La Luna Vinyl, 1972; Boleros, 1993
Style: Bolero, which is both a dance style and a story-telling lyrics style. Song telling an ex that you have a new (better) sweetheart and that your ex should tell their own new lover not to worry about you, because you’ve moved on. Also an example of a gender neutral Spanish song.
Country: Cuba
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Dile a tu nuevo querer
Que no hay nada que temer
Porque hace ya mucho tiempo
Que te borré de mi mente
Y no me acuerdo de ti…

Tell your new beloved
That there is nothing to fear
Because it’s been a long time now
Since I erased you from my mind
And I don’t remember you…

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“La Mujer” (The Woman) by Mon Laferte and Gloria Trevi, English translation

“The Woman”
Album: Seis (Six), 2021
Style: A gloriously dramatic bolero breakup song. The dramatic but energetic style makes the lyrics imagery clearly figurative, not literal, but possibly this needs a trigger warning for suicide/murder/drugs. Just in case!
Countries: Chile; Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

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“Alma, Corazón y Vida” (Soul, Heart and Life) by Albán, various singers, English translation of lyrics

“Soul, Heart and Life”
Style: Waltz, bolero, various adaptions. Translation of a classic song about a person very much in love. They sing about the three things they offer their lover: their soul to woe them, their heart to love them, and their life to spend with them. It is a sweet love song.
Countries: Many
Listen: Various versions. Trío Los Panchos (USA/Mexico), Dyango (Spain; live, slow performance), Los Embajadores Criollos (Peru), Soledad Pastorutti (Argentina, live, deep voice), Tania Libertad (Peru), and more on YouTube.

Translation:

Recuerdo aquella vez
Que yo te conocí
Recuerdo aquella tarde
Pero no recuerdo ni como te vi.

I remember that time
When I first met you
I remember that afternoon
But I don’t even remember how I saw you.

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“Quiero Para Ti” by Los Panchos, English translation

“I Want For You” Lyrics
Style: Romantic bolero
Countries: USA (New York), Mexico, Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Quiero para ti,
De una tarde de abril,
Su magico esplendor.

I want for you,
From an April afternoon,
Its magical splendor.

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“Sabrá Dios” by Álvaro Carrillo, Los Panchos, English translation of lyrics

“God Knows” Lyrics Translation
Style: Bolero song about a person doubting their partner, suspecting infidelity but not having proof, and being worried that the suspicion itself could end the relationship if they are wrong.
Country: Mexico
Listen: Álvaro Carrillo; Eydie Gormé and Los Panchos; Vicente Fernández; Tania Libertad

Translation:

Sabrá Dios, si tú me quieres o me engañas.
Como no adivino seguiré pensando
Que me quieres solamente a mí.

God knows, if you love me or you deceive me.
Since I can’t guess I will continue thinking
That you love only me.

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“Piel Canela” (Cinnamon Skin) by Bobby Capó, Eydie Gorme y Los Panchos, English translation

“Cinnamon Skin”, 1950s
Style: Romantic bolero. This is a popular oldies song written by Bobby Capó and sung by many. You might have seen it in commercials or heard the tune in elevators. Probably popularized best by Eydie Gorme y Los Panchos. I think it’s on the Nacho Libre soundtrack. This song is passed around a lot.
Country: Puerto Rico; United States (New York); Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Que se quede el infinito sin estrellas,
O que pierda el ancho mar su inmensidad,
Pero el negro (alt. el brillo) de tus ojos que no muera,
Y el canela de tu piel se quede igual.

May the infinite be left without stars,
Or may the wide sea lose its immenseness,
But may the blackness (alt. the glimmer) of your eyes never die,
And may the cinnamon of your skin stay the same.

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“Sin La Luna” (Without the Moon) by Alejandro Filio, Tania Libertad, English translation

“Without the Moon”
Artist: Alejandro Filio. Also sung by: Tania Libertad
Style: Hauntingly beautiful love song. Melancholy guitar instrumentals.
Country: Mexico; Peru
Listen at YouTube: Alejandro Filio live, Tania Libertad recorded

Lyrics Translation:

Si repito tu nombre
Después de otra jornada
Y otra noche conmigo…

If I repeat your name
After another journey
And another night with me…

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