“El Cuarto de Tula” (Tula’s Bedroom) by Buena Vista Social Club, English translation

“Tula’s Bedroom” Lyrics
Album: Buena Vista Social Club, 1997
Style: Iconic Cuban traditional music song about a fire started by a candle in Tula’s bedroom. She fell asleep and forgot to blow it out, now all the firefighters want to help her with that flame.
Country: Cuba
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

En el barrio La Cachimba, se ha formado la corredera,
En el barrio La Cachimba, se ha formado la corredera.
Allá fueron los bomberos con sus campanas, sus sirenas,
Allí fueron los bomberos con sus campanas, sus sirenas.

In the Cachimba neighborhood, a running line has formed,
In the Cachimba neighborhood, a running line has formed.
There went the firefighters with their bells, their sirens,
There went the firefighters with their bells, their sirens.

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“Te Solté La Rienda” (I Let Go of Your Reign) by José Alfredo Jiménez, Maná, English translation

“I Let Go of Your Rein”
Style: Corrido, ranchera, sometimes a mariachi. This popular Mexican song is an epic “you’ll miss me, but go” breakup song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (José Alfredo Jiménez, Maná, Lupillo Rivera, Vicente Fernandez, and many more)

Lyrics Translation:

Se me acabó la fuerza
De mi mano izquierda.
Voy a dejarte el mundo
Para ti solita.

I lost the strength
On my left hand.
I am going to leave you the world
For your very own.

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“El Coyote” by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation of lyrics

“The Coyote”, mid-20th century
Style: Corrido with mariachi music. This is the story of an unrequited love triangle that ended in the rival’s death.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Lyrics Translation:

Le pinte un cuatro al coyote, y me fui para la sierra.
El Coyote era un bandido, nacido allá por mi tierra.
Lo conocí desde niño. Fuimos juntos a la escuela.

I drew a cross over the Coyote, and I left for the sierra.
The Coyote was a bandit, born near my hometown.
I knew him since we were kids. We went to school together.

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“Che Araña” (Friend Spider) by Cri-Cri, Eugenia León, English translation of lyrics

“Friend Spider” (1942)
Songwritter: Francisco “Cri-Cri” Gabilondo Soler
Style: Children’s song about a musical spider who rallies other household bugs and animals for a dance party. Cri-Cri is unique for his elaborate children’s stories with advanced Spanish vocabulary. He does not speak down to children. The songs are fun without being overly repetitive.
Country: Mexico
Listen: Cri-Cri (children’s song); Eugenia León (ballad style)

Lyrics Translation:

Al fondo del barril desvencijado
Que alumbra un rayo de sol,
La araña en sus hilos baila tango
Con los acordes del bandoneón.

At the bottom of the crumbling barrel
That a ray of sunlight illuminates,
The spider on its strings dances tango
With the chords of the bandonion.

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“La Gota Fría” (The Cold Drop) by Emiliano Zuleta, Carlos Vives, English translation

“The Cold Drop” Lyrics Translation
Composer: Emiliano Zuleta Baquero
Style: Vallenato, a genre from the Caribe (Caribbean) region of Colombia. The lyrics are about a 1938 feud between composers Emiliano Zuleta Baquero and Lorenzo Morales. The song has become a popular Colombian song.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube has various singers (Carlos Vives, Julio Iglesias, Aymée Nuviola)

Translation:

Acordate [acuerdate] Moralito de aquel día
Que estuviste en Urumita
Y no quisiste hacer parranda.

Remember, Moralito, of that day
When you were in Urumita
And you didn’t want to go partying.

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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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“Llegará la Tormenta” (The Storm Will Come) by Amaral, English translation

“The Storm Will Come” Song Lyrics Translated
Style: Bob Dylan tribute, released 2008 for La Exposición Internacional de Zaragoza, a festival in Spain. This is a tribute to Bob Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall. The lyrics are similar in many parts, but with slight variations.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Me han dicho que has vuelto por fin a tu casa.
¿Qué has visto en tu viaje por tierras lejanas?

They have told me that you’ve finally returned home.
What have you seen in your travel through far away lands?

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“Rosa, Rosa” by Sandro de América, English translation of lyrics

“Rosa, Rosa”
Style: 1960s European-style precursor to rock and roll. This song celebrates a woman named Rosa.
Country: Argentina
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

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.

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“Dios No Lo Quiera” by Sanchez Alonso, English translation of lyrics

“May God Not Want It” Lyrics
Style: Romantic song lamenting a lover who is pulling away.
Country: Mexico
Composed by: Enrique Sánchez Alonso (Mexico)
Listen, sung by: Tania Libertad, Ana Gabriel, Javier Solis, Los Tres Ases, and many more.

Translation Notes:

Dios no lo quiera
Pero presiento que has dejado de quererme.
En estos días se te nota diferente,
Se han vuelto frías tus caricias de repente.

May God not let it be
But I feel that you no longer love me.
In these days, your presence is different,
Your caresses have turned cold suddenly.

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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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