Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“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.
“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.
“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
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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’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).
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