Tag: Genre: Ranchera

“Tú y Las Nubes” (You and the Clouds) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation of lyrics

“You and the Clouds” Lyrics
Style: Ranchera, Mexican oldie from the mid-20th century. This unrequited love song was featured in the Mexican movie La Fiera (1956).
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Ay, ay, ay
(Cariño, mío, ríndete ya)

Ay, ay, ay
(My dear, hang your white flag)

Ando volando bajo,
Mi amor está por lo suelos,
Y tú tan alto, tan alto,
Mirando mis desconsuelos,
Sabiendo que soy un hombre
Que está muy lejos del cielo.

I am flying low,
My love is dragging the floors,
And you so high, so high,
Watching my grief,
Knowing that I am a man
Who is very far from heaven.

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“Pan y Miel” (Bread and Honey) by Los Tigres Del Norte, English translation of lyrics

“Bread and Honey” Lyrics Translated
Album: Pan y Miel (Bread and Honey), 2023
Style: Duet ranchera recounting the first conversation between two friends, discussing the same woman and trying to figure out each other’s intentions. It is a cute song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Me gusta recordar la historia de como nos conocimos.
Yo bien preguntón y aqui mi compa’ tan enojón.

I like to recount the story of how we met.
I very full of questions and here my guy so irritable.

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“Ya No Vuelvas” (Don’t Return Anymore) by Lupita Infante, English translation

“Don’t Return Anymore” Lyrics
Album: Amor Como en las Películas de Antes (Love Like in the Old Movies), 2023
Style: Ranchera about a heartbroken woman at a bar, singing to her no good ex that he should not seek her out again. Lupita Infante is the granddaughter of famous Mexican performers Pedro Infante and Lupita Torrentera.
Country: USA (Los Angeles, CA); Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Sirvanme otra pa’ olvidarlo
Porque aqui lo traigo adentro
Y de mi quiero arrancarlo.

Serve me another to forget him
Because I carry him here inside me
And from inside me I want to tear him out.

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“La Que Se Fue” (She Who Got Away) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“She Who Got Away”
Album: Ella… La Que Se Fue (She… Who Got Away), 1958
Style: Ranchera. Regretful song about the one who got away.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

¡Ay, amor, amor mío, uy-ya!

Oh, love, my love, uh-ya!

Tengo dinero en el mundo,
Dinero maldito que nada vale.
Aunque me miren sonriendo,
La pena que traigo
Ni Dios la sabe.

I have money in this world,
Damn money worth nothing.
Though they see me smiling,
The sorrow I carry
Not even God knows it.

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“Estos Celos” (This Jealousy) by Vicente Fernández, English translation

“This Jealousy”
Album: Para Siempre (Forever), 2007
Style: Orchestral ranchera, mariachi, regional Mexican from Jalisco. Bittersweet love song about missing an ex who has moved on.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Te miré,
Estabas tan bonita,
Tan sensual,
Te imaginé ajena y me hizo mal.

I saw you,
You were so pretty,
So sensual,
I imagined you a stranger and it made me ill.

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“Ojalá Te Animes” (Hopefully You Dare) by Bobby Pulido, English translation

“Hopefully You Dare”
Album: Vive (Live), 2005
Style: Ranchera about pulling a crush out of their shyness to start a relationship.
Country: USA (Texas), with Mexican slang
Listen: YouTube

Intro and Lyrics Translation:

[Intro]

–Oye comp’re, hay una güerita que – no, hombre – me está cayendo, ‘ira. Aqui dentro del corazón.

-¿A poco? ¿En serio? Pues conquístala.

-Pero pues ¿cómo le hago?

-Flores, chocolates a veces.

–M’no, pues yo andaba pensando más una serenata.

-¿Una serenata?

–Una serenata.

-¡Pero tú no cantas!

-¡Pero TÚ sí!

[Intro translation]

-Hey compadre, there’s this blonde girl who – no, man – she catching on me, look. Here inside my heart.

-Really? Serious? Well, get her!

-But then, how do I do it?

-Flowers, chocolate sometimes.

-Uh no, see I was thinking more a serenade.

-A serenade?

-A serenade.

-But you don’t sing!

-But YOU do!

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“La Derrota” (The Great Fall) by Vicente Fernández, English translation

“The Great Fall”
Album: Para Siempre (Forever), 2007
Style: Ranchera about the downfall of a relationship after infidelity, and the regret afterward.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

¡Ay, ay, ay, ja, ja, ja!

Por darle rienda suelta a mis antojos,
Por no tener conciencia del abismo,
Por eso ayer hice llorar sus ojos,
Y hoy mis ojos también hacen lo mismo.

For giving my whims free reign,
For not being aware of the abyss,
For that yesterday I made her eyes cry,
And today my eyes also do the same.

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“Amanecí en Tus Brazos” (I Woke Up in Your Arms) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“I Woke Up in Your Arms”
Style: Ranchera, love song about waking up in your lover’s arms and spending the full day and night in bed together. One of Jose Alfredo Jimenez’s 100 Mexican classic songs.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Amanecí otra vez
Entre tus brazos
Y desperté llorando
De alegría.

I woke up again
In your arms
And I woke up crying
From joy.

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“El Gavilan Pollero” by Pedro Infante, English translation

“El Gavilán Pollero” (The Chicken Hawk) sung by Pedro Infante
Style: Ranchera about a man who lost his favorite hen and is in the bargaining stage of grief. This is a popular Mexican oldie and the title of a film from the golden age of Mexican cinema [YouTube link to the full film].
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

[Knocking sounds]

¡Cantinero! ¡Cantinero!

Barman! Barman!

Infeliz gavilán,
Se llevo la polla más linda que tenia en mi gallinero.

Wretched chicken hawk,
He took the most lovely hen I had in my chickenhouse.

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“Si Nos Dejan” (If They Let Us) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“If They Let Us”
Style: Ranchera, romantic song about leaving to a happy new beginning with your lover.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Si nos dejan,
Nos vamos a querer toda la vida.
Si nos dejan,
Nos vamos a vivir a un mundo nuevo.

If they let us,
We will love each other our whole lives.
If they let us,
We will go live in a new world.

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“Alma de Acero” (Soul of Steel) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“Soul of Steel”
Style: Ranchera about having a strong center, able to withstand emotional blows by flighty lovers.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Podrás tener mucha suerte,
Podrás andar por el mundo
Destrozando corazones.

You can have lots of luck,
You can travel the world
Destroying hearts.

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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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