Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“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
“Eres Mi Religion” (You Are My Religion) by Maná
Album: Revolucíon de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Style: Latin rock song about a man who was low, depressed, unhappy… then met the love of his life and his life brightened. He calls her his blessing, his light, his sun. Love song to her.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Iba caminando por las calles empapadas en olvido.
Iba por los parques con fantasmas y con ángeles caídos.
Iba sin luz, iba sin sol,
Iba sin un sentido, iba muriéndome.
Iba volando sobre el mar con las alas rotas.
I went walking through streets soaked in oblivion.
I went through parks with ghosts and fallen angels.
I went without light, I went without sun,
I went without a feeling, I went dying.
I went flying over the sea on broken wings.
“The Story of a Love” Lyrics, also. “A Lovestory”
Written by Carlos Eleta Almaran, sung by many.
Style: Romantic classic from Mexico
Country: Mexico
Listen: Ana Gabriel (Mexico), Eydie Gormé y Trio Los Panchos (USA & Mexico), Guadalupe Pineda (Mexico), Pedro Infante (Mexico), Luis Miguel (Mexico), Luz Casal (Spain), Laura Fygi (Netherlands)
Ya no estás más a mi lado, corazón.
En el alma sólo tengo soledad,
Y si ya no puedo verte,
¿Por qué Dios me hizo quererte?
Para hacerme sufrir más.
You are no longer at my side, my love.
In my soul I have only loneliness,
And if I can no longer see you,
Why did God make me love you?
To make me suffer more.
“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
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.
“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.
“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).
“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
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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