Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“I Saw You Pass” Lyrics
Album: Musas (Muses), 2017
Style: Folk romance song about an unrequited love that you see from afar, but who doesn’t notice you.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
¡Un, dos, tres…!
Hoy te he mirado sin quererlo,
Te he mirado a mi lado pasar,
Pasar muy cerca de mí.
One, two, three…!
Today I’ve seen you without meaning to,
I’ve seen you passing by me,
Passing so close to me.
“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
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.
“I Will Wait For You”
Style: Pasillo, vals (waltz), unrequited love song.
Country: Ecuador
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Te esperaré.
Sé que me quieres
Y yo seré tu adoración.
En mi recuerdo, grabado estará tu nombre.
Toda la vida, te esperaré y serás mi gran amor.
“The Lighthouse” Lyrics
Album: Noche y Citas (Night, and Dates), 2010
Style: Ballad with accordion music in the background. This is a song about someone who fell in love hard and is melancholy about it. It sounds like unrequited love. Pobrecita.
Country: United States (Los Angeles, CA)
Listen: YouTube
Unrelated, I saw the recently released Cesar Chavez movie last weekend. It was good! I worry sometimes that movies about famous civil rights people will be too serious, but this movie had many light and funny moments, too. Go watch it.
¿Cómo logro provocar
El rocío de una flor?
¿Cómo logro dominar
El amor?
How do I manage to provoke
The dew of a flower?
How do I manage to dominate
Love?
“The Black Dog” Lyrics
Style: Corrido (a storytelling style) about a loyal dog.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
José Alfredo Jiménez was a famous and prolific Mexican singer-songwriter. Remember his name if you are interested in the music history of Latin America or Mexican culture. His songs created a new mythology in Mexico. He sang about characters and stories. This song is about the murder of Gilberto the Brave, who was killed in his sleep by a cowardly but powerful rival. Gilberto had a loyal dog who avenged his murder.
Al otro lado del puente
De La Piedad, Michoacán,
Vivía Gilberto el Valiente,
Nacido en Apatzingán.
On the other side of the bridge
Of La Piedad, Michoacán,
Lived Gilberto the Brave,
Born in Apatzingán.
Siempre con un perro negro
Que era su noble guardián.
Always with a black dog
That was his noble guardian.
“Lining the Sun”
Album: Maná MTV Unplugged, 1999
Style: Rock song about pining for love. It’s a common theme in Maná’s songs. He is desperate and melancholy for her love. She doesn’t pay attention to him. He can’t forget her. He claims it would be easier to reach the sun than her heart.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Rayando el sol,
Rayando por ti,
Esta pena me duele,
Me quema sin tu amor.
Lining the sun,
Lining (it) for you,
This sorrow hurts me,
It burns me without your love.
No me has llamado;
Estoy desesperado.
Son muchas lunas las que te he llorado.
You have not called me;
I am getting desperate.
I have cried you many a moon.
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