Spanish song lyrics translated to English: side-by-side lyrics, song meanings, and translation notes for people learning Spanish.
“It Is My Pleasure“
Style: Regional Mexican, mariachi love song of the 20th century. The lyrics declare that love is a pleasure that none but God can take away. Sung by many including Antonio Aguilar, Vicente Fernández, and more.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Mi gusto es,
¿Y quién me lo quitará?
Solamente Dios del cielo me lo quita.
Mi gusto es...
It is my pleasure,
And who will take it from me?
Only God in Heaven could take it.
It is my pleasure…
“Stop Insisting, Heart” Lyrics
Album: Juan Gabriel con Mariachi Vol. II (1976); Vicente Fernandez (1978)
Style: Mariachi serenade asking either for love to be reciprocated, or for one’s heart to stop feeling unrequited love. The song is directed at both the love interest and at one’s own heart. Composed by Alberto Aguilera Valadez.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Quiere el corazón, lo quieras como yo te quiero,
No seas cruel, no hagas más grande este sufrimiento,
Él para quererte solo está latiendo,
Quiérelo tan solo un poco, te lo está pidiendo.
The heart wants, for you to love it as I love you,
Don’t be cruel, don’t extend this suffering,
My heart, to love you, only needs a pulse,
Love it just a bit, it is pleading to you.
“Who Will You Love More Than Me”
Album: Para Siempre (Forever), 2007
Style: Serenade to win back a former lover, reminding her that she loves him even though she broke up with him, and telling her that he loves her.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
¿A quién vas a amar más que a mí?
Dime, para feliz, felicitarlo yo.
Who will you love more than me?
Tell me so I can, happily, congratulate him myself.
“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
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.
“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
¡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.
“Beautiful Beloved”
Album: Personalidad (Personality), 1992
Genre: Mariachi, regional Mexican, love song, romantic serenade
Country: Mexico
Hermoso cariño,
Hermoso cariño
Que Dios me ha mandado
A ser destinado nomás para mí.
Beautiful beloved,
Beautiful beloved
That God has sent me
To be destined only for me.
Precioso regalo,
Precioso regalo
Del cielo ha llegado
Y que me ha colmado de dicha y amor.
Precious gift,
Precious gift
From heaven has arrived
And it fills me with bliss and love.
“Forever”
Album: Para Siempre (Forever), 2007
Genre: Romantic mariachi serenade to a lover after a rough relationship spot. Relationships take work, but their love is forever.
Country: Mexico
Vale más, un buen amor
Que mil costales de oro.
Vale más, un buen amor
Por eso eres mi tesoro.
It’s worth more, a good love,
Than a thousand sacks of gold.
It’s worth more, a good love,
That’s why you are my treasure.
“A Million Springs”
Album: Para Siempre (Forever), 2007; Un Azteca en el Azteca (An Aztec in The Aztec), 2016
Genre: Regional Mexican from Jalisco, with cello, guitar, and accordion. Song about unrequited love and serenades.
Country: Mexico
Te molesta si te hablo de mi amor,
Y me pides, por favor, olvide el tema,
Y que cambie la letra de mis canciones,
Y tu nombre, quite ya, de aquel poema.
It bothers you if I talk to you about my love,
And you ask me, please, to forget the topic,
And to change the lyrics of my songs,
And your name, to remove now, from that poem.
“I Let Go of Your Rein”
Genre: 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)
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.
“I Forgot Again”
Composer: Juan Gabriel (1974)
Albums: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán (1990); Maná MTV Unplugged (1999)
Genre: Mariachi, ranchera; bolero; rock; lost love song; always guitar. A classic Mexican ranchera song full of emotion, soulfully mourning still being in love with someone who doesn’t love them back. Good pick for a karaoke song.
Country: Mexico
YouTube has renditions by: Maná (MTV live album, rock), Juan Gabriel (recorded mariachi style), Alejandro Fernández (live traditional mariachi), Lucero (woman mariachi live), Pedro Vargas (recorded ranchera), Chavela Vargas (slow and hoarse ranchera, woman), Julio Jaramillo (bolero version), and more.
Wikipedia originally said that Juan Gabriel wrote and released it in 1990, but that time can’t be right because Julio Jaramillo sung it also and Julio died in 1978. Anyway, Juan Gabriel re-released it in 1999 around the same time that Maná released their version. It won Maná a Latin Grammy in 2000.
Update: English Wikipedia now says 1975, but Spanish Wikipedia says Juan Gabriel released this song in 1974 in his collaboration with the famous and transgenerational Mariachi Vargas.
Probablemente ya
De mí te has olvidado
Y sin embargo yo
Te seguiré esperando.
Probably, by now
You’ve forgotten about me
And nevertheless, I
Will continue to wait for you.
“The Town Son”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera about poverty with dignity.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Es mi orgullo haber nacido
En el barrio más humilde,
Alejado del bullicio
(Y) de la falsa sociedad.
It is my pride to have been born
In the most humble neighborhood,
Away from the hustle and bustle
(And) from the false society.
“The King”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera very popular in Mexico. This is one of José Alfredo’s most famous songs.
Country: Mexico
Listen on YouTube: José Alfredo Jiménez (original), Vicente Fernandez, Alejandro Fernández, and now George Strait (possibly because of my translation? I don’t know, but if so, I am very honored!)
Yo sé bien que estoy afuera
Pero el día que yo me muera
Sé que tendrás que llorar.
(Llorar y llorar, x2)
I am fully aware that I am out
But the day that I die
I know that you will have to cry.
(Cry and cry, x2)
Dirás que no me quisiste,
Pero vas a estar muy triste
Y así te vas a quedar.
You will say that you did not love me,
But you will be very sad
And that is how you will stay.
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