Sunday, May 14, 2017

The word for "traitorous" seems more musical in Spanish

I'm not a big fan of singers who insist on inserting their own names into their songs.  That said, "Traicionera" sung by Sebastian Yatra is pretty darn catchy, and since this Spanish-language song is in heavy rotation on Costa Rican radio stations I've had plenty of opportunity to notice how well the 4-syllable adjective for a traitorous female - traicionera - works in a song that also features the 4-syllable adjective for a female liar - mentirosa.  I just don't sing along during the part with his name.  See below for the lyrics for the song, and my English translation.

Traicionera  
Sebastian Yatra


(Sebastian Yatra, Yatra, Yatra)
Tú me dices que
no es cierto que te mueres por mi
Si es verdad que no te gusto
no te acerques así 
Me dijeron que te encanta
que se mueran por ti
Buscando al que se enamora
para hacerlo sufrir
Si me dices que me amas
no te voy a creer, No
Tú me dices que me quieres
y no puedes ser fiel, No
Me dejaste manejando
solo y triste, mujer
Te confieso si lo quieres saber,
si lo quieres saber
Traicionera, no me importa
lo que tú me quieras
Mentirosa, solo quieres que
de amor me muera
Traicionera, en mi vida fuiste pasajera
Mentirosa, no me importa que
de amor te mueras x2
Sigues bailando reggaeton, ton, ton
Y no te importa para nada
lo que sienta el corazón
Solo te importa el pantalón, lon, lon
Y se te nota desde lejos
tu maléfica intención 
Y mira no es tan fácil, 
Enamorarme nunca fue tan fácil
Cuando estas cerca de mi
no es fácil
Y es que la vida se volvió
difícil solo por ti
Si me dices que me amas
no te voy a creer, No
Tu me dices que me quieres
y no puedes ser fiel, No 
Me dejaste manejando
solo y triste mujer
Te confieso si lo quieres saber,
si lo quieres saber
Traicionera, no me importa
lo que tú me quieras
Mentirosa, solo quieres que
de amor me muera
Traicionera, en mi vida fuiste pasajera
Mentirosa, no me importa que
de amor te mueras x2
Tu me dices que
no es cierto que te mueres por mi
Si es verdad que no te gusto
no te acerques así
Traicionera, no me importa
lo que tu me quieras
Mentirosa, solo quieres que
de amor me muera
Traicionera, en mi vida fuiste pasajera
Mentirosa, no me importa que
de amor te mueras x3
Traitorous  
Sebastian Yatra


(Sebastian Yatra, Yatra, Yatra)
You tell me that
it’s not true that you’re dying for me
If it’s true that you don’t like me
don’t come around like this
They told me you love it
if they’re dying for you
Searching for the one who falls in love
in order to make him suffer
If you tell me you love me
I’m not going to believe you, No
You tell me that you love me
and can’t be faithful, No
You left me coping
alone and sad, woman
I confess to you, if you want to know,
if you want to know
Traitor, I don’t care
that you love me
Liar, you only want me
to die of love
Traitor, in my life you were temporary
Liar, I don’t care
if you die of love x2
You keep dancing reggaeton, ton, ton
And you don’t care at all
what the heart feels
You only care about the pants, ants, ants
And your dark intention
is visible from afar
And look it’s not so easy,
Falling in love was never so easy
When you’re close to me
it’s not easy
And the thing is life gets
difficult just because of you
If you tell me you love me
I’m not going to believe you, No
You tell me that you love me
and you can’t be faithful, No
You left me coping
alone and sad, woman
I confess to you, if you want to know,
if you want to know
Traitor, I don’t care
that you love me
Liar, you only want
me to die of love
Traitor, in my life you were temporary
Liar, I don’t care
if you die of love x2
You tell me that
 it’s not true that you’re dying for me
If it’s true that you don’t like me
don’t come around like this
Traitor, I don’t care
that you love me
Liar, you only want
me to die of love
Traitor, in my life you were temporary
Liar, I don’t care
if you die of love  x3

Sunday, April 2, 2017

I hope it rains coffee! Use "ojalá" for "I hope"

"Ojalá" is the term many native Spanish speakers use when they want to say something along the lines of "I hope" or "Let's hope" or "May it be so."

Ojalá Que Llueva Café 
Juan Luis Guerra


Ojalá que llueva café en el campo 
que caiga un aguacero de yuca y té
del cielo una harina de queso blanco 
y al sur una montaña
de berro y miel
Oh,...Ojalá que llueva café
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo
peinar un alto cerro de trigo y mapuey
bajar por la colina de arroz graneado
y continuar al arado
con tu querer 
Oh,...Ojalá el otoño en vez de hojas secas
vista mi cosecha de petit salé* 
sembrar una llanura
de batata y fresas 
Ojalá que llueva café
Pa' que en el conuco
no se sufra tanto, ay ombe** 
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo
pa' que en Villa Vásquez 
oigan este canto
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo
Ojalá que llueva, 
ojalá que llueva, ay ombe 
ojalá que llueva café en el campo,
ojalá que llueva café
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo
sembrar un alto cerro de trigo y mapuey
bajar por la colina de arroz graneado
y continuar al arado
con tu querer
Oh,...Ojalá el otoño 
en vez de hojas secas 
vista mi cosecha de petit salé* 
sembrar una llanura
de batata y fresas 
Ojalá que llueva café
Pa' que en el conuco
no se sufra tanto, oye
ojalá que llueva café en el campo
pa' que en Los Montones 
oigan este canto
ojala' que llueva cafe' en el campo
Ojalá que llueva, 
ojalá que llueva, ay ombe
ojalá que llueva café en el campo
Ojalá que llueva café
Pa' que todos los niños 
canten en el campo
ojalá que llueva café en el campo
pa' que en La Romana oigan este canto
ojalá que llueva café en el campo
Ay, ojalá que llueva, 
ojalá que llueva, ay ombe
ojalá que llueva café en el campo
Ojalá que llueva café

*petit sale = a French dish of salted pork and lentils, popular in the Dominican Republic, where Juan Luis Guerra is from; Villa Vásquez, Los Montones, and La Romana are towns in the Dominican Republic

**ay ombe (also seen as "ai ombe") is an expression that's used like "oh man," and like "oh man" it can carry different meanings such as surprise, regret, or celebration, depending on the tone of voice and mood of the speaker
I Hope It Rains Coffee
Juan Luis Guerra 

I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
that there's a downpour of cassava and tea
from the sky a dusting of white cheese
and to the south a mountain
of watercress and honey
Oh,...I hope it rains coffee
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
combing a high peak of wheat and yams
coming down through a hill of rice grains
and continuing over the tilled land
with what you want
Oh,...I hope this fall, instead of dry leaves
the sight of my harvest of petit sale*
planting a prairie
of sweet potato and strawberries
I hope it rains coffee
So that on the small farms
they don't suffer so much, oh man
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
so that in Villa Vásquez 
they hear this chant
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
I hope it rains, 
I hope it rains, oh man
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside,
I hope it rains coffee
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside,
sowing a high peak with wheat and yams
coming down through a hill of rice grains
and continuing over the tilled land
with what you want
Oh,...I hope this fall, 
instead of dry leaves
the sight of my harvest of petit sale*
planting a prairie
of sweet potato and strawberries
I hope it rains coffee
So that on the small farms
they don't suffer so much, listen
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
so that in Los Montones 
they hear this chant
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
I hope it rains, 
I hope it rains, oh man
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
I hope it rains coffee
So that all the children 
sing in the countryside
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
so that in La Romana they hear this chant
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
Ay, I hope it rains, 
I hope it rains, oh man
I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
I hope it rains coffee