La vida y la muerte
life and death
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Song translation
Joan Manuel Serrat
Learn Romance de Curro el Palmo (with Alejandro Sanz) by Joan Manuel Serrat with lyrics, line-by-line translation, and interactive vocabulary practice.
Line-by-line practice helps you understand the meaning and remember useful phrases.
La vida y la muerte
life and death
Temblando en la boca
Trembling in the mouth
Tenía Merceditas
I had Merceditas
La del guardarropa.
The one with the wardrobe.
La del guardarropa
The one with the wardrobe
Del tablao de "El Lacio",
From the tablao of "El Lacio",
Un gitano falso,
A fake gypsy,
Ex-bufón de palacio.
Former palace jester.
Alcahuete noble,
Noble pimp,
Que -al oir los tiros-,
That - upon hearing the shots -,
Recogió sus capas
He picked up his layers
Y se pegó el piro.
And the fire hit.
Se acabó el jaleo,
The fuss is over,
Y el racionamiento
and rationing
Le llenó el bolsillo,
It filled his pocket,
Y montó este invento,
And he set up this invention,
En donde "El Palmo"
Where "El Palmo"
Lloró cantando...
He cried singing...
Ay, mi amor,
Oh, my love,
Sin tí no entiendo el despertar.
Without you I don't understand waking up.
Ay, mi amor,
Oh, my love,
Sin tí mi cama es ancha.
Without you my bed is wide.
Ay, mi amor
Oh my love
Que me desvela la verdad...
That reveals the truth to me...
Entre tú y yo, la soledad
Between you and me, loneliness
Y un manojillo de escarcha.
And a handful of frost.
Mil veces le pide
He asks a thousand times
- Y mil veces que "nones" -
- And a thousand times that "nones" -
De compartir sueños
To share dreams
Cama y macarrones.
Bed and macaroni.
Le dice, burlona:
She tells him, mockingly:
" Carita serrana (gitana),
"Carita serrana (gypsy),
¿Cómo hacer buen vino
How to make good wine
De una cepa enana?"
From a dwarf strain?"
Y Curro se muerde
And Curro bites himself
Los labios y calla,
lips and silence,
Pues no hizo la mili
Well he didn't do the military
Por no dar la talla.
For not measuring up.
Y quien calla, otorga,
And whoever is silent, grants,
Como dice el dicho...
As the saying goes...
Y Curro se muere
And Curro dies
Por ese mal bicho.
For that bad bug.
Ay! Quien fuese abrigo,
Oh! Whoever was shelter,
Para andar contigo.
To walk with you.
Ay, mi amor,
Oh, my love,
Sin tí no entiendo el despertar.
Without you I don't understand waking up.
Ay, mi amor,
Oh, my love,
Sin tí mi cama es ancha.
Without you my bed is wide.
Ay, mi amor
Oh my love
Que me desvela la verdad...
That reveals the truth to me...
Key words from this song. Practice them in Langooo to remember them faster.
amor
love
entre
between
cama
bed
entiendo
I understand
despertar
wake up
ancha
wide
desvela
reveals