Ahhh, there’s a real chance this song may annoy the hell out of me in a couple of weeks because I’ve been listening to it quite obsessively and for this blogpost I will be dissecting and translating it, which isn’t always beneficial for one’s relationship to a song.
But here we go; the song is by the incredibly talented Jorge Drexler and is called “Silencio”.
The lyrics are really very simple, as is the song as a whole. As a matter of fact, I think this song would be super nice to use in a Beginner’s Spanish course!
So, press play above, and read (or sing) along with the lyrics below.
Todo el mundo intentando venderte algo
The whole world is trying to sell you something
Intentando comprarte
They’re trying to buy you
Queriendo meterte en su melodrama
Trying to pull you into their melodrama
Su karma, su cama, su salto a la fama
into their karma, their bed, their leap into fame
Su breve momento de gloria
their brief moment of glory
Sus dos megas de memoria
their two megabytes of memory
Subirte a su nube
They try to upload you to their cloud
Como un precio que sube
like a prize that rises
Para luego exhibirte
so they can expose you
Como un estandarte
as if you were a banner
No encuentro nada más valioso que darte…
I can’t think if anything more valuable to give you…
…nada más elegante…
…nothing more elegant…
…que este instante...
…than this instant…
…de silencio.
…of silence.
Silencio
Silence
El índice vertical entre la boca y la nariz
the raised index finger, between the mouth and the nose
El eco en la catedral
the echo in the cathedral
La brisa en la enredadera
the breeze in the ivies
Entremos en el sonido hasta el penúltimo matiz
let’s enter into the sound until the penultimate shade
Hagámosle caso al gesto de la foto de la enfermera
let’s follow the gesture of the photo of the nurse
Y cuando el ruido vuelva a saturar la antena
and when the noise returns to saturate the antenna
Y una sirena rompa la noche, inclemente
and a siren rudely breaks the night
No encontraremos nada más pertinente
we can’t think of anything more relevant…
…que decirle a la mente…
…to tell the mind…
“Detente!”
“Stop!”
[Hook]
Bésame ahora
Kiss me now
Antes que diga algo completamente inadecuado
Before I say something completely inadequate
No hay que desperdiciar una buena ocasión
We shouldn’t waste a good occasion
De quedarse callado
to remain silent
[Hook]
Y cuando el ruido vuelva a saturar la antena
and when the noise returns to saturate the antenna
Y una sirena rompa la noche, inclemente
and a siren rudely breaks the night
No encontraremos nada más pertinente
we can’t think of anything more relevant…
…que decirle a la mente…
…to tell the mind…
“Detente!”
“Stop!”
Epiphany 