Balas y Chocolate

• By: Lila Downs

Lyrics:

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[English]

Cincuenta jícaras para Motecuhzoma

Fifty cups for Motecuhzoma

En orillas del Orinoco

On the banks of the Orinoco

Al Cerro Manatí

To Cerro Manatí

Ocinchán, Tabasco

Ocinchán, Tabasco

Hay balas que van volando

There are bullets flying

Por el mundo, por el mundo

Around the world, around the world

Hay quienes que las esquivan

Some people dodge them

Por el suelo, por el suelo

On the ground, on the ground

Dame ma' mi chocolate

Give me more, my chocolate

Mi mezcal pa'l chocolate

My mezcal for the chocolate

Dame ma' mi chocolate

Give me more, my chocolate

Que tú eres mi chocolate

Because you're my chocolate

Honduras, Soconusco, Chontalpa

Honduras, Soconusco, Chontalpa

Mi vida, mi dulce

My life, my sweet

Voy a bailar mi suerte

I'm going to dance my luck

Mi sol y la luna

My sun and moon

Contigo hasta la muerte

With you until death

Mi vida, mi dulce

My life, my sweet

Te quiero chocolate

I love you, chocolate

Mi sol y la luna

My sun and moon

Te quiero chocolate, late, late

I love you, chocolate, beat, beat

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

Si no me mata un balazo

If a gunshot doesn't kill me

Secuestro o asalto

Kidnapping or robbery

Si no me ahogo en ceniza de volcán

If I don't drown in volcanic ash

Diabetes, cirrosis

Diabetes, cirrhosis

Neurosis, psicosis

Neurosis, psychosis

Necrosis, por sobredosis

Necrosis from overdose

Si no me mata alcoholismo

If alcoholism doesn't kill me

Egoísmo, pendejismo

Egoism, foolishness

Partidismo o un sismo

Partisanism or an earthquake

De espanto por la telenovela

Out of fear from telenovelas

Me voy pa'l carajo y me tuesto mi cacao

I'm going to hell and I’ll toast my cacao

El Salvador, Perú, Parinaud, Venezuela, Chuao

El Salvador, Peru, Parinaud, Venezuela, Chuao

Ese cacao mexicano

That Mexican cacao

Hay sueños que van naciendo

There are dreams that are born

Por el pueblo, por el pueblo

For the people, for the people

Hay quienes que sí lo viven

Some people truly live them

Cada día, cada día

Every day, every day

Yo voy a cambiar mi vida

I'm going to change my life

Si tú vas siempre conmigo

If you always go with me

Yo voy a cambiar mi vida

I'm going to change my life

Si tú vas siempre conmigo

If you always go with me

Y seguimos la Ruta del Cacao

And we follow the Cacao Route

América

America

Mi vida, mi dulce

My life, my sweet

Voy a bailar mi suerte

I'm going to dance my luck

Mi sol y la luna

My sun and moon

Contigo hasta la muerte

With you until death

Mi vida, mi dulce

My life, my sweet

Te quiero chocolate

I love you, chocolate

Mi sol y la luna

My sun and moon

Te quiero chocolate

I love you, chocolate

Mi vida, mi dulce

My life, my sweet

Voy a bailar mi suerte

I'm going to dance my luck

Mi sol y la luna

My sun and moon

Contigo hasta la muerte

With you until death

Mi vida, mi dulce

My life, my sweet

Te quiero chocolate

I love you, chocolate

Mi sol y la luna

My sun and moon

Te quiero chocolate, late, late

I love you, chocolate, beat, beat

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

No hay balas que penetren

There are no bullets that penetrate

La fuerza de este amor

The strength of this love

Dame mi chocolate

Give me my chocolate

Quiero mi chocolate

I want my chocolate

Dame mi chocolate, late, late, late (late, late, late)

Give me my chocolate, beat, beat, beat (beat, beat, beat)

...

...

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
chocolate /tʃəˈkɒl.ət/ A1	noun - a sweet food made from roasted and ground cacao seeds
vida /ˈviː.də/ A1	noun - life
suerte /ˈswɛr.te/ A2	noun - luck
balas /ˈbɑː.ləs/ A2	noun - bullets
amor /əˈmɔːr/ A1	noun - love
fuerza /ˈfɛr.zə/ B1	noun - strength
bailar /baɪˈlɑːr/ A1	verb - to dance
cacao /kəˈkaʊ/ A2	noun - the seeds of the cacao tree used to make chocolate
sueños /ˈswɛɪ.njɔːs/ B1	noun - dreams
muerte /ˈmɜːr.te/ B1	noun - death
cambio /ˈkæm.bi.oʊ/ B2	noun - change
esquivar /ɛsˈkiː.vɑːr/ B2	verb - to dodge or avoid
dolor /dəˈlɔːr/ B2	noun - pain
neurosis /njʊəˈroʊ.sɪs/ C1	noun - a mental disorder characterized by anxiety or fear
alcoholismo /ˌæl.kəˈhɔː.lɪ.zəm/ C1	noun - alcoholism

Grammar:

• Hay balas que van volando / Por el mundo, por el mundo

  ➔ Present indicative of 'ir' + gerund ('volando') expressing an ongoing action.

  ➔ The structure "ir + gerund" emphasizes that the bullets are "flying" around the world at this very moment, a continuous action.

• Dame ma' mi chocolate

  ➔ Imperative form 'dame' (give me). Possessive adjective 'mi' (my) combined with 'ma'' (short for 'mamá').

  ➔ 'Dame' is a direct request, emphasizing the speaker's desire. 'Ma' mi chocolate' is a term of endearment and request, implying a close relationship with the person being addressed.

• Voy a bailar mi suerte

  ➔ Future tense using 'ir a' + infinitive ('bailar'). Expressing intention or near future action.

  ➔ 'Voy a bailar' indicates the speaker's intention to dance, expressing a future plan.

• No hay balas que penetren / La fuerza de este amor

  ➔ Subjunctive mood ('penetren') used after a negative statement ('No hay'). Demonstrative adjective 'este' (this).

  ➔ The subjunctive mood 'penetren' is required because the existence of bullets that can penetrate the force of love is uncertain after the negative 'No hay'. 'Este' emphasizes a specific, perhaps strongly felt, love.

• Si no me mata un balazo

  ➔ Conditional clause using 'si' (if) + present indicative ('mata').

  ➔ This introduces a hypothetical situation: *if* a gunshot doesn't kill me...