Cancionero – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the profound sadness and masterful vocal delivery of "Cancionero." This iconic romantic ballad from 'El Príncipe de la Canción,' José José, is a perfect song for Spanish learners to understand the language of hidden pain and selfless love, as the narrator uses rich vocabulary to plead with the song itself to convey a fabricated message of happiness. The bolero style offers a steady, clear pace, ideal for studying emotional and poetic Spanish phrasing.

[English]

I am a humble songster

And I want to sing you a human story

Because I know she loves you

Who gave me this plea

If you see her, songster, tell her I'm happy

For her I have often asked you for a song to toast her joy

If you see her, songster, say it plainly in your song

In my eyes her hope rises like a fresh spring every day

Don’t tell her you saw me very sad and exhausted

Don’t tell her that without her I feel broken

If you see her, songster, come back soon to my corner

And even if you lie, keep my heart happy

Tell me again that she still loves me

Don’t tell her you saw me very sad and exhausted

Don’t tell her that without her I feel broken

If you see her, songster, come back soon to my corner

And even if you lie, keep my heart happy

Tell me again that she still loves me

...

[Spanish]

Yo soy un humilde cancionero

Y cantarte quiero una historia humana

Pues sé que te ama

Quien me hizo este ruego

Si la ves cancionero dile tú que soy feliz

Que por ella muchas veces te pedí una canción para brindar por su alegría

Si la ves cancionero dile claro en tu canción

Que en mis ojos amanece su ilusión como una nueva primavera cada día

No le digas que me viste muy triste y muy cansado

No le digas que sin ella me siento destrozado

Si la ves cancionero vuelve pronto a mi rincón

Y aunque mientas haz feliz mi corazón

Vuelve a decirme que me quiere todavía

No le digas que me viste muy triste y muy cansado

No le digas que sin ella me siento destrozado

Si la ves cancionero vuelve pronto a mi rincón

Y aunque mientas haz feliz mi corazón

Vuelve a decirme que me quiere todavía

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
humilde humilde A2	adjective - humble, modest
cancionero cancionero B2	noun - songbook; singer‑songwriter
cantar cantar A1	verb - to sing
querer querer A1	verb - to want, to love
historia historia A2	noun - history, story
humana humana A2	adjective - human
ruego ruego B2	noun - plea, request
ver ver A1	verb - to see
decir decir A1	verb - to say, to tell
feliz feliz A1	adjective - happy
pedir pedir A2	verb - to ask for, to request
canción canción A1	noun - song
brindar brindar B1	verb - to toast, to offer
alegría alegría A2	noun - joy, happiness
amanece amanece B2	verb - dawn, it becomes day
ilusión ilusión B1	noun - hope, illusion
triste triste A2	adjective - sad
cansado cansado A2	adjective - tired, weary
destrozado destrozado B2	adjective - shattered, devastated
corazón corazón A1	noun - heart

Key Grammar Structures

• Yo soy un humilde cancionero

  ➔ Present tense of 'ser'

  ➔ The verb 'soy' is the first-person singular present tense of 'ser', used to describe permanent states or characteristics.

• Pues sé que te ama

  ➔ Present tense of 'saber'

  ➔ The verb 'sé' is the first-person singular present tense of 'saber', used to express knowledge or certainty.

• Si la ves cancionero

  ➔ Present subjunctive of 'ver'

  ➔ The verb 'ves' is the second-person singular present subjunctive of 'ver', used in conditional sentences or after certain conjunctions.

• Que en mis ojos amanece su ilusión

  ➔ Present tense of 'amanecer'

  ➔ The verb 'amanece' is the third-person singular present tense of 'amanecer', used to describe an action happening regularly.

• No le digas que me viste muy triste

  ➔ Negative command with 'decir'

  ➔ The phrase 'no le digas' is a negative command using the verb 'decir', meaning 'don't tell him/her'.

• Y aunque mientas haz feliz mi corazón

  ➔ Subjunctive mood with 'mentir'

  ➔ The verb 'mientas' is the present subjunctive of 'mentir', used to express uncertainty or a hypothetical situation.