Cancún Y Yo – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Paulina Rubio
• Album: Paulina

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the Spanish language through Paulina Rubio's emotive song, “Cancún Y Yo.” Delve into themes of longing and solitude set against the backdrop of a tropical paradise, and expand your vocabulary with vivid descriptions of Cancún and heartfelt expressions of missing someone. This song offers a unique cultural and linguistic experience.

[English]

It's a pity you're not here

So you could see the ocean

How incredibly blue the water is

And its waves

It's a pity you're so far away

And you miss this sunrise

Oh, what a pity

If you only knew

What Cancun is like

I'm all alone

With so many waves

Oh, coming and going

And I'm alone

I'm alone

Like the Moon

Like the Sun

Like the sea

The sea

...

Of course I miss your kisses

And your way of loving

...

Your gaze

Your words

Your caresses

Your smiles

But you're here

Without your eyes

Without your mouth

Without your hands

Without all of you

And the sea in front of me

Cancun and I

...

It's a pity you're not here

So you could see the ocean

How incredibly blue the water is

And its waves

It's a pity you're so far away

And you miss this sunrise

Oh, what a pity

If you only knew

What Cancun is like

I'm all alone

With so many waves

Oh, coming and going

And I'm alone

I'm alone

I'm alone

I'm alone

Like the Moon

Like the Sun

Like the sea

The sea

Of course I miss your body

But thanks to the sea

And to the waves that gaze at me

That attract me

That embrace me

That kiss me and carry me away

That captivate me

They lead me

They seduce me

They make me faint

When I come back to myself

Cancun and I

They seduce me

They make me faint

When I come back to myself

Cancun and I

...

[Spanish]

Qué pena que no estés tú

Para que vieras qué mar

Qué agua tan más azul

Y sus olas

Qué pena que estés tan lejos

Y tú te pierdas este amanecer

¡Ay! Qué pena

Si supieras

Cómo está Cancún

Yo sola

Con tantas olas

¡Ay! que vienen y van

Y yo sola

Yo sola

Como la Luna

Como el Sol

Como el mar

El mar

Claro que extraño tus besos

Y tu manera de amar

Tu mirada

Tus palabras

Tus caricias

Tus sonrisas

Pero estás aquí

Sin tus ojos

Sin tu boca

Sin tus manos

Sin tus cosas

Y el mar frente a mí

Cancún y yo

Qué pena que no estés tú

Para que vieras qué mar

Qué agua tan más azul

Y sus olas

Qué pena que estés tan lejos

Y tú te pierdas este amanecer

¡Ay! Qué pena

Si supieras

Cómo está Cancún

Yo sola

Con tantas olas

¡Ay! Que vienen y van

Y yo sola

Yo sola

Yo sola

Yo sola

Como la Luna

Como el Sol

Como el mar

El mar

Claro que extraño tu cuerpo

Pero gracias al mar

Y a las olas que me miran

Que me atraen

Que me abrazan

Que me besan y me hacen ir

Que me atrapan

Me conducen

Me seducen

Me desmayan

Cuando vuelvo en sí

Cancún y yo

Me seducen

Me desmayan

Cuando vuelvo en sí

Cancún y yo

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pena /ˈpe.na/ B1	noun - sorrow, pity, shame, regret
mar /mar/ A1	noun - sea, ocean
agua /ˈa.ɣwa/ A1	noun - water
olas /ˈo.las/ A2	noun - waves (plural of ola)
azul /aˈθul/ A1	adjective - blue
amanecer /a.ma.neˈθeɾ/ B1	noun - dawn, sunrise verb - to dawn, to wake up at dawn
solo /ˈso.lo/ A1	adjective - alone, solitary (masculine singular; feminine is 'sola')
Luna /ˈlu.na/ A1	noun - Moon
Sol /sol/ A1	noun - Sun
besos /ˈbe.sos/ A2	noun - kisses (plural of beso)
amar /aˈmaɾ/ A1	verb - to love
mirada /miˈɾa.ða/ B1	noun - gaze, look
caricias /kaˈɾi.θjas/ B1	noun - caresses, fondling (plural of caricia)
sonrisas /sonˈɾi.sas/ A2	noun - smiles (plural of sonrisa)
cuerpo /ˈkweɾ.po/ A1	noun - body
extrañar /eks.tɾaˈɲaɾ/ A2	verb - to miss, to long for
atraer /a.tɾaˈeɾ/ B2	verb - to attract, to draw
abrazar /a.βɾaˈθaɾ/ A2	verb - to hug, to embrace
seducir /se.ðuˈθiɾ/ B2	verb - to seduce, to entice, to charm
desmayar /des.maˈʝaɾ/ B2	verb - to faint, to lose consciousness

Key Grammar Structures

• Qué pena que no estés tú

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after expressions of emotion/opinion.

  ➔ The "Subjunctive mood" (subjuntivo) is used after expressions like "Qué pena que..." (What a pity that...) or "Es una lástima que..." (It's a shame that...) when expressing emotions, wishes, doubts, or uncertainty regarding a factual statement. Here, "estés" is the present subjunctive form of "estar". It conveys the speaker's regret about the person's absence.

• Para que vieras qué mar

  ➔ Subjunctive mood in a purpose clause ('para que').

  ➔ The phrase "para que" (in order that, so that) always requires the "subjunctive mood" in the following verb, as it expresses purpose or intention. Here, "vieras" is the imperfect subjunctive form of "ver" (to see). The speaker expresses the purpose for which they wish the other person were there: so that they could see the sea.

• Si supieras / Cómo está Cancún

  ➔ Imperfect subjunctive in a conditional clause (Type 2 conditional).

  ➔ This is a classic example of a Type 2 conditional sentence in Spanish, which expresses a hypothetical situation in the present or future. The "si" clause (the condition) uses the "imperfect subjunctive" ("supieras" from "saber" - to know). The implied meaning is "If you only knew how Cancún is..."

• Claro que extraño tus besos

  ➔ Emphatic use of 'Claro que'.

  ➔ The phrase "Claro que" is used to strongly affirm or confirm something, adding emphasis to the statement. It can be translated as "Of course," "Certainly," or "Indeed." Here, it emphasizes that the speaker definitely misses the other person's kisses, leaving no room for doubt.

• Sin tus ojos / Sin tu boca

  ➔ Preposition 'sin' + noun (or possessive adjective + noun).

  ➔ The preposition "sin" means "without" and is used to indicate the absence or lack of something. It is followed by a noun or a noun phrase (which can include a possessive adjective like "tus"). This construction is fundamental for expressing deprivation or what is missing.

• Gracias al mar

  ➔ Prepositional phrase 'gracias a' (thanks to).

  ➔ The phrase "gracias a" is a common prepositional phrase meaning "thanks to" or "due to." It is used to indicate the cause or reason for something, often a positive outcome. Here, "al" is the contraction of "a + el". The speaker attributes their solace or positive feeling to the sea.

• Y a las olas que me miran

  ➔ Relative pronoun 'que' introducing a descriptive clause with a direct object pronoun.

  ➔ The relative pronoun "que" (that, which, who) is used here to introduce a subordinate clause that describes "las olas" (the waves). "Me" is a direct object pronoun, meaning "me," indicating that the waves are looking at "me". This structure is essential for adding detail and combining sentences smoothly.

• Que me besan y me hacen ir

  ➔ Causative verb 'hacer + infinitive'.

  ➔ The construction "hacer + infinitive" is a causative verb phrase, meaning "to make/cause someone to do something" or "to have something done." Here, "me hacen ir" translates to "they make me go" or "they cause me to go." It indicates that the waves are the agents causing the speaker to move or be carried away.

• Me seducen / Me desmayan

  ➔ Direct object pronouns with transitive verbs.

  ➔ In these phrases, "me" functions as a "direct object pronoun," indicating that the action of the verbs "seducir" (to seduce) and "desmayar" (to faint, or here, to overwhelm/daze) is directly performed upon the speaker. The pronoun "me" comes before the conjugated verb, which is typical in Spanish when the direct object is a pronoun.

• Cuando vuelvo en sí

  ➔ Idiomatic expression 'volver en sí'.

  ➔ "Volver en sí" is an idiomatic expression that means "to regain consciousness" or "to come to one's senses." It implies a return to a normal state of awareness after being dazed, overwhelmed, or unconscious. The verb "volver" (to return) is used reflexively with "en sí."