Candilejas – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José
• Album: Tan Cerca... Tan Lejos

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and emotional journey with José José's "Candilejas." This iconic ballad offers a rich vocabulary for expressing deep feelings of love, nostalgia, and loss in Spanish. Through its poetic lyrics and José José's masterful delivery, learners can grasp the nuances of romantic expression and cultural storytelling that make Latin ballads so captivating.

[English]

You came to me

when I was leaving

You’re the light of April

I’m a gray afternoon

You’re youth

love, warmth

radiance of the sun

You brought to me

your youth

when I was leaving

Among the footlights

I adored you

Among the footlights

I loved you

The happiness

you gave to my life

is gone

It will never return

I know it well

You came to me

when I was leaving

You’re the light of April

I’m a gray afternoon

You’re youth

love, warmth

radiance of the sun

You brought to me

your youth

when I was leaving

Among the footlights

I adored you

Among the footlights

I loved you

The happiness

you gave to my life

is gone

It will never return

I know it well

[Spanish]

TÚ LLEGASTE A MÍ

CUANDO ME VOY

ERES LUZ DE ABRIL

YO TARDE GRIS

ERES JUVENTUD

AMOR, CALOR

FULGOR DE SOL

TRAJISTE A MÍ

TU JUVENTUD

CUANDO ME VOY

ENTRE CANDILEJAS

TE ADORÉ

ENTRE CANDILEJAS

YO TE AMÉ

LA FELICIDAD

QUE DISTE A MI VIVIR,

SE FUE

NO VOLVERÁ NUNCA JAMÁS

LO SÉ MUY BIEN

TÚ LLEGASTE A MÍ

CUANDO ME VOY

ERES LUZ DE ABRIL

YO TARDE GRIS

ERES JUVENTUD

AMOR, CALOR

FULGOR DE SOL

TRAJISTE A MÍ

TU JUVENTUD

CUANDO ME VOY

ENTRE CANDILEJAS

TE ADORÉ

ENTRE CANDILEJAS

YO TE AMÉ

LA FELICIDAD

QUE DISTE A MI VIVIR,

SE FUE

NO VOLVERÁ NUNCA JAMÁS

LO SÉ MUY BIEN

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
candilejas kan-di-LE-has C1	noun - footlights (lights at the front of a stage); limelight
adoré a-do-RE B2	verb - I adored, I worshipped
amé a-ME A2	verb - I loved
juventud ju-ven-TUD B1	noun - youth (period of life); young people
fulgor ful-GOR C1	noun - radiance, brilliance, glow
felicidad fe-li-ci-DAD A2	noun - happiness
vivir vi-VIR A1	verb - to live noun - living, life
luz LUTH A2	noun - light
calor ca-LOR A2	noun - heat; warmth; affection
tarde TAR-de A1	noun - afternoon; late period adjective - late
gris GRIS A2	adjective - gray; gloomy, dull
trajiste tra-HIS-te B1	verb - you brought
diste DIS-te A2	verb - you gave
volverá vol-ve-RA A2	verb - will return, will come back
llegaste lle-GAS-te A2	verb - you arrived, you came

Key Grammar Structures

• TÚ LLEGASTE A MÍ

  ➔ Preterite tense

  ➔ The verb 'llegaste' is in the preterite tense, indicating a completed action in the past ('you arrived').

• ERES LUZ DE ABRIL

  ➔ Present tense

  ➔ The verb 'eres' is in the present tense, describing a current state or characteristic ('you are').

• TRAJISTE A MÍ

  ➔ Preterite tense

  ➔ The verb 'trajiste' is in the preterite tense, indicating a completed action in the past ('you brought').

• SE FUE

  ➔ Preterite tense (reflexive verb)

  ➔ The verb 'fue' is in the preterite tense, and 'se' is a reflexive pronoun, indicating the subject performed the action on itself ('it went away').

• NO VOLVERÁ NUNCA JAMÁS

  ➔ Future tense with negation

  ➔ The verb 'volverá' is in the future tense, and 'no' is used for negation, indicating the action will not happen ('will not return').