Carta urgente

• By: Rosana, Abel Pintos

Lyrics:

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[English]

Hay cosas que te escribo en cartas para no decirlas

Hay cosas que te escribo en cartas para no decirlas

Hay cosas que escribo en canciones para repetirlas

I write some things in songs so I can repeat them

Hay cosas que están en mi alma y quedarán contigo cuando me haya ido

Some things are in my soul and will stay with you when I'm gone

En todas acabo diciendo cuánto te he querido

I always end up saying how much I've loved you

Hay cosas que escribo en la cama

I write some things in bed

Hay cosas que escribo en el aire

I write some things in the air

Hay cosas que siento tan mías

Some things I feel so deeply

Que no son de nadie

That they belong to no one

Hay cosas que escribo contigo

I write some things with you

Hay cosas que sin ti no valen

Some things are worthless without you

Hay cosas y cosas que acaban

There are things and things that end up

Llegando tan tarde

Arriving so late

...

...

Hay cosas que se lleva el tiempo, sabe Dios a dónde

Some things are taken by time, God knows where

Hay cosas que siguen ancladas cuando el tiempo corre

Some things remain anchored when time passes

Hay cosas que están en mi alma y quedarán contigo cuando me haya ido

Some things are in my soul and will stay with you when I'm gone

En todas acabo sabiendo cuánto me has querido

I always end up knowing how much you've loved me

Hay cosas que escribo en la cama

I write some things in bed

Hay cosas que escribo en el aire

I write some things in the air

Hay cosas que siento tan mías

Some things I feel so deeply

Que no son de nadie

That they belong to no one

Hay cosas que escribo contigo

I write some things with you

Y hay cosas que sin ti no valen

And some things are worthless without you

Hay cosas y cosas

There are things and things

Que acaban llegando tan tarde

That end up arriving so late

Hay cartas urgentes que llegan

There are urgent letters that arrive

Cuando ya no hay nadie, oh

When there's no one left, oh

Hay cosas que te escribo en cartas para no decirlas

I write some things in letters so I don't have to say them

Ni para repetirlas

Or repeat them

Hay cosas que siento contigo y escribo en el aire

Some things I feel with you and write in the air

Y que sin ti no valen

And that are worthless without you

Hay cosas que escribo contigo

I write some things with you

Hay cosas que sin ti no valen

Some things are worthless without you

...

...

Y en todas acabo diciendo

And in all of them I end up saying

Cuánto te he querido

How much I have loved you

Cuánto te he querido

How much I have loved you

...

...

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
carta /ˈkaɾta/ A2	noun - letter (written message)
escribo /eskˈɾibo/ A2	verb - to write
canciones /kanˈθjo.nes/ (Spain), /kɑnˈsjoʊ.nəz/ (Latin America) A2	noun - songs
alma /ˈal.ma/ B1	noun - soul
quierido /kiˈɾi.ðo/ A2	adjective - loved, dear
tiempo /ˈtjan.po/ A2	noun - time
siento /ˈsjento/ A2	verb - to feel
valen /ˈba.len/ A2	verb - to be worth
llegando /ʎeˈɣãn.do/ B1	verb (gerund) - arriving
tarde /ˈtaɾ.de/ A2	noun - late, afternoon
urgentes /uɾˈxen.tes/ B2	adjective - urgent

Grammar:

• Hay cosas que te escribo en cartas para no decirlas

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (para + infinitive)

  ➔ Uses "para" + infinitive to express purpose. Here, it means 'I write things in letters in order **not to say** them'. The "no decirlas" part implies a reason or purpose for writing instead of speaking.

• Hay cosas que están en mi alma y quedarán contigo cuando me haya ido

  ➔ Future Perfect Subjunctive (haya ido)

  ➔ "haya ido" is the future perfect subjunctive of "ir". It expresses an action that will be completed sometime in the future, before another action. The sentence translates to 'There are things that are in my soul and will remain with you when I **will have gone**'. It emphasizes the completed departure before the things remain with the person.

• En todas acabo diciendo cuánto te he querido

  ➔ Preterite Perfect (he querido) used to express a past action relevant to the present.

  ➔ "he querido" implies that the speaker's love for the person continues to the present, despite the past events that the song describes. It means 'In all of them, I end up saying how much I **have loved** you'.

• Hay cosas que se lleva el tiempo, sabe Dios a dónde

  ➔ Use of the subjunctive (sabe) after an uncertain expression like 'Dios sabe'

  ➔ While "saber" usually uses the indicative mood, the expression "Dios sabe" (God knows) can introduce an element of uncertainty or doubt, sometimes leading to the use of the subjunctive. The implicit question of where time takes things might also suggest the subjunctive in some contexts.

• Hay cosas que siguen ancladas cuando el tiempo corre

  ➔ Subjunctive not required here as the "cuando" clause does not express uncertainty about the time

  ➔ The verb "corre" is in the indicative because it's stating a fact: time *does* run. If there was uncertainty about whether time runs, the subjunctive might be used. The sentence indicates that *while* time passes, these things remain anchored. The certainty of time passing negates the need for the subjunctive after "cuando."

• Hay cartas urgentes que llegan cuando ya no hay nadie, oh

  ➔ Subjunctive could be used (haya) if there's uncertainty about whether there will be anyone.

  ➔ Since the sentence describes a hypothetical situation, the indicative is used. However, changing it to the subjunctive would emphasize the uncertainty or unlikelihood. The indicative form reflects an observation of something that actually happens, even though undesirable.