El Amar y El Querer – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the nuanced language of love with José José's iconic song, "El Amar y El Querer." This timeless ballad offers a poetic exploration of the differences between 'amar' (to love deeply) and 'querer' (to want or desire), providing a rich linguistic and emotional experience for listeners seeking to understand the complexities of affection in Spanish.

[English]

Almost everyone knows how to want

But, few know how to love

Loving and wanting are not the same

To love is to suffer, to want is to enjoy

The one who loves aims to serve

...

The one who loves gives their life

And the one who wants aims to live

And never suffer, and never suffer

The one who loves cannot think

Gives everything, gives everything

The one who wants aims to forget

And never cry, and never cry

Wanting can soon come to an end

Love knows no end

It's that everyone knows how to want

But, few know how to love

To love is the sky and the light

To love is total fulfillment

It's the sea that has no end

It's glory and peace, it's glory and peace

Wanting is the flesh and the flower

It's seeking the dark corner

It's biting, scratching, and kissing

It's fleeting desire, it's fleeting desire

The one who loves cannot think

Gives everything, gives everything

The one who wants aims to forget

And never cry, and never cry

Wanting can soon come to an end

Love knows no end

It's that everyone knows how to want

But, few know how to love

The one who loves cannot think

Gives everything, gives everything

The one who wants aims to forget

And never cry, and never cry

Wanting can soon come to an end

Love knows no end

It's that everyone knows how to want

But, few know how to love

...

[Spanish]

Casi todos sabemos querer

Pero, pocos sabemos amar

Es que amar y querer no es igual

Amar es sufrir, querer es gozar

El que ama pretende servir

El que ama su vida la da

Y el que quiere pretende vivir

Y nunca sufrir, y nunca sufrir

El que ama no puede pensar

Todo lo da, todo lo da

El que quiere pretende olvidar

Y nunca llorar, y nunca llorar

El querer pronto puede acabar

El amor no conoce el final

Es que todos sabemos querer

Pero, pocos sabemos amar

El amar es el cielo y la luz

El amar es total plenitud

Es el mar que no tiene final

Es la gloria y la paz, es la gloria y la paz

El querer es la carne y la flor

Es buscar el obscuro rincón

Es morder, arañar y besar

Es deseo fugaz, es deseo fugaz

El que ama no puede pensar

Todo lo da, todo lo da

El que quiere pretende olvidar

Y nunca llorar, y nunca llorar

El querer pronto puede acabar

El amor no conoce el final

Es que todos sabemos querer

Pero, pocos sabemos amar

El que ama no puede pensar

Todo lo da, todo lo da

El que quiere pretende olvidar

Y nunca llorar, y nunca llorar

El querer pronto puede acabar

El amor no conoce el final

Es que todos sabemos querer

Pero, pocos sabemos amar

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
querer /keˈɾeɾ/ A2	verb - to want, to love
amar /aˈmaɾ/ B1	verb - to love
amor /aˈmoɾ/ B2	noun - love
vida /ˈβi.ða/ A2	noun - life
luz /luθ/ B1	noun - light
cielo /ˈθje.lo/ (Spain), /ˈsje.lo/ (LA) B2	noun - sky, heaven
paz /paθ/ (Spain), /pas/ (LA) B2	noun - peace
gloria /ˈɡlo.ɾja/ C1	noun - glory, fame
total /toˈtal/ B2	adjective - complete, whole
plenitud /plen.iˈtud/ C1	noun - fullness, completeness
final /fiˈnal/ B2	noun - end, conclusion
final /fiˈnal/ B2	adjective - ultimate, last
fugaz /fuˈɣas/ B2	adjective - fleeting, brief
deseo /deˈseo/ A2	noun - desire, wish

Key Grammar Structures

• Pero, pocos sabemos amar

  ➔ Present tense of the verb 'saber' (to know) combined with the verb 'amar' (to love).

  ➔ The phrase demonstrates the use of the present tense to express knowledge or ability to do something.

• El que ama pretende servir

  ➔ Present tense of 'pretender' (to intend/try) with an infinitive verb 'servir' (to serve).

  ➔ The phrase uses the present tense to express an ongoing or habitual action or intention.

• El amor no conoce el final

  ➔ Present tense of 'conocer' (to know) in negative form, with 'el final' (the end).

  ➔ This sentence demonstrates the use of the present tense in negative form to emphasize that love is eternal or timeless.

• Es la gloria y la paz

  ➔ The present tense of 'ser' (to be) used to describe qualities or states (glory and peace).

  ➔ This sentence uses the verb 'ser' in the present tense to describe abstract qualities like 'glory' and 'peace'.

• Es que todos sabemos querer

  ➔ Present tense of 'saber' (to know) with an infinitive verb 'querer' (to want/love).

  ➔ The phrase illustrates the use of the present tense of 'saber' combined with an infinitive to express general knowledge or fact.