El Dolor de un Padre – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Los Tigres del Norte

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the emotional depth of Los Tigres del Norte's "El Dolor de un Padre." This powerful song, a hallmark of the Norteño and Corrido genres, offers a profound look at the devastating impact of drug addiction on families. Through its poignant lyrics and heartfelt melody, listeners can gain insight into themes of parental love, loss, and the importance of cherishing family bonds, providing a unique cultural and emotional experience.

[English]

What things life has

That teaches and shows us

When you think you're doing well

The boat starts to tilt

I believe that in the end

Life is like your school

What good was money to me

And everything I've earned

If that spoiled son

Was taken from me by drugs

If I had been close

Maybe it wouldn't have happened

(Oh, did he throw away my pills?)

I don't want to give advice

And be left without him

But if you have extra time

Always enjoy it well

With the ones you love the most

And you'll see that things will go well

Just as I lost my son

I know there are many fathers who suffer the same pain

Because drugs make you lose your life, your family

The shame and your mental faculties, and know that

Because of that damn drug, hospitals, jails, and graveyards

It's the final end

If you want to see them without vice

Your duty is to help them

It's hard to see your children

On the streets, destroyed

Rolling like stones

From one side to the other

I've achieved many triumphs

I know of pain and poverty

But the worst of my failures

Is undoubtedly my clumsiness

Today, when I thought I had everything

Peace is missing from my conscience

(Friends, we love you a lot, brother)

I know some people

Who are now traffickers

Know that I lost a son

And you are the ones responsible

Forgive me if I offend you

But it's the pain of a father

...

[Spanish]

Qué cosas tiene la vida

Que nos ensura y enseña

Cuando crees que estás más bien

El barco se te ladea

Yo creo que al final de cuentas

La vida es como tu escuela

De qué me sirvió el dinero

Y todo lo que he ganado

Si aquel hijo consentido

Las drogas me lo quitaron

Si yo hubiera estado cerca

Tal vez no hubiera pasado

(Ay, ¿Ya botó mis pastillas?)

No quiero dar el consejo

Y yo quedarme sin él

Pero si te sobra tiempo

Disfrútalo siempre bien

Con los seres que más quieres

Y verás que te irá bien

Así como yo perdí a mi hijo

Sé que hay muchos padres que sufren del mismo dolor

Porque la droga te hace perder la vida, la familia

La vergüenza y tus facultades mentales, y sepan que

Por esa maldita droga, los hospitales, cárceles y panteones

Es el último final

Si los quieres ver sin vicio

Tú deber es ayudarlos

Es duro ver a tus hijos

En las calles destrozados

Rodando como las piedras

De un lado para otro lado

He logrado muchos triunfos

Sé de dolor y pobreza

Pero el peor de mis fracasos

Es sin duda mi torpeza

Hoy que creía tener todo

Falta paz en mi conciencia

(Los amigos te queremos mucho, hermano)

Yo conozco algunas gentes

Que ahora son traficantes

Sepan que yo perdí un hijo

Y ustedes son los causantes

Disculpen si los ofendo

Pero es el dolor de un padre

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
vida /ˈbi.ða/ A2	noun - life
enseñar /en.seˈɲaɾ/ B1	verb - to teach
barco /ˈbaɾ.ko/ B1	noun - boat
dolor /doˈloɾ/ B1	noun - pain
familia /faˈmi.lja/ A2	noun - family
puerta /ˈpweɾ.ta/ A2	noun - door
sufrir /suˈfɾiɾ/ B1	verb - to suffer
paz /pas/ A2	noun - peace
trafficar /tɾafiˈkaɾ/ B2	verb - to traffic, to deal in illegal trade
drogas /ˈdɾo.ɣas/ B1	noun - drugs
familia /faˈmi.lja/ A2	noun - family
amigos /aˈmi.ɣo/ A2	noun - friends
dolor /doˈloɾ/ B1	noun - pain
pobreza /poˈβɾe.θe.ðað/ B2	noun - poverty

Key Grammar Structures

• Qué cosas tiene la vida

  ➔ Interrogative phrase

  ➔ The phrase starts with 'Qué', which is used to ask about the nature or quality of something.

• Si aquel hijo consentido

  ➔ Conditional clause

  ➔ The use of 'Si' introduces a condition that affects the outcome of the statement.

• La vida es como tu escuela

  ➔ Simile

  ➔ The phrase uses 'como' to compare life to a school, indicating that life teaches us lessons.

• Si yo hubiera estado cerca

  ➔ Past perfect subjunctive

  ➔ This structure expresses a hypothetical situation in the past that did not occur.

• Es duro ver a tus hijos

  ➔ Infinitive construction

  ➔ The infinitive 'ver' is used after the adjective 'duro' to express the difficulty of the action.

• Sé que hay muchos padres que sufren

  ➔ Present indicative

  ➔ The present indicative 'Sé' indicates knowledge or certainty about the current situation.

• Por esa maldita droga

  ➔ Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The phrase begins with the preposition 'Por', indicating the reason or cause.