El Preso – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Fruko y Sus Tesos

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the rich sounds of Colombian salsa with "El Preso" by Fruko y Sus Tesos. This iconic song, born from a poignant true story, offers a powerful emotional narrative through its vibrant rhythms and heartfelt lyrics. Learning this song provides insight into themes of confinement and the enduring human spirit, while also offering a fantastic opportunity to practice Spanish.

[English]

Hey!

I'm talking to you from prison!

Wilson Manyoma

Borgona

And he says!!

In the world in which I live

there are always four corners

but between corner and corner

there will always be the same

for me, heaven doesn't exist

nor moon nor stars

for me, the sun doesn't shine

ay ay ay ay how dark is my destiny

ay ay ay ay everyone moves away from me

ay ay ay ay I lost all hope

ay ay ay ay everyone goodbye

everyone fills my sorrows

I'm talking to you from here

Infante

Take it now!

Sentenced forever

in this horrible cell

where affection doesn't arrive

nor anyone's voice

here I spend the days

and the whole night

I only live on the eternal

memory of my mother

ay ay ay I only hope that the day arrives

ay ay ay that death

ay ay ay comes to be with her

ay finally my luck will change

the crazy Villanueva testament!

What?!

and it comes back again!

ay how alone I am

only death awaits me

ay how alone I am

when will my luck change?

ooh what sad solitude

to live in this sentence

I tell you, Matanera, eh

ay how alone I am

only death awaits me

ay how alone I am

when will my luck change?

fellow prisoners

people of all kinds

who have no heart

and don't know what they're doing

alone with my sorrows

alone and in my sentence (2V)

alone I go with my sorrows in this cell

30 years of sentence, ay!!

...

[Spanish]

Oye!

Te hablo desde la presion!

Wilson manyoma

Borgona

Y dice!!

En el mundo en el que yo vivo

siempre hay cuatro esquinas

pero entre esquina y esquina

siempre habra lo mismo

para mi no existe el cielo

ni luna ni estrellas

para mi no alumbra el sol

ay ay ay ay que negro es mi destino

ay ay ay ay todos de mi se alejan

ay ay ay ay perdi toda esperanza

ay ay ay ay todos adios

todos llenan mis penas

te hablo desde la aqui

infante

lleva ya!

Condenado para siempre

en esta horrible celda

donde no llega el cariño

ni la voz de nadie

aqui me paso los dias

y la noche entera

solo vivo del recuerdo

eterno de mi madre

ay ay ay solo espero que llegue

ay ay ay el dia que la muerte

ay ay ay me llegue a estar con ella

ay al fin cambiara mi suerte

el testamento loco villanueva!

como?!

y vuelve otra vez!

ay que solo estoy

solo me espera la muerte

ay que solo estoy

cuando cambiara mi suerte?

ooh que triste soledad

vivir en esta condena

te lo dugo matanera eh

ay que solo estoy

solo me espera la muerte

ay que solo estoy

cuando cambiara mi suerte?

compañeros de prision

gente de todas las clases

que no tienen corazon

y nos aben lo que hacen

solo con mis penas

solo y en mi condena(2V)

solo voy con mis penas en esta celda

30 años de condena ay!!

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
presión /preˈsjon/ B1	noun - pressure, stress
mundo /ˈmundo/ A2	noun - world
cielo /ˈsje.lo/ A2	noun - sky
estrellas /esˈtɾe.ʝas/ B1	noun - stars
sol /sol/ A2	noun - sun
destino /desˈti.no/ B2	noun - destiny, fate
esperanza /es.peˈɾan.θa/ B1	noun - hope
suerte /ˈsweɾ.te/ B2	noun - luck, fortune
muerte /ˈmweɾ.te/ A2	noun - death
pena /ˈpe.na/ A2	noun - sorrow, pain
noche /ˈno.tʃe/ A2	noun - night
recuerdo /reˈkweɾ.ðo/ B1	noun - memory
madre /ˈma.ðɾe/ A2	noun - mother
cambio /ˈkam.bjo/ B1	noun - change

Key Grammar Structures

• En el mundo en el que yo vivo

  ➔ Relative clause

  ➔ The phrase "en el que yo vivo" describes the world, providing additional information about it.

• para mi no existe el cielo

  ➔ Negation

  ➔ The phrase "no existe" indicates that something does not exist, expressing a strong personal belief.

• ay ay ay ay que negro es mi destino

  ➔ Exclamatory sentence

  ➔ The phrase expresses strong emotion about the speaker's fate, using exclamatory form.

• donde no llega el cariño

  ➔ Adverbial clause of place

  ➔ The phrase "donde no llega" specifies a location where affection does not reach.

• solo vivo del recuerdo eterno de mi madre

  ➔ Present tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present tense "vivo" to express a current state of living.

• cuando cambiara mi suerte?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence

  ➔ The phrase is a question asking about the change in the speaker's luck.

• compañeros de prision

  ➔ Noun phrase

  ➔ The phrase "compañeros de prision" refers to fellow prisoners, functioning as a noun phrase.