La Barca – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José
• Album: Buscando Una Sonrisa

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the profound emotion of Spanish music with José José's iconic rendition of “La Barca.” This quintessential Latin ballad, written by the master Roberto Cantoral, is a beautiful masterclass in expressing heartbreak and enduring hope through lyrical poetry. Learning the language through this song allows you to connect deeply with universal themes of love and separation, conveyed with unparalleled vocal artistry.

[English]

They say distance leads to forgetting

But I can’t accept that reasoning

Because I’ll remain your captive

To the whims of your heart

You brought clarity to my thoughts

You gave me the truth I’d dreamed of

You chased away my suffering

On the very first night I loved you

Today my shore is dressed in bitterness

Because your boat must set sail

To cross other seas of madness

Be sure your life doesn’t shipwreck

When the sun’s light begins to fade

And you feel weary of wandering

...

Remember, I’ll be waiting for you

Until you decide to return

...

You brought clarity to my thoughts

...

You gave me the truth I’d dreamed of

You chased away my suffering

On the very first night I loved you

Today my shore is dressed in bitterness

Because your boat must set sail

To cross other seas of madness

Be sure your life doesn’t shipwreck

When the sun’s light begins to fade

And you feel weary of wandering

Remember, I’ll be waiting for you

Until you decide to return

...

[Spanish]

Dicen que la distancia es el olvido

Pero yo no concibo esta razón

Porque yo seguiré siendo el cautivo

De los caprichos de tu corazón

Supiste esclarecer mis pensamientos

Me diste la verdad que yo soñé

Ahuyentaste de mí los sufrimientos

En la primera noche que te amé

Hoy mi playa se viste de amargura

Porque tu barca tiene que partir

A cruzar otros mares de locura

Cuida que no naufrague tu vivir

Cuando la luz del sol se esté apagando

Y te sientas cansada de vagar

Piensa que yo por ti estaré esperando

Hasta que tú decidas regresar

Supiste esclarecer mis pensamientos

Me diste la verdad que yo soñé

Ahuyentaste de mí los sufrimientos

En la primera noche que te amé

Hoy mi playa se viste de amargura

Porque tu barca tiene que partir

A cruzar otros mares de locura

Cuida que no naufrague tu vivir

Cuando la luz del sol se esté apagando

Y te sientas cansada de vagar

Piensa que yo por ti estaré esperando

Hasta que tú decidas regresar

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
distancia distancia A2	noun - distance
olvido olvido B1	noun - oblivion; forgetting
razón razón A2	noun - reason; cause
cautivo cautivo B2	adjective - captive, held prisoner noun - captive, prisoner
caprichos caprichos B2	noun - whims, caprices
corazón corazón A2	noun - heart
esclarecer esclarecer C1	verb - to clarify, to make clear
pensamientos pensamientos B1	noun - thoughts
verdad verdad A2	noun - truth
sufrimientos sufrimientos B2	noun - sufferings, pains
amargura amargura C1	noun - bitterness, sorrow
barca barca B1	noun - small boat, barge
locura locura B1	noun - madness, insanity
naufragar naufragar C1	verb - to shipwreck, to sink
luz luz A1	noun - light
sol sol A1	noun - sun
cansada cansada A2	adjective - tired, weary
vagar vagar B1	verb - to wander, to roam
esperar esperar A1	verb - to wait, to hope
regresar regresar A2	verb - to return, to come back

Key Grammar Structures

• Dicen que la distancia es el olvido

  ➔ Present tense of 'decir'

  ➔ The verb 'dicen' is the third-person plural present tense of 'decir', meaning 'they say'.

• Porque yo seguiré siendo el cautivo

  ➔ Future tense of 'seguir'

  ➔ The phrase 'seguiré siendo' uses the future tense of 'seguir', indicating a future action or state.

• Supiste esclarecer mis pensamientos

  ➔ Preterite tense of 'saber'

  ➔ The verb 'supiste' is the preterite tense of 'saber', used to describe a completed action in the past.

• En la primera noche que te amé

  ➔ Past tense with 'que'

  ➔ The phrase 'que te amé' uses the past tense with 'que' to indicate a specific past action.

• Cuida que no naufrague tu vivir

  ➔ Subjunctive mood with 'que'

  ➔ The phrase 'que no naufrague' uses the subjunctive mood after 'cuida que' to express a wish or possibility.

• Hasta que tú decidas regresar

  ➔ Subjunctive mood with 'hasta que'

  ➔ The phrase 'hasta que tú decidas' uses the subjunctive mood to indicate a condition or uncertainty.