Libre – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Nino Bravo
• Album: Galas del sábado (1970)

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and emotional journey with "Libre," a timeless song by the legendary Spanish singer Nino Bravo. This powerful ballad, with its soaring vocals and evocative lyrics, offers an exceptional opportunity to delve into the Spanish language while exploring themes of freedom, longing, and resistance. Its poetic narrative and rich historical context make it a special piece that transcends time, allowing learners to connect with both the language and the profound human desire for liberation.

[English]

He nearly 20 years old

And he's already there

Tired of dreaming

But beyond the border is his home

His world and his city

He believes that the barbed wire is just

A piece of metal

Something that can never stop

His desire to fly

Free!

Like the sun when it dawns, I am free

Like the sea

Free!

Like the bird that escaped its prison

And at last can fly

Free!

Like the wind that takes my sorrow and my regret

I walk on without stopping

Behind the truth

And I will finally know what freedom is

...

He left with his love as his banner

Singing a song

He marched so happily

That he didn't hear

The voice that called him

And he ended up lying on the ground

Smiling and silent

On his chest, crimson flowers

Bloomed endlessly

Free!

Like the sun when it dawns, I am free

Like the sea

Free!

Like the bird that escaped its prison

And at last can fly

Free!

Like the wind that takes my sorrow and my regret

I walk on without stopping

Behind the truth

And I will finally know what freedom is

Free!

Like the sun when it dawns, I am free

Like the sea

Free!

Like the bird that escaped its prison

And at last can fly

Free!

Like the wind that takes my sorrow and my regret

I walk on without stopping

Behind the truth

And I will finally know what freedom is

...

[Spanish]

Tiene casi 20 años

Y ya está

Cansado de soñar

Pero tras la frontera está su hogar

Su mundo y su ciudad

Piensa que la alambrada solo es

Un trozo de metal

Algo que nunca puede detener

Sus ansias de volar

¡Libre!

Como el sol cuando amanece, yo soy libre

Como el mar

¡Libre!

Como el ave que escapó de su prisión

Y puede al fin volar

¡Libre!

Como el viento que recoge mi lamento y mi pesar

Camino sin cesar

Detrás de la verdad

Y sabré lo que es al fin la libertad

Con su amor por bandera se marchó

Cantando una canción

Marchaba tan feliz

Que no escuchó

La voz que le llamó

Y tendido en el suelo se quedó

Sonriendo y sin hablar

Sobre su pecho, flores carmesí

Brotaban sin cesar

¡Libre!

Como el sol cuando amanece, yo soy libre

Como el mar

¡Libre!

Como el ave que escapó de su prisión

Y puede al fin volar

¡Libre!

Como el viento que recoge mi lamento y mi pesar

Camino sin cesar

Detrás de la verdad

Y sabré lo que es al fin la libertad

¡Libre!

Como el sol cuando amanece, yo soy libre

Como el mar

¡Libre!

Como el ave que escapó de su prisión

Y puede al fin volar

¡Libre!

Como el viento que recoge mi lamento y mi pesar

Camino sin cesar

Detrás de la verdad

Y sabré lo que es al fin la libertad

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cansado /kansaˈðo/ B1	adjective - tired
soñar /soˈɲaɾ/ B2	verb - to dream
frontera /fɾonˈteɾa/ B2	noun - border
hogar /oˈɣaɾ/ A2	noun - home, household
mundo /ˈmundo/ A2	noun - world
ciudad /θjuˈðað/ A2	noun - city
metal /meˈtal/ A2	noun - metal
ansias /anˈsjas/ B2	noun - longing, yearning
libre /ˈliβɾe/ A1	adjective - free
sol /sol/ A2	noun - sun
mar /maɾ/ A2	noun - sea
ave /aβe/ A2	noun - bird
viento /bjenˈto/ B1	noun - wind
recoge /reˈxoɣe/ B1	verb - to gather, pick up
lamento /laˈmento/ B2	noun - lament, lamentation, sorrow
pesar /pesaɾ/ B2	noun - sorrow, sadness
camino /kaˈmiˌno/ A2	noun - path, way, road
verdad /beɾˈðað/ A2	noun - truth

Key Grammar Structures

• Cansado de soñar

  ➔ Past participle used as an adjective.

  ➔ The phrase "cansado de soñar" means "tired of dreaming," where "cansado" is the past participle describing the subject's state.

• Piensa que la alambrada solo es un trozo de metal

  ➔ Subjunctive mood used in indirect speech.

  ➔ The phrase "piensa que" introduces a belief or thought, requiring the subjunctive mood for the following clause.

• Como el sol cuando amanece, yo soy libre

  ➔ Simile using 'como' to compare.

  ➔ The phrase "como el sol cuando amanece" means "like the sun when it rises," creating a vivid comparison.

• Y sabré lo que es al fin la libertad

  ➔ Future tense indicating certainty.

  ➔ The phrase "sabré lo que es" means "I will know what it is," indicating a future certainty about understanding freedom.