Lo Que Construimos – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Natalia Lafourcade
• Album: Hasta la Raíz

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic nuances of Spanish through 'Lo Que Construimos.' This song is a beautiful gateway to learning emotive vocabulary and lyrical phrasing, offering a masterclass in how to express deep longing and reflection through the melodic beauty of the Spanish language.

[English]

(Music)

This story has ended

It doesn't exist

What we built one day

Has vanished

It would seem that it is easier

To leave each other

But you are a ghost - walking with me

Don't think it wasn't worth the pain

Don't think that you aren't important

On the contrary

I loved you with all my soul

Don't think it wasn't worth the pain

Don't think that we lost this

That it hurts us

Even though it hurts, it is only ours

What we built is over

What we built is over

It was only ours

It was only ours

What we built is over

What we built is over

The wind takes it away

The wind takes it away

(Hm, hm)

(Hm)

This story has ended

It doesn't exist

What we built one day

Has vanished

It would seem that it is easier

To leave each other

But you are a ghost - walking with me

I didn't learn how to let go of loves

I didn't learn how to let you go

You were a long-term bet

What we built

What we built

What we built is over

What we built is over

It was only ours

It was only ours

What we built is over

What we built is over

The wind takes it away

The wind takes it away

What we built is over

What we built is over

It was only ours

It was only ours

What we built is over

What we built is over

The wind takes it away

The wind takes it away

(Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm)

(Oh)

(Hm, hm)

(Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm)

(Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm)

(Hm, hm)

(Music)

[Spanish]

(Música)

Esta historia terminó

No existe

Lo que un día construimos

Se ha esfumado

Pareciera que es más fácil

Dejarnos

Pero eres un fantasma conmigo caminando

No creas que no valió la pena

No creas que no eres importante

Al contrario

Yo te amé con toda el alma

No creas que no valió la pena

No creas que lo perdimos esto

Que nos duele

Aunque nos duele es sólo nuestro

Lo que construimos se acabó

Lo que construimos se acabó

Fue sólo nuestro

Fue sólo nuestro

Lo que construimos se acabó

Lo que construimos se acabó

Se lo lleva el viento

Se lo lleva el viento

(Hm, hm)

(Hm)

Esta historia terminó

No existe

Lo que un día construimos

Se ha esfumado

Pareciera que es más fácil

Dejarnos

Pero eres un fantasma conmigo caminando

Yo no aprendí a soltar amores

Yo no aprendí a dejarte ir

Eras una apuesta de largo plazo

Lo que construimos

Lo que construimos

Lo que construimos se acabó

Lo que construimos se acabó

Fue sólo nuestro

Fue sólo nuestro

Lo que construimos se acabó

Lo que construimos se acabó

Se lo lleva el viento

Se lo lleva el viento

Lo que construimos se acabó

Lo que construimos se acabó

Fue sólo nuestro

Fue sólo nuestro

Lo que construimos se acabó

Lo que construimos se acabó

Se lo lleva el viento

Se lo lleva el viento

(Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm)

(Oh)

(Hm, hm)

(Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm)

(Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm)

(Hm, hm)

(Música)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
historia is-to-rya A1	noun - Story / History
construimos kons-trui-mos B1	verb - We build / constructed
esfumado es-fu-ma-do C1	adjective - Vanished / Faded
fantasma fan-tas-ma B1	noun - Ghost
caminando ka-mi-nan-do A1	verb - Walking
valió ba-lyo A2	verb - It was worth
pena pe-na A2	noun - Pity / Sorrow / Pain
importante im-por-tan-te A1	adjective - Important
alma al-ma B1	noun - Soul
duele due-le A2	verb - It hurts
viento byen-to A2	noun - Wind
soltar sol-tar B1	verb - To let go / release
apuesta a-pwes-ta B2	noun - Bet / Commitment / Gamble
plazo pla-so B2	noun - Term / Deadline / Time period

Key Grammar Structures

• Lo que construimos se ha esfumado

  ➔ Present perfect tense

  ➔ The auxiliary verb "ha" + past participle "esfumado" denotes an action that was completed in the past with relevance to the present.

• Pareciera que es más fácil dejarnos

  ➔ Imperfect subjunctive for hypothesis

  ➔ "Pareciera" is used to express a subjective opinion or a hypothetical state, softening the assertion.

• No creas que no valió la pena

  ➔ Negative imperative (Subjunctive)

  ➔ In Spanish, the negative imperative uses the subjunctive form: "No" + "creas" (tú form of creer).

• Lo que construimos se acabó

  ➔ Relative clause with "Lo que"

  ➔ "Lo que" functions as a neutral relative pronoun meaning 'that which' or 'what'.

• Se lo lleva el viento

  ➔ Reflexive verb usage and indirect object pronoun

  ➔ The "se" adds an aspect of involuntary action, and "lo" is the indirect object pronoun referring to what was built.

• Yo no aprendí a soltar amores

  ➔ Preterite tense of regular verbs

  ➔ "Aprendí" is the first-person singular preterite form of "aprender", indicating a completed action.

• Eras una apuesta de largo plazo

  ➔ Imperfect tense for description in the past

  ➔ "Eras" (from ser) is used here to describe a past state or characteristic over a duration of time.

• Aunque nos duele es sólo nuestro

  ➔ Concessive clause with "Aunque"

  ➔ "Aunque" introduces a concession (meaning 'even though' or 'although'), expressing a contrast.