Madrecita – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soulful world of Spanish romantic ballads with José José's 'Madrecita.' This song is a perfect gateway for language learners to master expressive, emotional vocabulary and the use of affectionate diminutives in Spanish, while experiencing the unparalleled vocal mastery that made him a legend.

[English]

Dearest little mother of my soul

In my chest I carry a flower

Do not mind the color it may be

Because in the end, mother, you are a flower

Your affection is my treasure, little mother

In my life you have been and will be

The refuge for all my sorrows

And the cure of love and truth

Though I may have other loves in life

That fill me with happiness

Never like yours, my mother

I will never find a love like yours

Though I may have other loves in life

That fill me with happiness

Never like yours, my mother

I will never find a love like yours

Dearest little mother of my soul

In my chest I carry a flower

Do not mind the color it may be

Because in the end, mother, you are a flower

Your affection is my treasure, little mother

In my life you have been and will be

The refuge for all my sorrows

And the cradle of love and truth

Though I may have other loves in life

That fill me with happiness

Never like yours, my mother

I will never find a love like yours

Though I may have other loves in life

That fill me with happiness

Never like yours, my mother

I will never find a love like yours

Dearest little mother of my soul

In my chest I carry a flower

Do not mind the color it may be

Because in the end, mother, you are a flower

Your affection is my treasure, little mother

In my life you have been and will be

The refuge for all my sorrows

And the cradle of love and truth

...

[Spanish]

Madrecita del alma querida

En mi pecho yo llevo una flor

No te importe el color que ella tenga

Porque al fin tú eres, madre, una flor

Tu cariño es mi bien, madrecita

En mi vida tú has sido y serás

El refugio de todas mis penas

Y la cura de amor y verdad

Aunque amores yo tenga en la vida

Que me llenen de felicidad

Como el tuyo jamás, madre mía

Como el tuyo no habré de encontrar

Aunque amores yo tenga en la vida

Que me llenen de felicidad

Como el tuyo jamás, madre mía

Como el tuyo no habré de encontrar

Madrecita del alma querida

En mi pecho yo llevo una flor

No te importe el color que ella tenga

Porque al fin tú eres, madre, una flor

Tu cariño es mi bien, madrecita

En mi vida tú has sido y serás

El refugio de todas mis penas

Y la cuna de amor y verdad

Aunque amores yo tenga en la vida

Que me llenen de felicidad

Como el tuyo jamás, madre mía

Como el tuyo no habré de encontrar

Aunque amores yo tenga en la vida

Que me llenen de felicidad

Como el tuyo jamás, madre mía

Como el tuyo no habré de encontrar

Madrecita del alma querida

En mi pecho yo llevo una flor

No te importe el color que ella tenga

Porque al fin tú eres, madre, una flor

Tu cariño es mi bien, madrecita

En mi vida tú has sido y serás

El refugio de todas mis penas

Y la cuna de amor y verdad

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Madrecita ma-dre-si-ta A2	sustantivo - Dear mother (affectionate)
Alma al-ma B1	sustantivo - Soul
Pecho pe-cho A2	sustantivo - Chest
Flor flor A1	sustantivo - Flower
Cariño ka-ri-ño A2	sustantivo - Affection / Love
Refugio re-fu-hjo B2	sustantivo - Refuge / Shelter
Penas pe-nas B1	sustantivo - Sorrows / Troubles
Cura ku-ra B1	sustantivo - Cure / Healing
Felicidad fe-li-si-dad A1	sustantivo - Happiness
Cuna ku-na A2	sustantivo - Cradle
Llevar lle-var A1	verbo - To carry / To bear
Llenar lle-nar A2	verbo - To fill
Encontrar en-kon-trar A2	verbo - To find
Importar im-por-tar A2	verbo - To matter / To care

Key Grammar Structures

• En mi vida tú has sido y serás

  ➔ Present perfect and future tense conjugation

  ➔ The use of "has sido" (you have been) and "serás" (you will be) emphasizes the enduring nature of the mother's role across time.

• No te importe el color que ella tenga

  ➔ Negative imperative and subjunctive mood

  ➔ "No te importe" (do not let it matter) triggers the subjunctive "tenga" to express a hypothetical or indefinite situation.

• Aunque amores yo tenga en la vida

  ➔ Concessive clause with subjunctive

  ➔ "Aunque" (even if) is followed by "tenga" (I may have) in the subjunctive, indicating a concession that is not yet realized or is hypothetical.

• Como el tuyo no habré de encontrar

  ➔ Periphrastic future (haber de + infinitive)

  ➔ The structure "habré de encontrar" is a literary way to express certainty about a future event, meaning "I shall not find."

• Porque al fin tú eres, madre, una flor

  ➔ Causal conjunction and copular verb usage

  ➔ "Porque" (because) introduces the reason, while "eres" (you are) is used to define the essential nature of the subject.

• Como el tuyo jamás, madre mía

  ➔ Possessive pronoun and emphatic adverb

  ➔ "El tuyo" (yours) acts as a pronoun replacing "tu cariño," while "jamás" (never) adds emotional weight.