MAMÁ – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Nathy Peluso
• Album: GRASA

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

When I grow up I want to be

As pretty as you, as bright

I’ve always been in such a hurry to grow

Sorry if I’ve been arrogant

Your teeth are like stolen pearls

From some hidden spot in the sea

Those sapphire-diamond green eyes

I see all you have to give

Your hair smells like freshly cut grass

A firefly in the dark

Thanks to knowing you’ll be by my side

I’m not afraid of being alone

If I ever mess up, Mom

I promise you

I’ll try again

One more time

“I promise that”

You started collecting

Photos that tell me so many stories

It’s like you can freeze

Tiny pieces of my memory

Your teeth are like stolen pearls

From some hidden spot in the sea

Those sapphire-diamond green eyes

I see all you have to give

Your hair smells like freshly cut grass

A firefly in the dark

Thanks to knowing you’ll be by my side

I’m not afraid of being alone

If I ever mess up, Mom

I promise you

I’ll try again

One more time

[Spanish]

Cuando sea mayor quiero ser

Tan guapa como tú, tan brillante

Siempre he tenido apuro en crecer

Lo siento si he sido arrogante

Tienes los dientes como perlas robadas

De algún escondite del mar

Esos ojos verdes zafiro diamante

Veo todo lo que tienes para dar

El pelo te huele a pasto cortado

Luciérnaga de la oscuridad

Gracias a que sé que estarás a mi lado

No le temo a la soledad

Si alguna vez me equivoco mamá

Te prometo

Volver a intentarlo

Una vez más

‘Te prometo que’

Comenzaste a coleccionar

Fotos que me cuentan tantas historias

Parece que puedas congelar

Diminutas partes de mi memoria

Tienes los dientes como perlas robadas

De algún escondite del mar

Esos ojos verdes zafiro diamante

Veo todo lo que tienes para dar

El pelo te huele a pasto cortado

Luciérnaga de la oscuridad

Gracias a que sé que estarás a mi lado

No le temo a la soledad

Si alguna vez me equivoco mamá

Te prometo

Volver a intentarlo

Una vez más

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mayor /maˈʝoɾ/ B1	adjective - older
guapa /ˈɡwapa/ A2	adjective - beautiful, good-looking
brillante /briˈʝante/ B2	adjective - shining, bright
apuro /aˈpuɾo/ B2	noun - hurry noun - embarrassment, trouble
arrogante /aroˈɣante/ B2	adjective - arrogant
perla /ˈpeɾla/ B2	noun - pearl
robar /roˈβaɾ/ B1	verb - to steal verb - to rob
escondite /esˈkondite/ C1	noun - hiding place, hideout
mar /maɾ/ A1	noun - sea
ojo /ˈoxo/ A1	noun - eye
zafiro /saˈfiɾo/ C1	noun - sapphire
diamante /djaˈmante/ C1	noun - diamond
pelo /ˈpelo/ A1	noun - hair
pasto /ˈpasto/ B2	noun - grass noun - pasture
luciérnaga /luˈsi̯eɾnaɡa/ C2	noun - firefly
oscuridad /oskuɾiˈðað/ B2	noun - darkness
soledad /soliˈðað/ B2	noun - solitude, loneliness
equivocarse /ekiβoˈkaɾse/ B2	verb - to make a mistake
prometer /pɾomeˈteɾ/ B1	verb - to promise
intentar /intenˈtaɾ/ B1	verb - to try, to attempt

Key Grammar Structures

• Cuando sea mayor quiero ser tan guapa como tú, tan brillante

  ➔ Present subjunctive in a temporal clause referring to a future event

  ➔ After the future‑oriented conjunction "cuando", the verb appears in the subjunctive: ""sea"".

• Siempre he tenido apuro en crecer

  ➔ Present perfect tense for an action that started in the past and continues

  ➔ The auxiliary "he" + past participle "tenido" forms the present perfect: ""he tenido"".

• Lo siento si he sido arrogante

  ➔ Conditional clause with "si" + present perfect

  ➔ "si" introduces a condition, and the verb "he sido" is in the present perfect, showing a past action relevant to the present: ""he sido"".

• Tienes los dientes como perlas robadas de algún escondite del mar

  ➔ Simile using "como" + noun phrase; past participle used as adjective ("robadas")

  ➔ The phrase "como perlas robadas" uses "como" to make a simile, and "robadas" (past participle) works like an adjective meaning "stolen": ""robadas"".

• Veo todo lo que tienes para dar

  ➔ Relative clause with neutral antecedent "lo que"

  ➔ "lo que" functions as a neutral object meaning "that which"; it introduces the relative clause ""que tienes para dar"".

• Gracias a que sé que estarás a mi lado

  ➔ Causal subordinate clause introduced by "a que" after "gracias"

  ➔ The structure "gracias a que" expresses gratitude because of a fact; "que sé" is the subordinate clause: ""sé"".

• Si alguna vez me equivoco mamá, te prometo volver a intentarlo

  ➔ First‑type conditional clause with "si" + present indicative; future intent expressed with infinitive "volver a"

  ➔ The clause "Si alguna vez me equivoco" uses "si" + present indicative to express a possible future condition; the promise follows with the infinitive "volver a" meaning "to try again": ""volver a"".

• Parece que puedas congelar diminutas partes de mi memoria

  ➔ Impersonal expression "parece que" + subjunctive to convey doubt or uncertainty

  ➔ After "parece que", the verb "puedas" is in the present subjunctive, indicating that the speaker is not certain: ""puedas"".