Manos de Mujeres – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Marta Gómez, Martirio, Andrea Echeverry, Anat Cohen
• Album: Este instante

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soulful sounds of "Manos de Mujeres," a beautiful Spanish song that celebrates the strength and unity of women through evocative imagery and poignant lyrics. As you listen, you'll not only appreciate its musical artistry and the collaboration of renowned Latin American and jazz artists but also gain insight into the rich cultural expressions of the Spanish language, particularly vocabulary related to daily life, emotions, and empowering themes. It's an excellent way to connect with Spanish through a meaningful and uplifting narrative.

[English]

Strong hands sweep, putting wood on the fire

Steady hands when writing a love letter

Hands that weave, making knots

Hands that pray, hands that give

Hands that ask for a future, so they won't die alone (ay, ay)

Old hands working, linking a loom

Slave hands learning to dance their freedom

Hands milking, enduring hunger with what the land gives them

Hands that embrace hope for a child who leaves (ay, ay)

...

Hands of women who have given birth to the truth

Colorful hands applauding a song

...

Strong hands sweep, putting wood on the fire

Steady hands when writing a love letter

Trembling hands, hands that sweat

Hands of earth, maize, and salt

Hands that touch, leaving the soul

Hands of blood, wind, and sea

Trembling hands, hands that sweat

Hands of earth, maize, and salt

Hands that touch, leaving the soul

Hands of blood, wind, and sea (ay, ay)

...

[Spanish]

Mano fuerte va barriendo pone leña en el fogón

Mano firme cuando escribe una carta de amor

Manos que tejen haciendo nudos

Manos que rezan, manos que dan

Manos que piden algun futuro pa' no morir en soledad (aya, aya)

Mano vieja que trabaja va enlazando algún telar

Mano esclava va aprendiendo a bailar su libertad

Manos que amazan curtiendo el hambre con lo que la tierra les da

Manos que abrazan a la esperanza de algun hijo que se va (aya, aya)

Manos de mujeres que han parido la verdad

Manos de colores aplaudiendo algún cantar

Mano fuerte va barriendo pone leña en el fogón

Mano firme cuando escribe una carta de amor

Manos que tiemblan manos que sudan

Manos de tierra maíz y sal

Manos que tocan dejando el alma

Manos de sangre de viento y mar

Manos que tiemblan manos que sudan

Manos de tierra maíz y sal

Manos que tocan dejando el alma

Manos de sangre de viento y mar (aya, aya)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mano /ˈmano/ A1	noun - hand
fuerte /ˈfuerte/ A2	adjective - strong
barriendo /baˈrjendo/ B1	verb - sweeping
escribir /es.kɾiˈβiɾ/ A2	verb - to write
carta /ˈkaɾta/ A1	noun - letter
amor /aˈmoɾ/ A1	noun - love
nudos /ˈnuðos/ B1	noun - knots
soledad /soleˈðad/ B2	noun - solitude
trabaja /tɾaˈβaxa/ A2	verb - works
libertad /liβeɾˈtað/ B2	noun - freedom
esperanza /espeˈɾanθa/ B1	noun - hope
hijo /ˈi.xo/ A1	noun - son
sangre /ˈsaŋɡɾe/ A2	noun - blood
viento /ˈbjen.to/ A2	noun - wind
mar /maɾ/ A1	noun - sea

Key Grammar Structures

• Mano fuerte va barriendo pone leña en el fogón

  ➔ Present tense of the verb 'ir' + infinitive (va barriendo, pone)

  ➔ 'Va' is the third person singular of 'ir' (to go) used with an infinitive to express near future or ongoing action.

• Manos que tejen haciendo nudos

  ➔ Present tense of 'tejen' + gerund ('haciendo')

  ➔ 'Tejen' is the third person plural of 'tejer' (to weave) in present tense, and 'haciendo' is the gerund form of 'hacer' (to do/make), indicating ongoing action.

• Mano vieja que trabaja va enlazando algún telar

  ➔ Present tense of 'trabaja' + gerund ('enlazando')

  ➔ 'Trabaja' is the third person singular of 'trabajar' (to work) in present tense, and 'enlazando' is the gerund form of 'enlazar' (to link or connect), indicating ongoing action.

• Mano vieja que trabaja va enlazando algún telar

  ➔ Present tense of 'trabaja' + gerund ('enlazando')

  ➔ This structure uses the present tense of 'trabajar' plus the gerund 'enlazando' to show an ongoing action involving work.

• Mano fuerte va barriendo pone leña en el fogón

  ➔ Present tense of 'va' + gerund ('barriendo'), and present tense of 'pone'

  ➔ 'Va' is used with 'barriendo' (gerund of 'barrear') to describe an ongoing action, and 'pone' is in present tense to indicate a current action.

• Mano firme cuando escribe una carta de amor

  ➔ Present tense of 'escribe' + indefinite article 'una'

  ➔ 'Escribe' is the third person singular present tense of 'escribir' (to write), and 'una' is an indefinite article used to specify 'a love letter'.