No Nos Supimos Querer – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Vanesa Martín, Joaquín Sabina

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the profound lyrics and emotive melodies of "No Nos Supimos Querer" by Vanesa Martín and Joaquín Sabina. This beautiful Spanish song, a sincere conversation between two musical giants, offers a rich tapestry of poetic language that vividly expresses themes of lost love, nostalgia, and the complexities of human relationships. Learning its lyrics can help you grasp authentic Spanish expressions of deep emotion and appreciate the artistry of two of Spain's most revered singer-songwriters.

[English]

A fondness that bled, a love that's not forgotten

It's the mark of a wound, that leaves a scar behind

We spoke the words, the ones that should be forbidden

How bitter the farewell, I don't know what I didn't understand

And life living its life, it knows what it's doing

The wise ones told me and I almost believed them

And at night I think of you

And sometimes every night I think of you

I think so much about forgetting you, it's constantly on my mind

That longing doesn't complain, about the time that I wasted

You and I weren't just passing through, no one breaks the mirror

Although we didn't get far, I touched your heart

So many sleepless nights, so many nights learning

To love each other like idiots who don't know what to say

So many nights correcting

Note by note the song that I didn't write

We didn't know how to love each other

A clock on the nightstand, a chipped Barbie doll

Some yellowed photos, spitting out reality

The curve of my waist is a throbbing devil

The one that rushes me the most and doesn't let me rest

And there's no awning to provide shade, I still don't know what's coming

No one's voice calls out my name after I got lost

I have some vain memories, I keep silent more for what I love

I keep silent more for what I love

Than for fear of what to say

Let's go, tell me

I think so much about forgetting you, it's constantly on my mind

That longing doesn't complain, about the time that I wasted

You and I weren't just passing through, no one breaks the mirror

Although we didn't get far, I touched your heart

So many sleepless nights, so many nights learning

To love each other like idiots who don't know what to say

So many nights correcting

Note by note the song that I didn't write

We didn't know how to love each other

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

...

[Spanish]

Un cariño que sangró, un amor que no se olvida

Es la huella de una herida, que deja una cicatriz

Pronunciamos las palabras, que debieran ser prohibidas

Qué amarga la despedida, no sé lo que no entendí

Y la vida haciendo vida, ella sabe lo que hace

Me dijeron los que saben y yo casi le creí

Y en las noches pienso en ti

Y a veces cada noche pienso en ti

Pienso tanto en olvidarte, lo tengo entre ceja y ceja

Esa añoranza no queja, el tiempo que malgasté

Tú y yo no fuimos de paso que nadie rompe el espejo

Aunque no llegamos lejos yo tu corazón toqué

Tantas noches mal durmiendo, tantas noches aprendiendo

A querernos como idiotas que no saben qué decir

Tantas noches corrigiendo

Nota a nota la canción que no escribí

No nos supimos querer

Un reloj en la mesilla, una Barbie desconchada

Unas fotos amarillas, escupiendo realidad

La curva de mi cintura es un diablo que palpita

La que más me precipita y no me deja descansar

Y no hay toldo que de sombra, aún no sé qué va a venir

La voz de nadie me nombra después que me perdí

Tengo algún recuerdo vano, callo más por lo que amo

Callo más por lo que amo

Que por miedo a qué decir

Vámonos, dímelo

Pienso tanto en olvidarte, lo tengo entre ceja y ceja

Esa añoranza no queja, el tiempo que malgasté

Tú y yo no fuimos de paso que nadie rompe el espejo

Aunque no llegamos lejos yo tu corazón toqué

Tantas noches mal durmiendo, tantas noches aprendiendo

A querernos como idiotas que no saben qué decir

Tantas noches corrigiendo

Nota a nota la canción que no escribí

No nos supimos querer

Ja, ja, ja, ja, ja, ja

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cariño /kaˈɾi.ɲo/ B1	noun - affection, fondness
sangrar /saŋˈɡɾaɾ/ B1	verb - to bleed
olvidar /ol.βiˈðaɾ/ A2	verb - to forget
huella /ˈwe.ʝa/ B1	noun - trace, footprint
herida /eˈɾi.ða/ B1	noun - wound, injury
cicatriz /θi.kaˈtɾiθ/ B2	noun - scar
amarga /aˈmaɾ.ɡa/ B2	adjective - bitter
despedida /des.peˈði.ða/ B1	noun - farewell, goodbye
vida /ˈbi.ða/ A1	noun - life
noche /ˈno.t͡ʃe/ A1	noun - night
añoranza /a.ɲoˈɾan.θa/ C1	noun - longing, yearning
queja /ˈke.xa/ B2	noun - complaint
tiempo /ˈtjem.po/ A1	noun - time
corazón /ko.ɾaˈθon/ A2	noun - heart
vano /ˈba.no/ B2	adjective - vain, futile
miedo /ˈmje.ðo/ A2	noun - fear

Key Grammar Structures

• Un cariño que sangró, un amor que no se olvida

  ➔ Relative clauses with 'que'

  ➔ The word "que" introduces a relative clause that modifies "cariño" and "amor", respectively. It translates to 'that' or 'which' in English. This is a common way to add descriptive details to nouns.

• Qué amarga la despedida, no sé lo que no entendí

  ➔ Exclamatory sentence with 'qué' and the use of 'lo que'

  ➔ "Qué amarga la despedida" is an exclamatory sentence expressing how bitter the farewell is. "Lo que" means 'what' and refers to something undefined. "No sé lo que no entendí" translates to 'I don't know what I didn't understand'.

• Me dijeron los que saben y yo casi le creí

  ➔ Use of 'los que' to refer to people with a certain characteristic and preterite vs. imperfect.

  ➔ "Los que saben" means 'those who know' or 'the ones who know'. The imperfect tense "dijeron" (they said) indicates an action completed in the past. The preterite tense "creí" (I believed) shows a completed action in the past. The "le" refers back to what they said.

• Esa añoranza no queja, el tiempo que malgasté

  ➔ Relative clause using 'que' modifying 'tiempo'

  ➔ The clause "el tiempo que malgasté" translates to 'the time that I wasted'. "Que" introduces the relative clause, connecting the noun "tiempo" with the verb "malgasté" (I wasted).

• Aunque no llegamos lejos yo tu corazón toqué

  ➔ Subjunctive mood implied by 'aunque' and pronoun placement.

  ➔ "Aunque" introduces a clause expressing a contrast or concession. While not explicitly using the subjunctive, "aunque" often implies it depending on the context. The placement of "yo" emphasizes the speaker.

• Un reloj en la mesilla, una Barbie desconchada

  ➔ Use of nouns as descriptive elements; implied verb 'hay' or 'there is/are'.

  ➔ These phrases are essentially short descriptions, omitting the verb 'hay' ('there is/are'). We understand implicitly that 'there is a clock on the bedside table' and 'there is a chipped Barbie doll'.

• La curva de mi cintura es un diablo que palpita

  ➔ Metaphorical use of language and relative clause with 'que'

  ➔ This line uses a metaphor comparing the curve of the singer's waist to a devil that pulsates. "Que" introduces the relative clause describing the devil: 'that pulsates'.

• Tantas noches mal durmiendo, tantas noches aprendiendo

  ➔ Use of 'tanto/a' as an adjective before a noun and gerunds.

  ➔ "Tantas noches" means 'so many nights'. "Tanto/a" agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. "Mal durmiendo" and "aprendiendo" are gerunds, functioning as adverbs modifying the action.