Pobre Duende – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Babasonicos
• Album: Anoche

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the critical Spanish language of Argentine Alternative Rock with Babasónicos' "Pobre Duende." The song is a sharp, metaphorical commentary on the music industry, using powerful and direct Spanish vocabulary to critique commercialism. Listeners can learn complex thematic language and a unique cultural perspective on the dilemma of artistic integrity in rock.

[English]

Like agitators in a conservative environment

They came down completely unhinged

Mambo, high style, attitude, and big provocation

And they left without saying a word

You asked for it

You wanted it, here it is

The swan appeared, and you

Look what you've done to the rock elf

You've shattered him, you've turned him

Into a stupid image of submission

And heartlessly, he left home

You asked for it

You wanted it, here it is

The swan kidnapped the elf and took him away

The swan kidnapped the elf and took him away

The swan took the elf far away

...

[Spanish]

Como agitadores en un medio conservador

Muy desquiciados bajaron

Mambo, alto cope, estilo y gran provocación

Y se marcharon sin decir nada

Ustedes lo pedían

Ustedes lo querían, ahí lo tienen

El cisne apareció, y ustedes

Miren lo que han hecho con el duende del rock

Lo han destrozado, lo han convertido

En una estampa estúpida de sumisión

Y desalmado se fue de casa

Ustedes lo pedían

Ustedes lo querían, ahí lo tienen

El cisne secuestró al duende y lo llevó

El cisne secuestró al duende y lo llevó

El cisne se llevó al duende lejos

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
agitador /aɣiˈtadoɾ/ B2	noun - agitator
medio /ˈmeðjo/ A2	noun - medium; middle
conservador /konsɛrβaˈðoɾ/ B1	adjective - conservative
desquiciado /deskiˈθjado/ C1	adjective - crazy; deranged
bajar /baˈxaɾ/ A1	verb - to go down; to lower
mambo /ˈmambo/ B2	noun - Mambo (dance/music style)
estilo /esˈti.lo/ A2	noun - style
provocación /pɾokabiˈθjon/ B2	noun - provocation
cisne /ˈθisne/ B1	noun - swan
aparecer /apaɾθeˈθeɾ/ A2	verb - to appear
duende /ˈdwende/ B2	noun - elf; goblin; spirit
destrozar /des.tɾoˈθaɾ/ B2	verb - to destroy
convertir /konβerˈtiɾ/ B1	verb - to convert; to turn
estampa /esˈtampa/ C1	noun - print; engraving; picture
sumisión /su.miˈsjon/ C1	noun - submission
desalmado /desaɾˈmaðo/ C2	adjective - heartless; ruthless
secuestrar /sekwesˈtɾaɾ/ B2	verb - to kidnap
llevar /ʎeˈβaɾ/ A1	verb - to carry; to take

Key Grammar Structures

• Ustedes lo pedían

  ➔ Imperfect tense (past habitual)

  ➔ The verb "pedían" is in the ***imperfect***, showing a repeated or ongoing request in the past.

• Ustedes lo querían

  ➔ Imperfect tense (state or desire in the past)

  ➔ "Querían" is in the ***imperfect***, used for expressing a past desire or ongoing feeling.

• Lo han destrozado

  ➔ Present perfect (action completed with present relevance)

  ➔ "Han destrozado" uses the ***present perfect*** to show that the destruction happened in the past but its result is still felt now.

• El cisne secuestró al duende y lo llevó

  ➔ Preterite (simple past) for completed actions

  ➔ "Secuestró" and "llevó" are in the ***preterite***, marking actions that happened and finished at a specific moment in the past.

• Se marchó sin decir nada

  ➔ Preterite with reflexive pronoun + gerund (se + verb + sin + infinitive)

  ➔ "Se marchó" is a ***reflexive preterite***; "sin decir nada" uses "sin" + ***gerund*** to express doing something without another action.

• El cisne se llevó al duende lejos

  ➔ Reflexive verb in preterite + direct object + adverbial phrase

  ➔ "Se llevó" is a ***reflexive preterite***; the direct object "al duende" follows, and "lejos" is an ***adverbial of place*** indicating where he took him.

• Miren lo que han hecho con el duende del rock

  ➔ Imperative + relative clause + present perfect

  ➔ "Miren" is an ***imperative*** command; "lo que han hecho" forms a ***relative clause*** with "han hecho" in the ***present perfect***.

• Lo han convertido en una estampa estúpida de sumisión

  ➔ Present perfect passive construction with "ser" omitted (have + past participle) and prepositional phrase

  ➔ "Han convertido" uses the ***present perfect*** with the past participle "convertido" to express a result; the phrase "en una estampa..." is a ***prepositional phrase*** indicating the transformation.