Pobre secretaria – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Daniela Romo

Lyrics & Translation

Learning Spanish with 'Pobre secretaria' by Daniela Romo offers a fun and dramatic glimpse into workplace romance narratives of the 80s. The song's clear and emotive lyrics, filled with expressions of longing and everyday office life, provide a unique and entertaining way to pick up vocabulary and understand cultural storytelling in pop music.

[English]

Almost eight, I jump in the shower

No, I can't be late

Silk stockings, tight skirt

What makeup should I use?

Seven perfumes, painted nails

Something that can conquer

A bit of cleavage, something he notices

So he can't work

More daring, less of a princess

Being elegant, he'll like me

More determined, less discreet

Irresistible, more than yesterday

I'm pulling out all the stops

I must find an elixir

Dear boss, you've done it

I don't know if I can take much more!

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary!

Ask her to copy 100 thousand times: "I love you"

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary!

I think she's about to go crazy

The door opens, I'm open-mouthed

I feel faint, a certain something

"Come to my office," a manly tone

I arm myself with pencil and paper

For a note, for an appointment

For a compliment, what should I do?

Soft skin, warm brown eyes

I'll die of indifference

That wonderful smile

Of an irresistible seducer

And that executive charm

Has broken my heart in two

I fall into your arms, give me a hug

Because there's no better antidote

Call me slave, call me baby

And don't ignore me, please

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary

Ask her to copy 100 thousand times: "I love you"

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary

I think she's about to go crazy

...

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary

Ask her to copy 100 thousand times: "I love you"

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary

I think she's about to go crazy

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary

Ask her to copy 100 thousand times: "I love you"

Look, look at your secretary

Oh, sir, what pain!

Poor secretary...

...

[Spanish]

Casi las ocho, salto a la ducha

No, no me puedo retrasar

Medias de seda, falda apretada

¿Qué maquillaje habré de usar?

Siete perfumes, uñas pintadas

Algo que pueda conquistar

Algo de escote, algo que note

Que no le deje trabajar

Más atrevida, menos princesa

Siendo elegante gustaré

Más decidida, menos discreta

Irresistible, más que ayer

Tiro la casa por la ventana

Un elixír he de encontrar

Jefe querido, lo has conseguido

¡No sé si puedo aguantar más!

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

¡Pobre secretaria!

Pídele que copie 100 mil veces: "yo te amo"

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

¡Pobre secretaria!

Creo que le falta poco para enloquecer

Se abre la puerta, yo boquiabierta

Siento un desmayo, un no sé qué

"Venga al despacho", tono de macho

Me armo de lápiz y papel

Por una nota, por una cita

Por un piropo ¿Qué he de hacer?

Piel de franela, ojos canela

De indiferencia moriré

Esa sonrisa maravillosa

De irresistible seductor

Y ese atractivo de ejecutivo

Me ha roto en dos el corazón

Caigo en tus brazos, dame un abrazo

Que no hay antídoto mejor

Llámame esclava, llámame nena

Y no me ignores por favor

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

Pobre secretaria

Pídele que copie 100 mil veces: "yo te amo"

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

Pobre secretaria

Creo que le falta poco para enloquecer

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

Pobre secretaria

Pídele que copie 100 mil veces: "yo te amo"

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

Pobre secretaria

Creo que le falta poco para enloquecer

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

Pobre secretaria

Pídele que copie 100 mil veces: "yo te amo"

Fíjate, fíjate en tu secretaria

¡Ay, señor, qué dolor!

Pobre secretaria...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
secretaria /se.kɾeˈta.ɾja/ A2	noun - secretary
retrasar /re.tɾaˈsaɾ/ B1	verb - to delay, to postpone
falda /ˈfal.da/ A1	noun - skirt
maquillaje /ma.kiˈʎa.xe/ A2	noun - makeup, cosmetics
conquistar /koŋ.kisˈtaɾ/ B1	verb - to conquer, to win over (affection)
atrevida /a.tɾeˈβi.ða/ B1	adjective - daring, bold
elegante /e.leˈɣan.te/ A2	adjective - elegant
irresistible /i.re.sisˈti.βle/ B2	adjective - irresistible
aguantar /a.ɣwanˈtaɾ/ B1	verb - to endure, to bear, to tolerate
dolor /doˈloɾ/ A1	noun - pain, ache
enloquecer /en.lo.keˈseɾ/ B2	verb - to go crazy, to drive mad
boquiabierta /bo.kjaˈβjeɾ.ta/ B2	adjective - open-mouthed, agape (in surprise)
desmayo /dezˈma.ʝo/ B2	noun - faint, fainting spell
despacho /desˈpa.tʃo/ B1	noun - office, study (room)
piropo /piˈɾo.po/ B2	noun - compliment (often flirtatious), catcall
indiferencia /in.di.feˈɾen.sja/ B1	noun - indifference
corazón /ko.ɾaˈson/ A1	noun - heart
abrazo /aˈβɾa.so/ A2	noun - hug, embrace
esclava /esˈkla.βa/ B2	noun - slave (female); (fig.) someone completely devoted/subservient
ignorar /iɣ.noˈɾaɾ/ B1	verb - to ignore, to not know

Key Grammar Structures

• No, no me puedo **retrasar**

  ➔ Modal Verb + Infinitive, Reflexive Verb

  ➔ The structure "poder + infinitive" expresses ability or permission. The verb "retrasarse" is reflexive, indicating the action is performed by and affects the subject (delay oneself).

• ¿Qué maquillaje **habré de usar**?

  ➔ Periphrastic Future (Haber de + Infinitive)

  ➔ "Haber de + infinitive" expresses obligation, necessity, or future intention, often with a more formal or reflective tone than "deber" or "tener que."

• Algo que **pueda conquistar**

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Indefinite Antecedent)

  ➔ The subjunctive "pueda" is used because the antecedent "Algo" (something) is indefinite or unknown. It refers to a quality desired in that "something," not a specific, known item.

• **Siendo** elegante **gustaré**

  ➔ Gerund, Simple Future

  ➔ The gerund "siendo" ("being") introduces a condition or manner. The simple future tense "gustaré" indicates an action that will happen in the future, conditional on the preceding gerund clause.

• **Fíjate**, fíjate en tu secretaria

  ➔ Affirmative Imperative (Reflexive Verb)

  ➔ "Fíjate" is the informal (`tú`) affirmative imperative form of the reflexive verb "fijarse" (to notice, to pay attention). The pronoun "te" is attached to the end of the verb in affirmative commands.

• **Pídele** que **copie** 100 mil veces: "yo te amo"

  ➔ Affirmative Imperative with IO Pronoun, Subjunctive in Noun Clause

  ➔ "Pídele" is the `tú` imperative of "pedir" (to ask/request) with the indirect object pronoun "le" (to him/her) attached. The subordinate clause "que copie..." is in the subjunctive because it expresses a command or request from the main verb.

• Me **ha roto** en dos el corazón

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ The present perfect "ha roto" (has broken) describes an action that happened in the past but has a connection to the present, or whose effects are still felt.

• Que no **hay** antídoto mejor

  ➔ Impersonal Verb "Haber", Comparative Adjective

  ➔ "Hay" is the impersonal form of "haber" (there is/are). In this context, "no hay" means "there isn't." "Mejor" is the irregular comparative form of "bueno" (good), meaning "better."