Tan Cerca...Tan Lejos – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the velvety voice of 'El Príncipe de la Canción' with this classic romantic ballad. Learning Spanish through this song will introduce you to poetic vocabulary related to love, longing, and the profound emotional paradoxes of being 'so close... so far,' delivered with the unmatched vocal expressiveness that defines the golden age of the Latin ballad.

[English]

So Close

So Far

Tragedy of a soul crying with love

...

Without your kisses

So close to you

Every night in my dreams

What will you be to me

...

So far from you

Every day when I’m not awaited

By you

So close

So far

...

Two moments pass, and I feel like I’m already dying

I’m dying

Unable to scream

That with every moment

I love you even more

...

If you won’t know

And you won’t know

And I’ll go crazy like this

...

So close

...

So far

So close

...

So far

...

[Spanish]

Tan Cerca

Tan lejos

Tragedia de un alma que llora de amor

Sin tus besos

Tan cerca de ti

Cada noche al soñar

Que serás para mi

Tan lejos de ti

Cada día al no ser esperado

Por ti

Tan cerca

Tan lejos

Se van dos instantes y siento que ya estoy muriendo

Estoy muriendo

Sin poder gritar

Que a cada instante

Te amo mucho más

Si tu no lo sabrás

Y tu no lo sabrás

Y yo he de enloquecer así

Tan cerca

Tan lejos

Tan cerca

Tan lejos

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tragedia tra-he-ˈði.a B2	noun - tragedy
alma ˈal.ma A2	noun - soul
llorar ʎoˈɾaɾ A2	verb - to cry
besos ˈbe.sos A2	noun - kisses
soñar soˈɲaɾ A2	verb - to dream
esperado es.peˈɾa.ðo B1	adjective - expected
instantes insˈtan.tes B1	noun - moments, instants
siento ˈsjen.to A2	verb - I feel
muriendo muˈɾjen.do B1	verb - dying
gritar ɡɾiˈtaɾ A2	verb - to shout, to scream
enloquecer en.lo.keˈθeɾ B2	verb - to go crazy, to become insane
cerca ˈθeɾ.ka A1	adjective - near, close
lejos ˈle.xos A1	adjective - far, distant

Key Grammar Structures

• Tan cerca

  ➔ Intensifier “tan” + adjective/adverb (so, very)

  ➔ The word "Tan" works as an intensifier meaning “so” or “very”, placed before the adjective "cerca" to express a high degree.

• Tan lejos

  ➔ Intensifier “tan” + adjective/adverb (so, very)

  ➔ Here "Tan" again intensifies the adjective "lejos", meaning “so far”.

• Sin tus besos tan cerca de ti

  ➔ Preposition “sin” + noun (absence of)

  ➔ The preposition "Sin" means “without”. In this line it shows the lack of "besos" (kisses) that are "tan cerca" (so close) to the beloved.

• Cada noche al soñar que serás para mí

  ➔ Al + infinitive (when …) and future simple “serás”

  ➔ "Al" + infinitive ("soñar") means “when (I) dream”. The clause "que serás para mí" uses the future simple "serás" (you will be).

• Cada día al no ser esperado por ti

  ➔ Al + infinitive with negative (al no ser…) and passive infinitive

  ➔ "Al" + negative infinitive "no ser esperado" means “when (I) am not expected”. The passive infinitive "ser esperado" expresses being expected by someone.

• Se van dos instantes y siento que ya estoy muriendo

  ➔ Verb + que‑subordinate (siento que…) and estar + gerundio (present progressive)

  ➔ "Siento que" introduces a subordinate clause; "estoy muriendo" uses "estar + gerundio" to form the present progressive “I am dying”.

• Sin poder gritar

  ➔ Infinitive clause after “sin” (expressing inability or manner)

  ➔ "Sin" (without) is followed by the infinitive "poder gritar" meaning “without being able to shout”.

• Si tú no lo sabrás y tú no lo sabrás

  ➔ Conditional clause with future indicative (si + future)

  ➔ "Si" introduces a condition; the verb "sabrás" is in the future simple, meaning “if you will not know”.

• Y yo he de enloquecer así

  ➔ Obligation with “he de + infinitive” (archaic, literary)

  ➔ "He de" + infinitive expresses a strong sense of duty or inevitability: “I must go mad”.

• Te amo mucho más

  ➔ Comparative with “más” plus intensifier “mucho”

  ➔ "Más" forms the comparative “more”; "mucho" intensifies it, so the phrase means “I love you much more”.