Ya Viví – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José
• Album: Hasta Que Vuelvas

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the world of José José, the 'Prince of Song,' with "Ya Viví." As a classic Spanish-language ballad, this song is a powerful lesson in expressing finality and resilience through dramatic musical phrasing, offering insight into the universal theme of moving on from heartbreak with firm resolution. Learning the language through such emotionally charged music provides a deep, cultural context for Spanish vocabulary related to love and loss.

[English]

I've already lived, I've already received my cruel punishment

I've already paid for the grave mistake of being with you

For every one of your kisses

I received a suffering I did not deserve

I didn't want to listen to my heart

Which was the first to understand it

I've already felt, I've already understood that you don't love me

That I will be a vile toy for your pleasures

And in the name of forgiveness and forgetting

I ask you to leave forever

Don't ever come back

So that never, ever again, I find you

...

I've already felt, I've already understood that you don't love me

That I will be a vile toy for your pleasures

And in the name of forgiveness and forgetting

I ask you to leave forever

Don't ever come back

So that never, ever again, I find you

...

[Spanish]

Ya viví, ya recibí mi cruel castigo

Ya pagué el grave error de estar contigo

Por cada beso tuyo

Un sufrimiento recibí sin merecerlo

No quise hacerle caso al corazón

Que fue el primero en comprenderlo

Ya sentí, ya comprendí que no me quieres

Que seré juguete vil de tus placeres

Y en nombre del perdón y del olvido

Te pido que te vayas para siempre

Que no regreses más

Que nunca nunca más, te encuentre

Ya sentí, ya comprendí que no me quieres

Que seré juguete vil de tus placeres

Y en nombre del perdón y del olvido

Te pido que te vayas para siempre

Que no regreses más

Que nunca nunca más, te encuentre

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
viví /biˈβi/ B1	verb - I lived
cruel /kɾuˈel/ B1	adjective - cruel, harsh
castigo /kasˈtiɣo/ B2	noun - punishment
grave /ˈɡɾaβe/ B1	adjective - serious, severe
error /eˈror/ A2	noun - mistake, error
beso /ˈbeso/ A2	noun - kiss
sufrimiento /sufɾiˈmjento/ B2	noun - suffering
merecerlo /meɾeˈθeɾlo/ B2	verb - to deserve it
corazón /koɾaˈθon/ A2	noun - heart
comprenderlo /kompɾenˈdeɾlo/ B1	verb - to understand it
sentí /senˈti/ B1	verb - I felt
juguete /xweˈɣete/ B1	noun - toy
vil /bil/ B2	adjective - vile, mean
placeres /plaˈθeɾes/ B1	noun - pleasures
perdón /peɾˈdon/ A2	noun - forgiveness
olvido /olˈβiðo/ B1	noun - forgetfulness
regreses /reˈɣɾeses/ B1	verb - you return
encuentre /enˈkwentɾe/ B1	verb - I find you

Key Grammar Structures

• Ya viví, ya recibí mi cruel castigo

  ➔ Past tense with 'ya'

  ➔ The word 'ya' is used to emphasize the completion of an action in the past, similar to 'already' in English. Here, it highlights that the speaker has already lived and received their punishment.

• Por cada beso tuyo / Un sufrimiento recibí sin merecerlo

  ➔ Correlation with 'por cada... / ...'

  ➔ The structure 'por cada... / ...' is used to express a proportional relationship between two actions. Here, it indicates that for every kiss from the other person, the speaker received undeserved suffering.

• No quise hacerle caso al corazón

  ➔ Past tense with 'querer'

  ➔ The verb 'querer' in the past tense indicates a past intention or desire. Here, it shows that the speaker did not want to listen to their heart.

• Te pido que te vayas para siempre

  ➔ Subjunctive mood with 'que'

  ➔ The subjunctive mood with 'que' is used to express a wish, desire, or request. Here, it conveys the speaker's plea for the other person to leave forever.

• Que nunca nunca más, te encuentre

  ➔ Double negation for emphasis

  ➔ The double negation 'nunca nunca más' is used for emphasis, reinforcing the speaker's desire to never encounter the other person again.