Esta Navidad – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe
• Album: Asalto Navideño

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the vibrant traditions of Puerto Rican culture through 'Esta Navidad.' This song is an excellent tool for language learners to practice colloquial Caribbean Spanish, musical terminology, and the idiomatic expressions used during the holiday season.

[English]

There are country folk who, upon arriving

From the United States

Look at their friends

With an air of superiority

They all want to act

As if they have great wisdom

But there are country folk, my friend

Who can be fooled by anyone

There are country folk who know more

And here it is proven

I'm a proud country man

But a true country man through and through

...

This Christmas

We're going to have a blast

This Christmas

We're going to have a blast

Everyone is invited

To this great party

I'll bring some good things

Oh, what a wonderful time

This Christmas

We're going to have a blast

This Christmas

We're going to have a blast

I'll invite the singers

So they can sing in chorus

I'll also invite my friend

My friend Yomo Toro

...

This is Christmas

We're going to have a blast

This is Christmas

We're going to have a blast

...

Let's have a blast

Let's dance

Let's have a blast

Let's dance

Let's have a blast

Let's dance

Let's have a blast

Let's dance

Listen, it's tasty (let's have a blast)

Let's party (let's dance)

Eh la le lo le le (let's have a blast)

Eh la le lo la (let's dance)

Oh, I want to dance (let's have a blast)

I want to have a blast (let's dance)

With my rhythm (let's have a blast)

This Christmas (let's dance)

Eh, to have a blast (let's have a blast)

Eh, let's dance (let's dance)

This great party (let's have a blast)

This Christmas (let's dance)

Listen to it, mama (let's have a blast)

...

[Spanish]

Hay jíbaros que al llegar

De los Estados Unidos

Ellos miran a sus amigos

Con aire de superioridad

Todos se quieren guillar

De grande sabiduría

Y hay jíbarito, amiga mía

Que a cualquiera pueden embarcar

Hay jíbaros que saben más

Y aquí queda demostrado

Soy un jíbaro guillado

Pero de jíbaro de verdad

Esta Navidad

Vamos a gozar

Esta Navidad

Vamos a gozar

Señores están invitados

A este rico rumbón

Le pondré cosita buena

¡Ay!, que rico el vacilón

Esta Navidad

Vamos a gozar

Esta Navidad

Vamos a gozar

Invitaré los cantantes

Para que canten a coro

También invitaré a mi amigo

A mi amigo Yomo Toro

Esta es Navidad

Vamos a gozar

Esta es Navidad

Vamos a gozar

Vamo' a gozar

Vamo' a bailar

Vamo' a gozar

Vamo' a bailar

Vamo' a gozar

Vamo' a bailar

Vamo' a gozar

Vamo' a bailar

Oye sabrosito (vamo' a gozar)

Vamo a cumbanchar (vamo' a bailar)

Eh la le lo le le (vamo' a gozar)

Eh la le lo la (vamo' a bailar)

¡ay! yo quiero bailar (vamo' a gozar)

Yo quiero gozar (vamo' a bailar)

Con mi tumbaito (vamo' a gozar)

Esta navidad (vamo' a bailar)

Eh, para gozar (vamo' a gozar)

Eh, vamo' a bailar (vamo' a bailar)

Esta rumba buena (vamo' a gozar)

Esta navidad (vamo' a bailar)

Óyela mamá (vamo' a gozar)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
jíbaro híbaro C2	noun - A Puerto Rican country dweller or farmer; traditionally associated with mountain life.
guillar gijar C2	verb - To pretend or to act as if one is something superior (slang).
sabiduría sabiduria B2	noun - Wisdom.
embarcar embarkar B2	verb - To deceive or trick someone (colloquial).
demostrado demostrado B1	adjective - Proven, demonstrated.
gozar gozar B1	verb - To enjoy, to have a good time.
rumbón rumbon C2	noun - A big or great party (augmented form of rumba).
vacilón basilon C2	noun - Fun, excitement, or a good time.
invitados inbitados A2	noun - Guests.
bailar bailar A1	verb - To dance.
cantantes kantantes A2	noun - Singers.
coro koro B1	noun - Choir or chorus.
cumbanchar kumbanchar C2	verb - To party or dance enthusiastically.
tumbaito tumbaito C2	noun - A specific rhythmic style, often used in Caribbean music.
sabrosito sabrosito B2	adjective - Tasty, flavorful, or enjoyable (in a musical sense).

Key Grammar Structures

• Todos se quieren guillar de grande sabiduría

  ➔ Reflexive verb + Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The reflexive structure "se quieren guillar de" implies acting or posing as something. "De" is used to specify the quality being feigned.

• Y hay jíbarito, amiga mía, que a cualquiera pueden embarcar

  ➔ Impersonal "hay" + Relative clause

  ➔ "Hay" indicates existence. The relative clause "que... pueden embarcar" describes the jíbarito.

• Soy un jíbaro guillado

  ➔ Copulative verb "ser" + Noun phrase with participle

  ➔ "Soy" is used for identity. "Guillado" acts as an adjective derived from a past participle, describing the state of the jíbaro.

• Señores están invitados a este rico rumbón

  ➔ Passive voice with "estar" + Past participle

  ➔ Using "están invitados" focuses on the state of the guests rather than the action of inviting.

• Le pondré cosita buena

  ➔ Future simple + Indirect object pronoun "le"

  ➔ "Pondré" is the first-person singular future of "poner". "Le" refers to the "rumbón" (party) as the recipient of the action.

• Invitaré los cantantes para que canten a coro

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after "para que"

  ➔ The conjunction "para que" (so that) always requires the subjunctive mood "canten" because it introduces a purpose or intent.

• Vamo' a gozar

  ➔ Periphrastic future: "ir a" + infinitive (colloquial)

  ➔ This is a popular structure for "going to do something". "Vamo'" is a truncated colloquial form of "vamos".