Que te vaya bonito Nicolás – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Natalia Lafourcade
• Album: De Todas Las Flores

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the tender beauty of Natalia Lafourcade's 'Que te vaya bonito Nicolás.' This song, a poignant farewell, offers a unique opportunity to learn Spanish that is rich in poetic and heartfelt expressions of love, loss, and hope. Discover how Lafourcade masterfully uses evocative imagery and profound emotion, making it a perfect piece to explore the lyrical depth of the language.

[English]

Take care, Nicolás,

wherever your flight may carry you,

on this earth we'll keep on working,

and celebrate your journey through the fields,

Take care, Nicolás,

don't be afraid to leave us in silence,

the night and the dew have embraced you,

and the light of our candles has guided you,

Today the birds and sparrows singing,

trace dancing circles in the air,

they carry your soul away in a feast,

where the rivers sing and Mother Earth dances,

Nicolás, may the waves break,

and may the wind take away our tears and pain,

Nicolás, may storms fall,

and may we find you among the stars, please,

Take care, Nicolás,

wherever your flight may carry you,

on this earth we'll keep cultivating that love,

to live the life you have sown,

Take care, Nicolás,

don't be afraid to cross the door,

for the gods, the teachers of this earth,

have claimed your presence for this world,

Today the birds and sparrows singing,

welcome you beyond into infinity,

Meanwhile, here we in the nest,

will keep your memory in joyful remembrance,

Nicolás, may the waves break,

and may the wind take away our tears and pain,

Nicolás, may storms fall,

and may we find you among the stars, please,

Take care, Nicolás,

Take care, Nicolás,

Take care, Nicolás,

Take care, Nicolás,

[Spanish]

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás,

a donde quiera que lleves tu vuelo

en la tierra seguiremos trabajando

y celebrando tu camino por el campo

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás,

no tengas miedo de dejarnos en silencio

que la noche y el rocío te abrazaron

y la luz de nuestras velas te ha llevado

Hoy las aves y los pájaros cantando

hacen círculos de danza en el aire

Van llevándose tu alma en una fiesta

donde los ríos cantan y pacha mama baila

Nicolás que las olas rompan

que se lleve el viento nuestro llanto y dolor

Nicolás que tormentas caigan

y en las estrellas te encontremos por favor

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás,

a donde quiera que lleves tu vuelo

en la tierra seguiremos cultivando ese amor

para vivir que tú has sembrado

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás,

no tengas miedo de cruzar la puerta

pues los dioses, los maestros de esta tierra

reclamaron a este mundo tu presencia

Hoy las aves y los pájaros cantando

te reciben más allá en el infinito

Mientras tanto aquí nosotros en el nido

cuidaremos tu memoria en regocijo

Nicolás que las olas rompan

que se lleve el viento nuestro llanto y dolor

Nicolás que tormentas caigan

y en las estrellas te encontremos por favor

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás

Que te vaya bonito Nicolás

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
vaya ˈba.ʝa A2	verb - to go
bonito bo.ˈni.to A1	adjective - beautiful, nice
vuelo ˈbwe.lo A2	noun - flight, journey
trabajando tra.ba.ˈxan.do A2	verb - working
celebrando θe.le.ˈβɾan.do A2	verb - celebrating
camino ka.ˈmi.no A1	noun - path, way
silencio si.ˈlen.θjo A1	noun - silence
noche ˈno.tʃe A1	noun - night
rocío ro.ˈθi.o B1	noun - dew
abrazaron a.βɾa.ˈθa.ɾon A2	verb - hugged, embraced
cultivando kul.ti.ˈβan.do B1	verb - cultivating, growing
sembrado sem.ˈbra.ðo B1	verb - sown, planted
tormentas tor.ˈmen.tas A2	noun - storms
estrellas es.tre.ˈʎas A1	noun - stars
regocijo re.ɣo.ˈθi.xo B2	noun - joy, jubilation

Key Grammar Structures

• Que te vaya bonito, Nicolás,

  ➔ Present Subjunctive (wish)

  ➔ The verb "vaya" is in the present subjunctive, used after "que" to convey a heartfelt wish.

• no tengas miedo de dejarnos en silencio

  ➔ Negative Subjunctive (soft command) + Infinitive after "de"

  ➔ "tengas" is a negative present subjunctive used as a gentle command, followed by the infinitive "dejar" after the preposition "de".

• y la luz de nuestras velas te ha llevado

  ➔ Present Perfect (haber + past participle)

  ➔ "ha llevado" combines the auxiliary "ha" (present of "haber") with the past participle "llevado" to indicate an action that affects the present.

• Hoy las aves y los pájaros cantando hacen círculos de danza en el aire

  ➔ Present Indicative + Gerund (progressive nuance)

  ➔ "cantando" is a gerund that adds a continuous‑action feel to the main verb "hacen" (present indicative).

• Nicolás, que las olas rompan

  ➔ Present Subjunctive after "que" expressing a wish or hope

  ➔ "rompan" is in the present subjunctive, triggered by "que" to convey a hopeful wish that the waves break.

• Nicolás, que tormentas caigan

  ➔ Present Subjunctive after "que" (wish/curse)

  ➔ "caigan" is the present subjunctive, used after "que" to voice a strong wish (here, a curse) that storms fall.

• cuidaremos tu memoria en regocijo

  ➔ Future Simple (first‑person plural) for intention

  ➔ "cuidaremos" is the future simple of "cuidar" (we will take care), indicating a promise or intention.

• pues los dioses, los maestros de esta tierra reclamaron a este mundo tu presencia

  ➔ Preterite (simple past) for completed narrative action

  ➔ "reclamaron" is the preterite of "reclamar", indicating that the gods and teachers claimed your presence at a definite past moment.

• te encontremos por favor

  ➔ Present Subjunctive used in a polite request (imperative softened)

  ➔ "encontremos" is present subjunctive of "encontrar", used here as a softened imperative: "please, may we find you".