BUSCANDO GUAYABA – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: WILLIE COLON, RUBEN BLADES
• Album: SIEMBRA

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a vibrant linguistic journey with "Buscando Guayaba," a legendary salsa tune by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades. This song offers an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in idiomatic Spanish and Caribbean culture. You'll learn to express deep longing and persistent search, picking up rich vocabulary and metaphorical expressions. The song's narrative style and passionate delivery make it special, inviting you to understand the subtle nuances of Spanish storytelling and the infectious rhythms of salsa music.

[English]

I went to the hills searching for a guava

Along the path of the 8 and the 2

And though I found a golden house

That guava, I just couldn’t find

I’ve traveled the world far and wide

And never, never could I find

A guava that I truly liked

To make me stop my wandering

And though I found a golden house

That guava, I just couldn’t find

I’m searching for a guava, I am (¡¿how?!)

One with flavor, one with zest

I’m searching for a guava, I am

...

One with flavor, one with zest

I’m searching for a guava, I am

One with flavor, one with zest

A guava to save my dark-skinned love

A guava that’s truly great

I’m searching for a guava, I am

One with flavor, one with zest

Bururú barará, where’s Miguel going?

Bururú barará, he’s off to find a guava too

I’m searching for a guava, I am

One with flavor, one with zest

But with lots and lots of zest

But with so much, so much flavor

I’m searching for a guava, I am

One with flavor, one with zest

I’m looking for a guava, I’m looking for a guava

I’m looking for a guava along the path of the 8 and the 2

I’m searching for a guava, I am

One with flavor, one with zest

Rinquin

Hey, Guitarrita didn’t come, so

You’ll have to endure a mouth solo

Tuning quinquin concon

Go, Yimi

One with flavor, one with zest

I’m searching for a guava, I am

...

I’m searching for a guava, I am

I’m searching for a guava, I am

Right here, I want a guava

I’m searching for a guava, I am

Come and give me a hand, hey, help me, comae

I’m searching for a guava, I am

I see you’re not helping, not saying where it is

I’m searching for a guava, I am

Tell me where to find that lovely guava, oh God

I’m searching for a guava, I am

Always walking, always on my way, sir

I’m searching for a guava, I am

Bururú barará, where’s Miguel going?

I’m searching for a guava, I am

Come, help me out, tell me where it is, I’ve never found it

I’m searching for a guava, I am

Join me, because it could happen

I’m searching for a guava, I am

That I find that woman and learn to love her

I’m searching for a guava, I am

I’m searching in the hills and in the market

I’m searching for a guava, I am

No, no no no no, don’t hide anymore, show yourself, dark one

I’m searching for a guava, I am

One with flavor and with zest

I’m searching for a guava, I am

...

[Spanish]

Me fui pa'l monte buscando guayaba

Por la vereda del 8 y el 2

Y aunque encontré una casa dorada

Esa guayaba no la hallaba yo

Mucho he viajado por todo el mundo

Y nunca, nunca pude encontrar

Una guayaba que me gustara

Y detuviera mi caminar

Y aunque encontré una casa dorada

Esa guayaba no pude hallar

Buscando guayaba ando yo (¡¿cómo?!)

Que tenga sabor, que tenga mendó

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que tenga sabor, que tenga mendó

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que tenga sabor, que tenga mendó

Una guayaba salve morena

Una guayaba que está bien buena

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que tenga sabor, que tenga mendó

Bururú barará, ¿dónde va Miguel?

Bururú barará, fue a buscar también guayaba

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que tenga sabor, que tenga mendó

Pero que tenga mucho mendó

Pero que tenga, que tenga muchísimo sabor

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que tenga sabor que tenga mendó

Busco una guayaba, busco una guayaba

Busco una guayaba por la vereda del 8 y el 2

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que tenga sabor, que tenga mendó

Rinquin

Oye, Guitarrita no vino, así que

Van a tener que soportar un solo de boca

Afinación quinquin concon

Juega Yimi

Que tenga el sabor, que tenga mendó

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Guayabita sabanera

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Aquí al toque, yo quiero una guayaba

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Venga y deme una manito, ay, ayúdeme, comae

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Ya la veo que usted, ya la veo que usted no coge y no dice dónde hay

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Dime esa guayaba bonita dónde la encuentro, ay Dios

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que, que caminando y siempre voy yo andando, señor

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Bururú barará, ¿dónde va Miguel?

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Ven, ayudado de al la'o, dime dónde está que nunca yo la he encontra'o

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Acompáñame porque puede suceder

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que yo encuentre esa mujer y la aprenda a querer

Buscando guayaba ando yo

La busco por el monte y por la marqueta

Buscando guayaba ando yo

No, no no no no, no te escondas más y aparece esta prieta

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Que tenga sabor y que tenga mendó

Buscando guayaba ando yo

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
guayaba guayaba B1	noun - guava (tropical fruit)
buscar buscar A1	verb - to look for, to search
sabor sabor A2	noun - taste, flavor
mendó mendó C1	noun - colloquial term for an intense, pleasant flavor; ‘good vibe’
monte monte A2	noun - mountain, forest, woods
vereda vereda B1	noun - sidewalk, path, footpath
casa casa A1	noun - house, home
dorada dorada B1	adjective - golden; gilded
mundo mundo A1	noun - world, earth
encontrar encontrar A2	verb - to find, to meet
caminar caminar A2	verb - to walk
andar andar A2	verb - to go, to walk, to move
buena buena A1	adjective - good, nice
mujer mujer A1	noun - woman, wife
querer querer A1	verb - to want, to love
marqueta marqueta B2	noun - marketplace (regional variation of “mercado”)
prieta prieta B2	adjective - dark-skinned, black (colloquial)
aparecer aparecer B1	verb - to appear, to show up
ayudar ayudar A1	verb - to help, to assist
mano mano A1	noun - hand