El Triste – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

[Spanish]

[English]

Qué triste fue decirnos adiós

How sad it was to say goodbye

Cuando nos adorábamos más

When we adored each other the most

Hasta la golondrina emigró

Even the swallow has emigrated

Presagiando el final

Foretelling the end

Qué triste luce todo sin ti

How sad everything looks without you

Los mares de las playas se van

The seas of the beaches are leaving

Se tiñen los colores de gris

The colors are tinged with gray

Hoy todo es soledad

Today everything is loneliness

No sé si vuelva a verte después

I don't know if I'll see you again

No sé qué de mi vida será

I don't know what will become of my life

Sin el lucero azul de tu ser

Without the blue star of your being

Que no me alumbra ya

That no longer lights my way

Hoy quiero saborear mi dolor

Today I want to savor my pain

No pido compasión ni piedad

I ask for no compassion or pity

La historia de este amor se escribió

The story of this love was written

Para la eternidad

For eternity

Qué triste, todos dicen que soy

How sad, everyone says I am

Que siempre estoy hablando de ti

That I'm always talking about you

No saben que pensando en tu amor

They don't know that thinking of your love

En tu amor

Of your love

He podido ayudarme a vivir

I've been able to help myself live

He podido ayudarme a vivir

I've been able to help myself live

Ah-ah, ah-ah

Ah-ah, ah-ah

Ah-ah, ah-ah

Ah-ah, ah-ah

Hoy quiero saborear mi dolor

Today I want to savor my pain

No pido compasión ni piedad

I ask for no compassion or pity

La historia de este amor se escribió

The story of this love was written

Para la eternidad

For eternity

Qué triste, todos dicen que soy

How sad, everyone says I am

Que siempre estoy hablando de ti

That I'm always talking about you

No saben que pensando en tu amor

They don't know that thinking of your love

En tu amor

Of your love

He podido ayudarme a vivir

I've been able to help myself live

He podido ayudarme a vivir

I've been able to help myself live

He podido ayudarme a vivir

I've been able to help myself live

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
triste /ˈtriste/ A2	adjective - sad
adiós /aˈðjos/ A1	noun - goodbye
amor /aˈmor/ A1	noun - love
dolor /doˈloɾ/ B1	noun - pain
soledad /soleˈðad/ B1	noun - solitude
historia /isˈtoɾja/ A2	noun - story
vida /ˈbiða/ A1	noun - life
luz /luθ/ A2	noun - light
colores /koˈloɾes/ A2	noun - colors
mar /maɾ/ A1	noun - sea
playa /ˈplaʝa/ A1	noun - beach
vuelve /ˈbwelβe/ B1	verb - to return
saber /saˈβeɾ/ B1	verb - to know
pensar /penˈsaɾ/ B1	verb - to think
ayudar /aʝuˈðaɾ/ B1	verb - to help
eternidad /eteɾniˈðað/ B2	noun - eternity

Key Grammar Structures

• Qué triste fue decirnos adiós

  ➔ Use of the adjective 'triste' to express sadness.

  ➔ The phrase expresses a deep sense of sadness about saying goodbye.

• No sé si vuelva a verte después

  ➔ Use of the subjunctive mood 'vuelva' to express uncertainty.

  ➔ This line indicates doubt about seeing someone again in the future.

• Hoy quiero saborear mi dolor

  ➔ Use of the verb 'quiero' to express desire.

  ➔ This line expresses a desire to experience and embrace pain.

• La historia de este amor se escribió para la eternidad

  ➔ Use of the passive voice 'se escribió' to indicate an action done to the subject.

  ➔ This line suggests that the story of love is eternal and has been written.

• Qué triste, todos dicen que soy

  ➔ Use of the phrase 'todos dicen' to express what others say.

  ➔ This line reflects how others perceive the speaker's sadness.

• He podido ayudarme a vivir

  ➔ Use of the present perfect 'he podido' to indicate an action that has relevance to the present.

  ➔ This line indicates that the speaker has found a way to live despite the pain.