Milonga del moro judio – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Jorge Drexler

Lyrics & Translation

[Spanish]

[English]

Por cada muro, un lamento

For every wall, a lament

En Jerusalén la dorada

In golden Jerusalem

Y mil vidas malgastadas

And a thousand wasted lives

Por cada mandamiento

For every commandment

Yo soy polvo de tu viento

I am dust of your wind

Y aunque sangro de tu herida

And though I bleed from your wound

Y cada piedra querida

And every beloved stone

Guarda mi amor más profundo

Holds my deepest love

No hay una piedra en el mundo

There is not a stone in the world

Que valga lo que una vida

That is worth what a life is

Yo soy un moro judío

I am a Jewish Moor

Que vive con los cristianos

Who lives with Christians

No sé qué dios es el mío

I don't know what god is mine

Ni cuáles son mis hermanos

Nor who my brothers are

No sé qué Dios es el mío

I don't know what god is mine

Ni cuáles son mis hermanos

Nor who my brothers are

...

...

No hay muerto que no me duela

There is no dead person that doesn't hurt me

No hay un bando ganador

There is no winning side

No hay nada más que dolor

There is nothing but pain

Y otra vida que se vuela

And another life that flies away

La guerra es muy mala escuela

War is a very bad school

No importa el disfraz que viste

It doesn't matter what disguise you wear

Perdonen que no me aliste

Forgive me for not enlisting

Bajo ninguna bandera

Under any flag

Vale más cualquier quimera

Any chimera is worth more

Que un trozo de tela triste

Than a piece of sad cloth

Yo soy un moro judío

I am a Jewish Moor

Que vive con los cristianos

Who lives with Christians

No sé qué dios es el mío

I don't know what god is mine

Ni cuáles son mis hermanos

Nor who my brothers are

No sé qué dios es el mío

I don't know what god is mine

Ni cuáles son mis hermanos

Nor who my brothers are

Y a nadie le di permiso

And I gave no one permission

Para matar en mi nombre

To kill in my name

Un hombre no es más que un hombre

A man is nothing more than a man

Y si hay Dios, así lo quiso

And if there is a god, that's how he wanted it

El mismo suelo que piso

The same ground that I walk on

Seguirá, yo me habré ido

Will remain, I will have gone

Rumbo también del olvido

Heading also towards oblivion

No hay doctrina que no vaya

There is no doctrine that doesn't go

Y no hay pueblo que no se haya

And there is no people that hasn't

Creído el pueblo elegido

Believed itself the chosen people

Yo soy un moro judío

I am a Jewish Moor

Que vive con los cristianos

Who lives with Christians

No sé qué dios es el mío

I don't know what god is mine

Ni cuáles son mis hermanos

Nor who my brothers are

No sé qué dios es el mío

I don't know what god is mine

Ni cuáles son mis hermanos

Nor who my brothers are

Yo soy un moro judío

I am a Jewish Moor

Que vive con los cristianos

Who lives with Christians

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
muro /ˈmuro/ A2	noun - wall
lamento /laˈmento/ B2	noun - lament, mourning
Jerusalén /xeɾuzaˈlen/ A2	noun - Jerusalem
vidas /ˈbiðas/ A2	noun - lives
malgastadas /malɣasˈtaðas/ B2	adjective - wasted, squandered
mandamiento /mandamiˈento/ B2	noun - commandment, order
polvo /ˈpolβo/ A2	noun - dust, powder
viento /bjento/ A2	noun - wind
sangro /ˈsaŋɣɾo/ B2	verb - I bleed
piedra /ˈpjeðɾa/ A2	noun - stone
amor /aˈmoɾ/ A2	noun - love
deep /diːp/ B2	adjective - extending far down from the top
pueblo /ˈpweβlo/ A2	noun - people, town, village
querer /keˈɾeɾ/ A2	verb - to want, to love
dios /ˈdjos/ A2	noun - God, deity

Key Grammar Structures

• Por cada muro, un lamento

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase + Noun (indicating per/for each)

  ➔ The phrase "Por cada muro" introduces a concept of proportionality. For every wall, there is a lament. The word "cada" means 'each' or 'every'.

• Y mil vidas malgastadas

  ➔ Past Participle as an Adjective (vidas "malgastadas")

  ➔ "malgastadas" is the past participle of the verb "malgastar" (to waste). It's functioning as an adjective to describe "vidas" (lives) – wasted lives.

• Yo soy polvo de tu viento

  ➔ Ser + Noun Phrase with 'de' (expressing origin or nature)

  ➔ The phrase 'polvo de tu viento' literally means 'dust of your wind'. The 'de' connects the dust to the wind, showing it's derived from or a part of it. Using 'ser' indicates an inherent quality or essence.

• Y aunque sangro de tu herida

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood with 'aunque' (expressing concession)

  ➔ "Aunque sangro" uses the subjunctive mood. "Aunque" (although, even if) often requires the subjunctive, particularly when expressing doubt, uncertainty, or hypothetical situations. Here, it concedes that he is suffering ("sangro" - I bleed) from her wound ("tu herida").

• No hay una piedra en el mundo Que valga lo que una vida

  ➔ Subjunctive after a Negative Relative Clause ("que valga")

  ➔ The phrase "que valga lo que una vida" is a relative clause describing "una piedra en el mundo". Because the main clause is negative ("No hay una piedra"), the verb "valga" (to be worth) is in the subjunctive mood. This expresses uncertainty or lack of existence of such a stone.

• No sé qué dios es el mío Ni cuáles son mis hermanos

  ➔ Indirect Questions with Interrogative Pronouns ("qué", "cuáles")

  ➔ These are indirect questions. Instead of asking directly "¿Qué dios es el mío?", the speaker states "No sé qué dios es el mío" (I don't know what god is mine). The word order changes from the direct question to a statement. 'Cuáles' follows the same rule: '¿Cuáles son mis hermanos?' -> 'No sé cuáles son mis hermanos'.

• Y a nadie le di permiso Para matar en mi nombre

  ➔ Indirect Object Pronoun + Verb + Infinitive (le di permiso para matar)

  ➔ "Le di permiso" means "I gave permission to him/her/them/you (formal)". "Le" is an indirect object pronoun referring back to "a nadie" (to nobody). "Para matar en mi nombre" (to kill in my name) is an infinitive phrase that explains the purpose of the permission that was *not* given.

• Vale más cualquier quimera Que un trozo de tela triste

  ➔ Comparative Structure with 'más...que' (more...than)

  ➔ This line uses the comparative structure "más...que" (more...than) to express a preference. Here, any dream (cualquier quimera) is considered more valuable than a sad piece of cloth (un trozo de tela triste), symbolizing a flag.