Ismael Rivera
En mi viejo San Juan lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1962
- Genre
- Salsa
- Length
- 2:50
En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan
Cuántos sueños forjé
How many dreams I forged
En mis noches de infancia
In my childhood nights
Mi primera ilusión
My first illusion
Y mis cuitas de amor
And my love's troubles
Son recuerdos del alma
Are memories of the soul
Una tarde me fui
One afternoon I left
A si extraña nación
To that strange nation
Pues lo quiso el destino
For it was destiny's will
Pero mi corazón
But my heart
Se quedó frente al mar
She stood facing the sea
En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan
Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Borinquen querida
Dear Borinquen
Tierra de mi amor
Land of my love
Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Mi diosa del mar
My goddess of the sea
Mi reina del palmar
My queen of the palms
Me voy (Ya me voy)
I'm leaving (I'm already going)
Pero un día volveré
But one day I'll return
A buscar mi querer
To seek my love
A soñar otra vez
To dream once more
En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan
Pero el tiempo pasó
But time passed by
Y el destino burló
And fate deceived
Mi terrible nostalgia
My terrible nostalgia
Y no pude volver
And I couldn’t return
Al San Juan que yo amé
To the San Juan that I loved
Pedacito de patria
A piece of my homeland
Mi cabello blanqueó
My hair turned white
Y mi vida se va
And my life slips away
Ya la muerte me llama
Death is already calling me
Y no quiero morir
And I don’t want to die
Alejado de ti
Far away from you
Puerto Rico del alma
Puerto Rico of my soul
Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Borinquen querida
Dear Borinquen
Tierra de mi amor
Land of my love
Adiós, adiós, adiós
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Mi diosa del mar
My goddess of the sea
Mi reina del palmar
My queen of the palm
Me voy (Ya me voy)
I'm leaving (I'm really leaving)
Pero un día volveré
But one day I'll return
A buscar mi querer
To seek my love again
A soñar otra vez
To dream once more
En mi viejo San Juan
In my old San Juan
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- alejado
- farB2
- alma
- soulB2
- amé
- loved
- amor
- loveB1
- blanqueó
- whitened
- burló
- mocked
- cabello
- hairC1
- cuántos
- how manyA1
- cuitas
- worries
- destino
- fateB2
About this song
Firmly fixed in the Latin music firmament as "El Sonero Mayor" (The Greatest Singer), Ismael Rivera was blessed with a gloriously husky voice, which he honed into a unique improvisational instrument.