Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains Coffee in the countryside
que caiga un aguacero de yuca y té that a heavy shower of yuca and tea pour down
del cielo una jarina de queso blanco from heaven a light coating of white cheese
y al sur una montaña de berro y miel and from the south a mountain of watercress and honey
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ojalá que llueva café I hope it rains coffee
Oh, Ojalá que llueva café en el campo Oh, I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
peinar un alto cerro de trigo y mabuey combing an high hill with wheat and Indian yam
bajar por la colina de arroz graneado slide down a hill of grain rice
y continuar el arado con tu querer and continue the plowing with your love
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ojalá el otoño en vez de hojas secas I hope the autumn instead of dry leaves
pintan mi cosecha de pitisalé paint my harvest with savory meats
siembre una llanura de batata y fresas sow a plain with sweet potato and strawberries
Ojalá que llueva café I hope it rains coffee
Pa’ que en el Conuco no se sufra tanto So that the Conuco doesn't suffer so much
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside Pa'que en Villa Vasquez oigan este canto So that in Villa Vasquez they can hear this song Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
Ojalá que llueva, ojalá que llueva, ay hombre I hope it rains, I hope it rains, oh man
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
Ojalá que llueva c-a-f-é I hope it rains c-o-f-f-e-e [Interludio Musical] [Musical Interlude]
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
sembrar un alto cerro de trigo y mabuey sow a high hill with wheat and Indian Yam
bajar por la colina de arroz graneado slide down a hill of grain rice
y continuar el arado con tu querer and continue the plowing with your love
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ojalá el otoño en vez de hojas secas I hope the autum instead of dry leaves
pintan mi cosecha de pitisalé paint my harvest with savory meats
siembre una llanura de batata y fresas sow a plain with sweet potato and strawberries
Ojalá que llueva café I hope it rains coffee
Pa’ que en el Conuco no se sufra tanto So that the Conuco doesn't suffer so much
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
Pa' que los Montones oigan este canto So that in the Montones they can hear this song Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
Ojalá que llueva, ojalá que llueva, ay hombre I hope it rains, I hope it rains, oh man
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside Ojalá que llueva café-é I hope it rains coffee-e
Pa’ que todos los niños canten en el campo So that all the children can sing in the countryside Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
Pa' que la Romana oiga este canto So that the Roman hear this song Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside Ojalá que llueva, Ojalá que llueva, ay hombre I hope it rains, I hope it rains, oh man
Ojalá que llueva café en el campo I hope it rains coffee in the countryside
The other day I was with some friends discussing the topic of language and how unfortunate it is that some people do not embrace it for the blessing that it truly is; for example, as it is used in song. I personally believed early humans learned to sing before they mastered the art of conveying ideas to one another through the spoken word. But that is another subject for another day. Back to language, in this case Spanish, which when subjected to sound opens a new world to it's listener. A song tends to compartmentalize language into smaller sections allowing us to learn how other languages are composed. In song, music becomes the main interpretational tool. Words become secondary to the emotions the rhythm evokes yet the sounds entices the mind to learn more. Humans are uncanny wonderful creatures that have the ability to create diverse venues to instill understanding and comprehension. And what better way to so than through song? It is the reason Lullaby's and Nursery Rhymes exist. Infusing our developing brains with the learning of language and bathing us in a musical realm.
Let me introduce you to one of most prolific Hispanic singer, song writer, composer and producer of our modern era, Juan Luis Guerra. This man has been writing and singing about much more than love since the 1980's. He studied music theory at El Conservatorio Nacional de Música de Santo Domingo, then attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. Juan Luis Guerra Seijas graduated in 1982 with a degree in Jazz Composition.
Accompanied by his band, 4-40, he introduced the world to such great hits like "El Niagara en Bicicleta" (The Niagara on Bicycle) an idiom for something difficult to achieve; "Bulbujas de Amor" (Love Bubbles) heavily metaphorical (warning may cause blushing); and "La Bilirrubina" (The Bilirubin) an imagined medical condition caused by a girl's refusal. Juan Luis Guerra is a master poet. One of his beautiful lyrics questions whether a rose is wearing a full length dress or nothing at all.* He did not limit himself to one genre incorporating diverse rhythms like merengue, bachata-fusion, balada, salsa, rock and roll and even gospel. Juan Luis, through his numerous compositions, brought attention to issues that others turned their backs on. Like poverty, social injustices, doomed romances because of social/economic backgrounds and failed governmental policies of his native, Dominican Republic.
Juan Luis Guerra is a world renowned performer, human rights activist, philanthropist and very much still active at 61. He has received countless nominations for Grammys for Album of the Year and Record of the Year, and many other accolades since starting his musical career in 1984; including a Doctorate from his alma mater Berklee. But as with so many great geniuses, his works are too many to translate in my humble little blog, so I have chosen three of my favorites:
1. El Costo de La Vida (The Cost of Living) 2. Ojala que Lluva Cafe (I Hope It Rains Coffee) 3. Estrellitas y Duendes (Little Stars and Elves)
Even limiting myself to three songs is a big task. So I will have to break it down into a song per page; including a video of the song. I will translate El Costo de La Vida on this page. I invite you to enter my world.
Enjoy. [I apologize for the format in which the translation is done. I have yet to master using columns in Blogger]
"El Costo De La Vida" "The Cost of Living"
El costo de la vida sube otra vez The cost of living rises again el peso que baja, ya ni se ve
the dollar drops, it can't be seen
y las habichuelas no se pueden comer and the beans can not be eaten
ni una libra de arroz, ni una cuarta de café nor a pound of rice, nor a fourth of coffee a nadie le importa qué piensa usted no one cares what you think
será porque aquí no hablamos inglés must be because here we do not speak English
Ah, ah es verdad (3x) Ah, ah oh yes (3x)
Do you, understand?
Do you, do you?
Y la gasolina sube otra vez And the gasoline goes up again
el peso que baja, ya ni se ve the dollar drops, it can't be seen
y la democracia no puede crecer and democracy can not grow
si la corrupción juega ajedrez if corruption play chess
a nadie le importa qué piensa usted no one cares what you think
será porque aquí no hablamos francés must be because here we do not speak french
Ah, ah vous parlez? (3x) Ah, ah do you speak? (3x)
ah, ah non, Monsieur ah, ah no, Sir
¡Eh!... Eh! (a sigh)
Somos un agujero We are a hole
en medio del mar y el cielo between the ocean and sky
quinientos años después 500 years later
una raza encendida a burning race
Negra, Blanca y Taína Black, White and Tania (Native American)
¿pero quién descubrió a quién? but whom discovered whom? Uhm é verdad, uhm é verdad, uhm é verdad For real, for real, for real
Ay, el costo de la vida Ay, the cost of living
eh, ya ves, pa(ra) arriba tú ves eh, you see, going up you see
y el peso que baja the dollar drops
eh, ya ves, pobre ni se ve eh, you see, poor dear can't be seen
y la medicina and the medicine
eh, ya ves, camina al revés eh, you see, walks backwards
aquí no se cura here nothing is cured
eh, ya ves, ni un callo en el pie eh, you see, not even a callous on your foot
Ay, ki-iki-iki
eh, ya ves, ay ki-iki-é eh, you see, ay ki-iki-é
y ahora el desempleo and now the unemployment
eh, ya ves, me mordió también eh, you see, it bit me too
a nadie le importa, no no one cares, no
eh, ya ves, pues no hablamos inglés eh, you see, since we don't speak English
ni a la Mitsubishi nor at the Mitsubishi
eh, ya ves, ni a la Chevrolet eh, you see, nor at the Chevrolet [Interludio Musical] [Musical Interlude]
La corrupción pa-arriba The corruption rises
eh, ya ves, pa-rriba tú ves eh, you see, going up you see
y el peso que baja the dollar drops
eh, ya ves, pobre ni se ve eh, you see, poor dear can't be seen
y la delincuencia and delinquency
eh, ya ves, me pilló esta vez eh, you see, pinned me down this time
aquí no se cura here nothing is cured
eh, ya ves, ni un callo en el pie eh, you see, not even a callous on your foot
Ay, ki-iki-iki
eh, ya ves, ay ki-iki-é eh, you see, ay ki-iki-é
y ahora el desempleo and now the unemployment
eh, ya ves, me mordió también eh, you see, it bit me too
a nadie le importa, no no one cares, no
eh, ya ves, pues no hablamos inglés eh, you see, since we don't speak English
ni a la Mitsubishi nor at the Mitsubishi
eh, ya ves, ni a la Chevrolet eh, you see, nor at the Chevrolet
¡Oye! Listen!
[Improv.]
Uhm é verdad, uhm é verdad, uhm é verdad
For real, for real, for real
Eh Mama eh
Oh Mama, oh
La recesión pa-rriba The recession is growing
eh, ya ves, pa-rriba tú ves eh, you see, going up you see
y el peso que baja the dollar drops
eh, ya ves, pobre ni se ve eh, you see, poor dear can't be seen
y la medicina and the medicine
eh, ya ves, camina al revés eh, you see, walks backwards
aquí no se cura here nothing is cured
eh, ya ves, ni un callo en el pie eh, you see, not even a callous on your foot
Ay, ki-iki-iki
eh, ya ves, ay ki-iki-é eh, you see, ay ki-iki-é
y ahora el desempleo and now the unemployment
eh, ya ves, me mordió también eh, you see, it bit me too
a nadie le importa, no no one cares, no
eh, ya ves, pues no hablamos inglés eh, you see, since we don't speak English
ni a la Mitsubishi nor at the Mitsubishi
eh, ya ves, ni a la Chevrolet eh, you see, nor at the Chevrolet
*"Te Regalo una Rosa" (Bachata Rosa), Juan Luis Guerra - 2013
