Listen to it here #
Intro #
This song inspires a certain type of pride in me, a pride in knowing that I come from a strong tree with deep roots, that my existence cannot simply be banished or ignored. Pride that I exist in the world as a part of the things that can’t simply be bought.
Lyrics #
I worked on this translation longer than I planned because translating rap is hard. I tried to make it so the English version can be rapped out at least a little bit like the original. It could be better, I’m sure, but I waited on publishing this translation long enough.
[Letra de “Latinoamérica” ft. Maria Rita, Totó La Momposina & Susana Baca]
[Lyrics by “Latinoamérica” featuring Maria Rita, Totó La Momposina & Susana Baca]
[Verso 1: Residente Calle 13]
Soy, soy lo que dejaron
Soy toda la sobra de lo que se robaron
Un pueblo escondido en la cima
Mi piel es de cuero por eso aguanta cualquier clima
[Verse 1: Residente Calle 13]
I’m, I’m what’s been forgotten
I’m what’s been left over after they took and stole
A kingdom hidden in the mountains
My skin is made o’ leather and can handle any weather
Soy una fábrica de humo
Mano de obra campesina para tu consumo
Frente de frío en el medio del verano
El amor en los tiempos del cólera, mi hermano
I’m a smoke making machine
Peasant manual labor for your consumption
A cold front in the middle of the summer
Love in the times of cholera, my homey
El sol que nace y el día que muere
Con los mejores atardeceres
Soy el desarrollo en carne viva
Un discurso político sin saliva
The sun that rises and the day that fades
With the best sun sets your eyes will ever lay
I’m progress and development made o’ flesh and bone
A political speech with no need of microphone
Las caras más bonitas que he conocido
Soy la fotografía de un desaparecido
La sangre dentro de tus venas
Soy un pedazo de tierra que vale la pena
The most beautiful faces that I’ve ever known
I’m the photo of a person that didn’t make it back home
The blood that flows through every vein
I’m a plot of land that’s worth all of the pain
Una canasta con frijoles
Soy Maradona contra Inglaterra anotándote dos goles
Soy lo que sostiene mi bandera
La espina dorsal del planeta es mi cordillera
A basket full of beans
I’m Maradona running through England to score two historic goals
I’m what holds my waving flag up
This planet’s backbone is the range of mountains in my backyard
Soy lo que me enseñó mi padre:
“El que no quiere a su patria no quiere a su madre”
Soy América Latina
Un pueblo sin piernas, pero que camina (¡Oye!)
I’m what my father taught me
He who doesn’t love his country, also doesn’t love his mother
I’m Latin America
A continent with no legs that keeps on walkin’ (Drop it!)
[Coro: Totó la Momposina, Maria Rita y Susana Baca]
Tú no puedes comprar al viento
Tú no puedes comprar al sol
Tú no puedes comprar la lluvia
Tú no puedes comprar el calor
[Chorus: Totó la Momposina, Maria Rita and Susana Baca]
You can’t go out and buy the wind
You can’t go out and buy the sun
You can’t go out and buy the rain
You can’t go out and buy a warm touch
Tú no puedes comprar las nubes
Tú no puedes comprar los colores
Tú no puedes comprar mi alegría
Tú no puedes comprar mis dolores
You can’t go out and buy the clouds
You can’t go out and buy all the colors
You can’t go out and buy my smile
You can’t go out and buy all my pains
Tú no puedes comprar al viento
Tú no puedes comprar al sol
Tú no puedes comprar la lluvia
Tú no puedes comprar el calor
You can’t go out and buy the wind
You can’t go out and buy the sun
You can’t go out and buy the rain
You can’t go out and buy a warm touch
Tú no puedes comprar las nubes
Tú no puedes comprar los colores
Tú no puedes comprar mi alegría
Tú no puedes comprar mis dolores
You can’t go out and buy the clouds
You can’t go out and buy all the colors
You can’t go out and buy my smile
You can’t go out and buy all my pains
[Verso 2: Residente Calle 13]
Tengo los lagos, tengo los ríos
Tengo mis dientes pa’ cuando me sonrío
La nieve que maquilla mis montañas
Tengo el sol que me seca y la lluvia que me baña
[Verse 2: Residente Calle 13]
I’ve got the lakes, I’ve got the rivers
I’ve got my teeth for when I wanna smile
The snow that dresses my mountains peaks
I have the sun that dries me and rain that bathes my body
Un desierto embriagado con peyote
Un trago de pulque para cantar con los coyotes
Todo lo que necesito
Tengo a mis pulmones respirando azul clarito
A desert that’s drunk on peyote
A shot of pulque to sing with the coyotes
Everything that I need
I’ve got my lungs breathing the cleanest sky breeze
La altura que sofoca
Soy las muelas de mi boca mascando coca
El otoño con sus hojas desmayadas
Los versos escritos bajo la noche estrellada
The suffocating mountains
The molars in my mouth chewing coca rounds
I’m the fall and it’s leaves that wilt to the ground
The verses the were written under starry night skies
Una viña repleta de uvas
Un cañaveral bajo el sol en Cuba
Soy el mar Caribe que vigila las casitas
Haciendo rituales de agua bendita
A plot of vines bursting with grapes
A field of sugarcane under Cuban sun
I’m the waters of the Caribbean guarding all the houses
Holy water rituals are underway
El viento que peina mi cabello
Soy todos los santos que cuelgan de mi cuello
El jugo de mi lucha no es artificial
Porque el abono de mi tierra es natural
The wind that combs my hair
I’m all the saints that’re hanging from my neck
The struggle juice I’m squeezing isn’t artificial
Cuz my soil is fertilized 100% natural
[Coro: Totó la Momposina, Susana Baca y Maria Rita]
Tú no puedes comprar el viento
Tú no puedes comprar el sol
Tú no puedes comprar la lluvia
Tú no puedes comprar el calor
[Chorus: Totó la Momposina, Susana Baca y Maria Rita]
You can’t go out and buy the wind
You can’t go out and buy the sun
You can’t go out and buy the rain
You can’t go out and buy a warm touch
Tú no puedes comprar las nubes
Tú no puedes comprar los colores
Tú no puedes comprar mi alegría
Tú no puedes comprar mis dolores
You can’t go out and buy the clouds
You can’t go out and buy all the colors
You can’t go out and buy my smile
You can’t go out and buy all my pains
Não se pode comprar o vento
Não se pode comprar o sol
Não se pode comprar a chuva
Não se pode comprar o calor
You can’t go out and buy the wind
You can’t go out and buy the sun
You can’t go out and buy the rain
You can’t go out and buy a warm touch
Não se pode comprar as nuvens
Não se pode comprar as cores
Não se pode comprar minha alegria
Não se pode comprar minhas dores
You can’t go out and buy the clouds
You can’t go out and buy all the colors
You can’t go out and buy my smile
You can’t go out and buy all my pains
No puedes comprar el sol
No puedes comprar la lluvia
You can’t just buy the sun
You can’t just buy the rain
(Vamos caminando)
(No riso e no amor)
(Vamos caminando)
(Nos pranto e na dor)
(We keep walking forward)
(In laughter and love)
(We keep walking forward)
(Crying and in pain)
(Vamos dibujando el camino)
No puedes comprar mi vida
La tierra no se vende
(We’re drawing the path into the future)
My life’s never been for sale!
This land won’t be sold
[Verso 3: Residente Calle 13]
Trabajo bruto, pero con orgullo
Aquí se comparte, lo mío es tuyo
Este pueblo no se ahoga con marullos
Y si se derrumba yo lo reconstruyo
[Verse 3: Residente Calle 13]
The work is brutal, but I do it with pride
Here it’s sharing and caring, have some of mine
This town ain’t gonna drown in the waves
But if it crumbles I’ll rebuild it with my days
Tampoco pestañeo cuando te miro
Para que te recuerdes de mi apellido
La operación cóndor invadiendo mi nido
¡Perdono, pero nunca olvido! (¡Oye!)
I don’t flinch as I stare your way
So that you remember my entire name
With Operation Condor invading my home turf
I’ll forgive you, but I’ll never forget (Drop it!)
(Vamos caminando)
Aquí se respira lucha
(Vamos caminando)
Yo canto porque se escucha
(We keep walking forward)
Over here we breathe in struggle
(We keep walking forward)
I sing because it can be heard
(Vamos dibujando el camino)
(Vozes de um só coração)
(Vamos caminando)
Aquí estamos de pie
(We’re paving the way into the future)
(Voices of a single heart)
(We keep walking forward)
Over here we’re on our feet
¡Que viva La América!
No puedes comprar mi vida
Long live Latin America!
My life’s never been for sale!