"Sueño de Sombras" by Julieta Venegas, English translation of lyrics
"Dream of Shadows"
Album: Bueninvento (Good Invention), 2000
Style: Alternative pop with some electronic instruments
Country: Mexico
Listen:
Listen to this relaxing, softly sung song at YouTube here.
[Expand embedded video]
Translation:
Escurriré como miel en hielo
O como velo en fuego.
Así te haré venir a mí.
Así te haré buscarme a mí.
I will slip away like honey on ice
Or like a veil on fire. [*alt. Or like mist on fire.]
Like this I will make you come to me.
Like this I will make you search for me.
Seré intocable al despertar,
Promesa vana, eterno parece.
Así te haré creer en mí.
Así te haré desearme... así.
I will be untouchable when I wake up,
Empty promise, it seems eternal.
Like this I will make you believe in me.
Like this I will make you want me... like this.
Si quiero estar donde creo desear,
Seré por siempre sueño de sombras.
(x2)
If I want to be where I believe I desire,
I will be forever a dream of shadows.
(x2)
Sembrar en ti la duda,
Cambio de parecer cada minuto,
Incierta en forma de ser,
Así te haré buscarme.
Sowing doubt in you,
I change my appearance every minute,
(I am) an uncertain form,
Like this I will make you seek me.
Así te haré venir a mí.
Así te haré desearme ¡al fin!
Like this I will make you come to me.
Like this I will make you want me, finally!
Si quiero estar donde creo desear,
Seré por siempre sueño de sombras.
(x3)
If I want to be where I believe I desire,
I will be forever a dream of shadows.
(x3)
Translation Notes:
Promesa vana, eterno parece.
Empty promise, it seems eternal.
This line in Spanish sounds strange because it begins feminine (la promesa) and then switches to masculine (eterno rather than eterna). I haven’t quite figured out why, so I am leaving this comment here as a reminder to myself and to inspire enlightening (or simply speculative) comments.
---
Cambio de parecer cada minuto, / incierta en forma de ser
I change my appearance every minute, / (I am) an uncertain form
I change my appearance every minute, / unstable in (my) way of being [*alt.]
forma de ser = way of being, form of being (lit.); character
I added "I am" and "my" in parentheses to the second line translations because incierta is a feminine adjective, suggesting that the singer is describing her own uncertain or fluid identity.
Album: Bueninvento (Good Invention), 2000
Style: Alternative pop with some electronic instruments
Country: Mexico
Listen:
Listen to this relaxing, softly sung song at YouTube here.
[Expand embedded video]
Translation:
Escurriré como miel en hielo
O como velo en fuego.
Así te haré venir a mí.
Así te haré buscarme a mí.
I will slip away like honey on ice
Or like a veil on fire. [*alt. Or like mist on fire.]
Like this I will make you come to me.
Like this I will make you search for me.
Seré intocable al despertar,
Promesa vana, eterno parece.
Así te haré creer en mí.
Así te haré desearme... así.
I will be untouchable when I wake up,
Empty promise, it seems eternal.
Like this I will make you believe in me.
Like this I will make you want me... like this.
Si quiero estar donde creo desear,
Seré por siempre sueño de sombras.
(x2)
If I want to be where I believe I desire,
I will be forever a dream of shadows.
(x2)
Sembrar en ti la duda,
Cambio de parecer cada minuto,
Incierta en forma de ser,
Así te haré buscarme.
Sowing doubt in you,
I change my appearance every minute,
(I am) an uncertain form,
Like this I will make you seek me.
Así te haré venir a mí.
Así te haré desearme ¡al fin!
Like this I will make you come to me.
Like this I will make you want me, finally!
Si quiero estar donde creo desear,
Seré por siempre sueño de sombras.
(x3)
If I want to be where I believe I desire,
I will be forever a dream of shadows.
(x3)
Translation Notes:
Promesa vana, eterno parece.
Empty promise, it seems eternal.
This line in Spanish sounds strange because it begins feminine (la promesa) and then switches to masculine (eterno rather than eterna). I haven’t quite figured out why, so I am leaving this comment here as a reminder to myself and to inspire enlightening (or simply speculative) comments.
---
Cambio de parecer cada minuto, / incierta en forma de ser
I change my appearance every minute, / (I am) an uncertain form
I change my appearance every minute, / unstable in (my) way of being [*alt.]
forma de ser = way of being, form of being (lit.); character
I added "I am" and "my" in parentheses to the second line translations because incierta is a feminine adjective, suggesting that the singer is describing her own uncertain or fluid identity.