GUANTANAMERA
LYRICS
The original
lyrics of "Guantanamera" are the opening stanzas of Cuban hero Jose Martí’s
Versos Sencillos. Martí was a writer and intellectual who died
in 1895 fighting for Cuba's independence from Spain. His immensely popular
verses were combined with the chorus in a way that suggests the song is
addressed to a young woman from Guanta'namo on the southern tip of the
island. The version written for Musical Spanish is quite different from
the original.
| Guantanamera |
|
guajira |
Guantanamera |
| gwahn-tah-nah-MEH-rah |
gwa-HEE-rah |
gwahn-tah-nah-MEH-rah |
| Girl
from Guanta’namo, girl from Guanta’namo |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| yo |
soy |
un |
hombre |
|
humilde |
| yo |
soy |
oon |
OHM-bray |
|
oo-MEEL-day |
| I
am a humble man |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| tal |
vez |
no |
tengo |
|
dinero |
|
| tahl |
vays |
no |
TEHN-goh |
|
dee-NEH-roh |
| maybe
I don’t have any money |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| quizás
|
no |
sabes |
mi |
nombre |
|
| kee-SAHS
|
no |
SAH-bays |
mee |
NOHM-bray |
|
| maybe
you don’t know my name |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| y |
ni
|
conoces |
mi |
cerro |
|
| ee |
nee
|
koh-NOH-says
|
mee |
SEH-rroh |
|
| and
you don’t even know my hill |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| estribillo
(chorus) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| yo |
debo |
irme |
|
a |
casa |
|
| yo |
DEH-boh |
EER-may |
ah |
KAH-sah |
|
| I
should go to my house |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| tal |
vez |
mi |
esposa |
|
me |
espere |
| tahl |
vays |
mee |
eh-SPOH-sah |
may |
eh-SPEH-ray |
| perhaps
my wife will wait for me |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| no |
puedo |
|
irme |
ahora |
|
|
| no |
PWEH-doh |
|
EER-may |
ah-OH-rah |
|
| I
can’t go right now |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| tal |
vez
mis |
piernas |
no |
lleguen |
| tahl |
vays
mees |
PYEHR-nahs |
no |
YAY-gehn |
| my
legs might not make it |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| estribillo
(chorus) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| tan |
tarde |
yo |
|
siempre |
llego |
| tahn |
TAHR-day |
yo |
|
SYEHM-pray |
YAY-goh |
| so
late I always arrive |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| jamás |
alcanzo |
el |
|
metro
|
|
| hah-MAHS |
ahl-KAHN-soh |
ehl |
|
MEH-troh |
|
| I
never catch up with the metro |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| un |
tren |
con |
|
tantas |
personas |
| oon |
trehn |
kohn |
|
TAHN-tahs |
pehr-SOH-nahs
|
| a
train with so many people |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| mejor |
que
|
espere |
el |
otro
|
|
| meh-HOHR |
kay
|
eh-SPEH-ray |
ehl
|
OH-troh
|
|
| (probably)
better that I wait for the other one |
Guantanamera lyrics in Spanish
and English, with pronunciation guide from Musical Spanish book and CD-rom
|
