by Shakira
Bahrein, Beirut, the north, the south pole — and still no encontré ojos así. Past tenses run through the verses (conocí, viajé, fui, he recorrido) and then the refrain leaves Spanish altogether and answers in Arabic.
On this page: Lyrics and translations · Grammar notes · Word study
Ayer conocí un cielo sin sol
Literal: Yesterday I-knew a sky without sun
English: Yesterday I knew a sky without sun
Turkish: Dün güneşsiz bir gökyüzü tanıdım
Y un hombre sin suelo
Literal: And a man without ground
English: And a man without ground
Turkish: Ve yersiz bir adam
Un santo en prisión
Literal: A saint in prison
English: A saint in prison
Turkish: Hapiste bir aziz
Y una canción triste sin dueño
Literal: And a song sad without owner
English: And a sad song without owner
Turkish: Ve sahipsiz hüzünlü bir şarkı
Y conocí tus ojos negros
Literal: And I-knew your eyes black
English: And I knew your black eyes
Turkish: Ve senin kara gözlerini tanıdım
Y ahora sí que no puedo vivir sin ellos yo
Literal: And now indeed that no I-can live without them I
English: And now I truly cannot live without them
Turkish: Ve şimdi gerçekten onlarsız yaşayamam
Le pido al cielo solo un deseo
Literal: To-it I-ask to-the sky only one wish
English: I ask the sky only one wish
Turkish: Gökten sadece bir dilek dilerim
Que en tus ojos yo pueda vivir
Literal: That in your eyes I I-may-live
English: That in your eyes I may live
Turkish: Senin gözlerinde yaşayabileyim
He recorrido ya el mundo entero
Literal: I-have traveled already the world entire
English: I have already traveled the entire world
Turkish: Tüm dünyayı zaten dolaştım
Y una cosa te vengo a decir
Literal: And one thing to-you I-come to say
English: And one thing I come to tell you
Turkish: Ve sana bir şey söylemeye geldim
Viajé de Bahrein hasta Beirut
Literal: I-traveled from Bahrain until Beirut
English: I traveled from Bahrain to Beirut
Turkish: Bahreyn'den Beyrut'a yolculuk ettim
Fui desde el norte hasta el polo sur
Literal: I-went from the north until the pole south
English: I went from the north to the south pole
Turkish: Kuzeyden güney kutbuna gittim
No encontré ojos así
Literal: Not I-found eyes thus
English: I did not find eyes like this
Turkish: Böyle gözler bulamadım
Como los que tienes tú
Literal: Like those that you-have you
English: Like those that you have
Turkish: Seninkiler gibi
Rabboussamai fikarrajaii
Literal: Lord-of-the-sky in-my-hope
English: Lord of the sky in my hope
Turkish: Göklerin Rabbi ümidimde
Fi ainaiha aralhayati
Literal: In her eyes I see the life.
English: In her eyes I see life.
Turkish: Gözlerinde hayatı görüyorum.
Ati ilaika min haza lkaaouni
Literal: I come to you from this the universe.
English: I come to you from this universe.
Turkish: Bu evrenden sana geliyorum.
Arjouka labbi labbi nidai
Literal: I beg you, answer answer my call.
English: I beg you, answer, answer my call.
Turkish: Sana yalvarıyorum, çağrımı yanıtla, yanıtla.
Viajé de Bahrein hasta Beirut
Literal: I-traveled from Bahrain until Beirut
English: I traveled from Bahrain to Beirut
Turkish: Bahreyn'den Beyrut'a yolculuk ettim
Fui desde el norte hasta el polo sur
Literal: I-went from the north until the pole south
English: I went from the north to the south pole
Turkish: Kuzeyden güney kutbuna gittim
No encontré ojos así
Literal: Not I-found eyes thus
English: I did not find eyes like this
Turkish: Böyle gözler bulamadım
Como los que tienes tú
Literal: Like those that you-have you
English: Like those that you have
Turkish: Seninkiler gibi
Ayer vi pasar una mujer
Literal: Yesterday I saw to pass a woman.
English: Yesterday I saw a woman pass.
Turkish: Dün bir kadın geçerken gördüm.
Debajo de su camello
Literal: Beneath of her camel.
English: Beneath her camel.
Turkish: Devesinin altında.
Un río de sal y un barco
Literal: A river of salt and a boat.
English: A river of salt and a boat.
Turkish: Bir tuz nehri ve bir tekne.
Abandonado en el desierto
Literal: Abandoned in the desert.
English: Abandoned in the desert.
Turkish: Çölde terk edilmiş.
Y vi pasar sus ojos negros
Literal: And I saw to pass her eyes black.
English: And I saw her black eyes pass.
Turkish: Ve siyah gözlerinin geçtiğini gördüm.
Y ahora sí que no puedo vivir sin ellos yo
Literal: And now indeed that no I-can live without them I
English: And now I truly cannot live without them
Turkish: Ve şimdi gerçekten onlarsız yaşayamam
Le pido al cielo solo un deseo
Literal: To-it I-ask to-the sky only one wish
English: I ask the sky only one wish
Turkish: Gökten sadece bir dilek dilerim
Que en tus ojos yo pueda vivir
Literal: That in your eyes I I-may-live
English: That in your eyes I may live
Turkish: Senin gözlerinde yaşayabileyim
He recorrido ya el mundo entero
Literal: I-have traveled already the world entire
English: I have already traveled the entire world
Turkish: Tüm dünyayı zaten dolaştım
Y una cosa te vengo a decir
Literal: And one thing to-you I-come to say
English: And one thing I come to tell you
Turkish: Ve sana bir şey söylemeye geldim
Viajé de Bahrein hasta Beirut
Literal: I-traveled from Bahrain until Beirut
English: I traveled from Bahrain to Beirut
Turkish: Bahreyn'den Beyrut'a yolculuk ettim
Fui desde el norte hasta el polo sur
Literal: I-went from the north until the pole south
English: I went from the north to the south pole
Turkish: Kuzeyden güney kutbuna gittim
No encontré ojos así
Literal: Not I-found eyes thus
English: I did not find eyes like this
Turkish: Böyle gözler bulamadım
Como los que tienes tú
Literal: Like those that you-have you
English: Like those that you have
Turkish: Seninkiler gibi
Rabboussamai fikarrajaii
Literal: Lord-of-the-sky in-my-hope
English: Lord of the sky in my hope
Turkish: Göklerin Rabbi ümidimde
Fi ainaiha aralhayati
Literal: In her eyes I see the life.
English: In her eyes I see life.
Turkish: Gözlerinde hayatı görüyorum.
Ati ilaika min haza lkaaouni
Literal: I come to you from this the universe.
English: I come to you from this universe.
Turkish: Bu evrenden sana geliyorum.
Arjouka labbi labbi nidai
Literal: I beg you, answer answer my call.
English: I beg you, answer, answer my call.
Turkish: Sana yalvarıyorum, çağrımı yanıtla, yanıtla.
Viajé de Bahrein hasta Beirut
Literal: I-traveled from Bahrain until Beirut
English: I traveled from Bahrain to Beirut
Turkish: Bahreyn'den Beyrut'a yolculuk ettim
Fui desde el norte hasta el polo sur
Literal: I-went from the north until the pole south
English: I went from the north to the south pole
Turkish: Kuzeyden güney kutbuna gittim
No encontré ojos así
Literal: Not I-found eyes thus
English: I did not find eyes like this
Turkish: Böyle gözler bulamadım
Como los que tienes tú
Literal: Like those that you-have you
English: Like those that you have
Turkish: Seninkiler gibi
Rabboussamai fikarrajaii
Literal: Lord-of-the-sky in-my-hope
English: Lord of the sky in my hope
Turkish: Göklerin Rabbi ümidimde
Fi ainaiha aralhayati
Literal: In her eyes I see the life.
English: In her eyes I see life.
Turkish: Gözlerinde hayatı görüyorum.
Ati ilaika min haza lkaaouni
Literal: I come to you from this the universe.
English: I come to you from this universe.
Turkish: Bu evrenden sana geliyorum.
Arjouka labbi labbi nidai
Literal: I beg you, answer answer my call.
English: I beg you, answer, answer my call.
Turkish: Sana yalvarıyorum, çağrımı yanıtla, yanıtla.
Min al-Bahrayn ila Bayrut
Literal: From the Bahrain to Beirut.
English: From Bahrain to Beirut.
Turkish: Bahreyn'den Beyrut'a.
Fui desde el norte hasta el polo sur
Literal: I-went from the north until the pole south
English: I went from the north to the south pole
Turkish: Kuzeyden güney kutbuna gittim
No encontré ojos así
Literal: Not I-found eyes thus
English: I did not find eyes like this
Turkish: Böyle gözler bulamadım
Como los que tienes tú
Literal: Like those that you-have you
English: Like those that you have
Turkish: Seninkiler gibi
Le pido al cielo solo un deseo
Literal: To-it I-ask to-the sky only one wish
English: I ask the sky only one wish
Turkish: Gökten sadece bir dilek dilerim
Que en tus ojos yo pueda vivir
Literal: That in your eyes I I-may-live
English: That in your eyes I may live
Turkish: Senin gözlerinde yaşayabileyim
He recorrido ya el mundo entero
Literal: I-have traveled already the world entire
English: I have already traveled the entire world
Turkish: Tüm dünyayı zaten dolaştım
Y una cosa te vengo a decir
Literal: And one thing to-you I-come to say
English: And one thing I come to tell you
Turkish: Ve sana bir şey söylemeye geldim
Viajé de Bahrein hasta Beirut
Literal: I-traveled from Bahrain until Beirut
English: I traveled from Bahrain to Beirut
Turkish: Bahreyn'den Beyrut'a yolculuk ettim
Fui desde el norte hasta el polo sur
Literal: I-went from the north until the pole south
English: I went from the north to the south pole
Turkish: Kuzeyden güney kutbuna gittim
No encontré ojos así
Literal: Not I-found eyes thus
English: I did not find eyes like this
Turkish: Böyle gözler bulamadım
Como los que tienes tú
Literal: Like those that you-have you
English: Like those that you have
Turkish: Seninkiler gibi
What each line is doing grammatically: the case and person endings it uses, the tense or mood of its verb, and the fixed expressions a dictionary will not resolve word by word. Lines that repeat in the song are listed once.
Y ahora sí que no puedo vivir sin ellos yo
And now I truly cannot live without them
Le pido al cielo solo un deseo
I ask the sky only one wish
Que en tus ojos yo pueda vivir
That in your eyes I may live
Y una cosa te vengo a decir
And one thing I come to tell you
Viajé de Bahrein hasta Beirut
I traveled from Bahrain to Beirut
Fui desde el norte hasta el polo sur
I went from the north to the south pole
No encontré ojos así
I did not find eyes like this
Como los que tienes tú
Like those that you have
Rabboussamai fikarrajaii
Lord of the sky in my hope
Fi ainaiha aralhayati
In her eyes I see life.
Ati ilaika min haza lkaaouni
I come to you from this universe.
Arjouka labbi labbi nidai
I beg you, answer, answer my call.
Ayer vi pasar una mujer
Yesterday I saw a woman pass.
Abandonado en el desierto
Abandoned in the desert.
Y vi pasar sus ojos negros
And I saw her black eyes pass.
Min al-Bahrayn ila Bayrut
From Bahrain to Beirut.
Every distinct word in the song, in the order it is first sung, with the dictionary form to look up, the endings on it, what it means here, and where the word came from. Words that recur are listed once.
| Word | Dictionary form | Grammar | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayer | ayer | adv. | yesterday | From Old Spanish yer,eri,hier.Wiktionary |
| conocí | conocer | v., 1st pers. sg. pret. ind. of 'conocer' (pretérito perfecto simple) | I knew / met | From Late Latin conōscō.Wiktionary |
| un | uno | art. m. sg. | a / an | From Latin ūnus. |
| cielo | cielo | n. m. sg. | sky | From Latin caelum, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| sin | sin | prep. | without | From Old Spanish sin, from Latin sine.Wiktionary |
| sol | sol | n. m. sg. | sun | From Latin sol.Wiktionary |
| Y | y | conj. | and | From Old Spanish é.Wiktionary |
| hombre | hombre | n. m. sg. | man | From Old Spanish omne, from Latin homo, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ ('earthling').Wiktionary |
| suelo | suelo | n. m. sg. | ground / floor | From Latin solum, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| santo | santo | n. m. sg. | saint | From Old Spanish santo.Wiktionary |
| en | en | prep. | in | From Latin in, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| prisión | prisión | n. f. sg. | prison | From Latin prehensiō.Wiktionary |
| una | uno | art. f. sg. | a / an | From Latin ūnus. |
| canción | canción | n. f. sg. | song | From Latin cantiō.Wiktionary |
| triste | triste | adj. f. sg. | sad | From Latin trīstis.Wiktionary |
| dueño | dueño | n. m. sg. | owner / master | From Late Latin domnus.Wiktionary |
| tus | tu | adj. pos. m. pl. | your | From Latin tuos. |
| ojos | ojo | n. m. pl. | eyes | From Old Spanish ojo.Wiktionary |
| negros | negro | adj. m. pl. | black | From Latin niger. |
| ahora | ahora | adv. | now | From Old Spanish agora, from Latin hāc hōrā ('at this time').Wiktionary |
| sí | sí | adv. | indeed / truly | From Latin sīc. |
| que | que | conj. | that | From Latin quid.Wiktionary |
| no | no | adv. | not | From Latin non, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| puedo | poder | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. ind. of 'poder' (presente de indicativo) | I can | From Vulgar Latin posso.Wiktionary |
| vivir | vivir | v. inf. | to live | From Old Spanish bevir.Wiktionary |
| ellos | ellos | pron. m. pl. | them | From Latin illos, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| yo | yo | pron. 1st pers. sg. | I | From Late Latin eo, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| Le | él | pron. 3rd pers. sg. dat. | to it | From Latin ille.Wiktionary |
| pido | pedir | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. ind. of 'pedir' (presente de indicativo) | I ask for | From Vulgar Latin, from Latin peto ('ask, request').Wiktionary |
| al | al | prep. + art. m. sg. | to the | Contraction of 'a' + 'el'. |
| solo | solo | adv. | only / just | From Old Spanish solo, from Latin sōlum.Wiktionary |
| deseo | deseo | n. m. sg. | wish / desire | From Late Latin dēsidia.Wiktionary |
| pueda | poder | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. subj. of 'poder' (presente de subjuntivo) | I may | From Vulgar Latin posso.Wiktionary |
| He | haber | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. ind. of 'haber' (presente de indicativo) | I have | From Old Spanish aver, from Latin habeo ('have, hold').Wiktionary |
| recorrido | recorrer | v. past part. of 'recorrer' | traveled / covered | From Latin recurrō.Wiktionary |
| ya | ya | adv. | already | From Old Spanish ya ('already; now'), from Latin iam.Wiktionary |
| el | el | art. m. sg. | the | From Latin ille, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| mundo | mundo | n. m. sg. | world | From Latin mundus, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| entero | entero | adj. m. sg. | entire / whole | From Latin integer.Wiktionary |
| cosa | cosa | n. f. sg. | thing | From Old Spanish cosa, from Latin causa.Wiktionary |
| te | tú | pron. 2nd pers. sg. dat. | to you | From Latin tū, from Proto-Italic *tū, from Proto-Indo-European *túh₂.Wiktionary |
| vengo | venir | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. ind. of 'venir' (presente de indicativo) | I come | From Latin venire, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| a | a | prep. | to | From Latin ad.Wiktionary |
| decir | decir | v. inf. | to say / tell | From Latin dicere, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| Viajé | viajar | v., 1st pers. sg. pret. ind. of 'viajar' (pretérito perfecto simple) | I traveled | From Catalan viatjar.Wiktionary |
| de | de | prep. | from | From Old Spanish de.Wiktionary |
| Bahrein | Bahrein | n. m. sg. | Bahrain | From Arabic al-Bahrayn (the two seas). |
| hasta | hasta | prep. | to / until | From Old Spanish fasta.Wiktionary |
| Beirut | Beirut | n. m. sg. | Beirut | From Phoenician B'rot (wells). |
| Fui | ir | v., 1st pers. sg. pret. ind. of 'ir' (pretérito perfecto simple) | I went | From Latin eo, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| desde | desde | prep. | from | From Late Latin dē ex, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| norte | norte | n. m. sg. | north | From French nord, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| polo | polo | n. m. sg. | pole | From Latin polus.Wiktionary |
| sur | sur | n. m. sg. | south | From French sud, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| encontré | encontrar | v., 1st pers. sg. pret. ind. of 'encontrar' (pretérito perfecto simple) | I found | From Latin in contra, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| así | así | adv. | like this / so | From Latin sic, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| Como | como | conj. | like / as | From Old Spanish commo, from Latin cōmō̆.Wiktionary |
| los | el | art. m. pl. | the (ones) | From Latin ille, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| que | que | pron. | that / which | From Latin quid.Wiktionary |
| tienes | tener | v., 2nd pers. sg. pres. ind. of 'tener' (presente de indicativo) | you have | From Old Spanish tener ('to hold'), from Latin teneo ('to hold; to keep; to have'), from Proto-Italic *tenēō.Wiktionary |
| tú | tú | pron. 2nd pers. sg. | you | From Latin tū, from Proto-Italic *tū, from Proto-Indo-European *túh₂.Wiktionary |
| Rabboussamai | رب | n. phr. in idafa structure | Lord of the sky | From Proto-Semitic *rabb- ('master, lord'). |
| fikarrajaii | رجاء | prep. phr. with 1st pers. possessive | in my hope | From Arabic root r-j-w relating to hope. |
| Fi | في | prep. | in | From Proto-Semitic *pī ('in, mouth'). |
| ainaiha | عين | n. f. dual with 3rd pers. f. sg. possessive | her two eyes | From Proto-Semitic *ʿayn- ('eye'). |
| aralhayati | رأى | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. ind. + n. f. sg. | I see life | From Semitic ra'ā ('to see') and ḥayw- ('life'). |
| Ati | أتى | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. ind. of 'أتى' | I come | From Proto-Semitic *'atā ('to come'). |
| ilaika | إلى | prep. with 2nd pers. m. sg. pronoun | to you | From Proto-Semitic preposition *ilay- ('to'). |
| min | من | prep. | from | From Proto-Semitic *min ('from'). |
| haza | هذا | pron. m. sg. demonstrative | this | From Proto-Semitic demonstrative element *hā-dhā. |
| lkaaouni | كون | n. m. sg. | the universe | From Arabic root k-w-n ('to be, exist'). |
| Arjouka | رجى | v., 1st pers. sg. pres. ind. of 'رجى' | I beg you | From Arabic root r-j-w ('to hope, beg'). |
| labbi | لبى | v., 2nd pers. m. sg. imp. of 'لبى' | answer | From Arabic root l-b-y ('to respond to a call'). |
| nidai | نداء | n. m. sg. with 1st pers. possessive | my call | From Arabic root n-d-w ('to call out'). |
| vi | ver | v., 1st pers. sg. pret. ind. of 'ver' (pretérito perfecto simple) | I saw | From Latin videre, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| pasar | pasar | v. inf. | pass / pass by | From Vulgar Latin *passare, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| mujer | mujer | n. f. sg. | woman | From Old Spanish mugier, from Latin mulier.Wiktionary |
| Debajo | debajo | adv. | under / beneath | Formed within Spanish from de + bajo.Wiktionary |
| su | su | adj. poss. 3rd pers. sg. | her / his | From Old Spanish su.Wiktionary |
| camello | camello | n. m. sg. | camel | From Late Latin camellus, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| río | río | n. m. sg. | river | From Latin rivus, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| sal | sal | n. f. sg. | salt | From Latin sal, probably from Old Spanish.Wiktionary |
| barco | barco | n. m. sg. | boat / ship | Formed within Spanish from barca.Wiktionary |
| Abandonado | abandonado | adj. m. sg. | abandoned | Formed within Spanish from abandonar + -ado.Wiktionary |
| desierto | desierto | n. m. sg. | desert | From Old Spanish desierto.Wiktionary |
| sus | su | adj. poss. 3rd pers. pl. | her | From Old Spanish su.Wiktionary |
| al-Bahrayn | بحرين | n. proper m. dual | Bahrain | From Arabic 'al-baḥrayn' ('the two seas'). |
| ila | إلى | prep. | to | From Proto-Semitic preposition *ilay- ('to'). |
| Bayrut | بيروت | n. proper f. sg. | Beirut | From Phoenician *Be'erōt ('the wells'). |
Linguistic analysis is produced with AI assistance and reviewed by hand before publication. It is designed as an educational aid and may still contain translation or etymological errors.
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