Colores en el viento - Pocahontas
Colors of the wind - Pocahontas
I thought this was a good song for you guys to practice. It has a lot of vocabulary and easy grammar.
This is the European Spanish version, because personally I found it easier to translate and explain than the Latin American version. Even though the lyrics change a little the message is the same. And if you learn Spanish with this song, people in all Spanish speaking countries will understand you, don’t worry about it. :)
I also chose this song because of all the hate that has been spreading in all the world and the Internet. Not just about our skin color, but also about our gender, sexual preference and religion, among other things. And the hate not only between humans, but also against the nature.
I respect all differences, let’s find harmony in our world. Love you guys! ♡
– Quieres decir: Diferente a ti.
– You mean, different from you.
Me ves ignorante y salvaje
You see me ignorant and savage
ignorante: ignorant
salvaje: savage, wild
ver: to see
Me ves … : You see me ...
Y conoces mil lugares. Quizás tengas razón.
And you know a thousand places. Perhaps you’re right.
lugar(es): place(s)
mil: a thousand
conocer: to know
tener razón: to be right *literally: to have reason
quizás: perhaps, maybe
Quizás + subjunctive: Perhaps + V
Ex.: Quizás llueva mañana. - Perhaps it will rain tomorrow.
¿Por qué si es así? ¿Soy salvaje para ti?
Why if it’s like this? Am I a savage to you?
Si + [complement] : If + [complement]
así: like this, like that, this way
para ti: In this context: to you, before your eyes, from your perspective
¿No puedes abrir más tu corazón? Corazón
Can’t you open more your heart? Heart
corazón: heart
poder: can
abrir: to open
más: more
Poder + V. inf. = Can + V
Ex. Yo puedo cantar: I can sing
Te crees que es tuyo todo lo que pisas.
You think everything you step on is yours
todo: everything
creer: to think, to believe
pisar: to step on
tuyo: yours
Te crees: You think you ...
*We can also say “tú crees” but “te crees” is more like “you think yourself as...”
**This sentence is written backwards to match the rhythm. This is very common in songs.
A more natural phrase for conversations would be:
Te crees que todo lo que pisas es tuyo.
lo que: what, “the thing”
Te crees que todo [lo que] pisas es tuyo.
You think that every [of the things] that you step on is yours
Ex. Sé [lo que] estás pensando. I know [what] that you’re thinking.
If we only use “que” it would be like saying “that”
Sé [que] estás pensando. I know [that] you’re thinking.
Te adueñas de la tierra que tú ves
You take possession of the land that you see
tierra: land, soil, dirt
adueñarse: take possession, take over, take control *Reflexive verb
Mas cada árbol, roca y criatura tiene vida, tiene alma, es un ser
But every tree, rock and creature has a life, has a soul, it’s a being
árbol: tree
roca: rock
criatura: creature
vida: life
alma: soul
ser: being
*”ser” as a noun
cada: every
tener: to have
ser: to be
Mas means “but” as a contrast. We use it mostly in books, but you might hear some people use it in conversations.
Be careful with “más” with written accent, this is more.
Ex.: Es invierno, mas no hace tanto frío. It’s winter, but it’s not so cold.
Parece que no existen más personas que aquellas que son igual que tú
It seems that there are no more people than those who are just like you
personas: people
aquellos/as: those (over there)
parecer: to seem, to look like
existir: to exist
más: more
*So many “que”s in this phrase:
Parece que: It seems that
más personas que: more people than
aquellas que: those who
igual que: like, same as
Si sigues las pisadas de un extraño
If you follow the footsteps of a stranger
pisada: footstep
extraño: stranger
seguir: to follow
Verás cosas que jamás soñaste ver
You will see things that you never dreamed to see
cosas: things
ver: to see
soñar: to dream
jamás: never
¿Has oído al lobo aullarle a la luna azul?
Have you heard the wolf howling at the blue moon?
lobo: wolf
luna: moon
azul: blue
oír: to hear
aullar: to howl
aullarle a la luna: to howl at the moon
Haber + [Verb participle] = To have + V participle
Ex. ¿Has visto esta película? - Have you seen this move.
Oír + [Verb infinitive] = to hear + V-ing
Ex.: Oigo a alguien cantar: I hear someone singing.
¿O has visto a un lince sonreír?
Or have you seen a lynx smiling?
lince: lynx
ver: to see
sonreír: to smile
Just as “oír”
Ver + [inf. verb] = see + V-ing
Ex. Vi a mi hermana bailar. - I saw my sister dancing.
¿Has cantado con la voz de las montañas?
Have you sung with the voice of the mountains?
voz: voice
montaña: mountain
cantar: to sing
¿Y colores en el viento descubrir? (x2)
And discover colors in the wind?
color: color
viento: wind
descubrir: to discover
More natural sentence:
Y descubrir colores en el viento
Corramos por las sendas de los bosques
Let’s run through the paths of the forest
senda: path, route
bosque: forest
correr: to run
*In this sentence, this verb is in imperative for nosotros, so that’s translated as “Let’s ...”
Ex.: Vayamos: Let’s go / Comamos: Let’s eat
This is more used in books and songs, but people might say it in conversations too.
por + [place] = through/across + [place]
Also, por + [place] could mean: near + [place]
Probemos de los frutos su sabor
Let’s try the taste of its fruits
fruto: fruit *synonym: fruta
We usually say “fruto” as the result of something or the tree’s fruits. And “fruta” for the fruit that is ready to eat.
sabor: taste
probar: to try (food, clothes, things)
More natural sentence:
Probemos el sabor de sus frutos
Descubre la riqueza a tu alcance, sin pensar un instante en su valor
Discover the wealth within your reach, without thinking an instant in its value
riqueza: wealth
instante: instant
valor: value
pensar: to think
sin: without
a tu alcance: within your reach, at your fingertips
Los ríos y la lluvia, mis hermanos
The rivers and the rain, my brothers
río(s): river(s)
lluvia: rain
hermano(s): brother(s)
Amigos somos todos, ya lo ves
We are all friends as you can see
amigo(s): friend(s)
todos: everybody
ya lo ves: as you can see *literally: you see it now
Estamos entre todos muy unidos
We are all together so connected
entre todos: all together *literally: among everybody
unido(s): connected
En un ciclo sin final que eterno es
In a cycle without end that is eternal
ciclo: cycle
final: end
eterno: eternal
This sentence is also modified to match the rhythm. A more natural sentence would be:
En un ciclo sin final que es eterno.
¿Cuán alto el árbol crecerá? Si lo cortas hoy nunca lo sabrás
How tall the tree will grow? If you cut it down today you will never know
alto: tall
crecer: to grow
cortar: to cut (down)
saber: to know
Cuán + [adjective] = How + [adjective]
Ex.: ¿Cuán lejos iré? How far will I go?
We usually use “Cuán” in books and songs. A more conversational phrase would be: ¿Qué tan...
¿Qué tan alto crecerá el árbol? - How tall will the tree grow?
lo: it (masculine nouns, neutral)
Si lo cortas: If you cut it (tree)
Nunca lo sabrás: You’ll never know it (how tall the tree will be)
If we just say “nunca sabrás” sounds like you’ll never know nothing about anything.
Y no oirás al lobo aullarle a la luna azul
And you won’t hear the wolf howling at the blue moon
No importa el color de nuestra piel
No matter the color of our skin
color: colour
piel: skin
nuestro/a(s): our
no importa: no matter, it doesn’t matter
Ex.: No importa si no hablas español. - It doesn’t matter if you don’t speak Spanish.
Y uniremos nuestra voz con las montañas
And we will join our voice with the mountains
Y colores en el viento descubrir
And discover colors in the wind
Si no entiendes qué hay aquí, sólo es tierra para ti
If you don’t understand what’s in here, it’s just dirt to you
entender: to understand
tierra: dirt, soil
sólo: only, just
qué hay aquí: what’s in here
Sin colores en el viento descubrir
Without discovering colors in the wind
♡ I hope this was helpful! :)
