No sé como decirte
No sé como explicarte
Que aquí no hay remedio
De lo que siento yo
De lo que siento yo
La luna me dice una cosa
Las estrellas me dicen otra
Y la luz del día me canta
Esta triste canción
Esta triste canción
Los besos que me diste mi amor
Son los que me están matando
Y las lágrimas me están secando
Con mi pistola y mi corazón
Y aquí siempre paso la vida
Con la pistola y el corazón
No sé como amarte
No sé como abrazarte
Porque no se me deja
El dolor que tengo yo
El dolor que tengo yo
Esta noche tan oscura
Con sus sombras tan tranquilas
Y el viento me sigue cantando
Esta humilde canción
Esta humilde canción
Los besos que me diste mi amor
Son los que me están matando
Y las lágrimas me están secando
Con mi pistola y mi corazón
Y aquí siempre paso la vida
Con la pistola y el corazón
(from “La pistola y el corazón” by Los Lobos, released in 1988. Written by band members David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez)
The pistol and the heart
I don’t know how to tell you,
don’t know how to explain
that there is no remedy
for what I feel inside,
for what I feel inside
The moon tells me one thing,
the stars tell me another,
and the light of day sings me
this sad, sad song,
this sad, sad song
The kisses you gave me, my love,
are the ones that will kill me,
and the tears I’ve cried are drying
with my pistol and my heart,
and my life here goes by
with the pistol and the heart
I don’t know how to love you,
don’t know how to embrace you,
because this pain I feel,
this pain I feel
won’t leave me alone
The night is so dark
with its quiet shadows,
and the wind keeps singing
this humble song,
this humble song
The kisses you gave me, my love,
are the ones that will kill me,
and the tears I’ve cried are drying
with my pistol and my heart,
and my life here goes by
with the pistol and the heart
– English translation by Johannes Beilharz ( © 2009 )
Posted for One Single Impression and Migration – after all, this song has a migrant background.
Lyrics index – an eclectic selection of song lyrics.
Steer Forth! 
An exquisite choice. Thanks also for posting in Spanish – there are nuances that are not translatable.
Goes straight to my heart. Thanks.
This is the translation I’ve been needing. Such a beautiful song.
Thank you so much for the spanish and english lyrics. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever. Tear .
Johannes… The migrants are the anglos like me who have settled in LA; the ancestors of Mexican East LA were there long before Alta California was extorted by the newly aggressive American empire flaunting its muscles. Just so you know.
PS While I’m supplying pedantic footnotes to your courageous artistic enterprise, Manfred Mann.. did they write anything? Well, not the Mighty Quinn. It’s a Bob Dylan song popularized by the popsters. But don’t forget, when Quinn the Eskimo gets here, everybody’s gonna want a dose.
PS I forgot to thank you for the lovely translation!
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