Translated: Reik

I've written about Reik and translated their songs many times already on this blog. (Click here for evidence.) But every time I listen to their music, a different song catches my attention and appeals to whatever mood I'm feeling at the moment.

Blame it on the winter blues, my own virtually non-existent love life, the fact that it's taken me a year and a half to fully move on after my last big break-up, or the fact that a close friend is moving on from a volatile relationship. Whatever it is, this song just spoke to me. Yes, it's Latin pop, but it's curiously unprocessed Latin pop. This raw quality makes the lyrics even sadder--perfect listening for my melancholy moments.

Ahora Sin Ti ("Now Without You")

Today I decided
I'll never think of you again
This feeling you have given me
Is too much for me

I'm here
Recording these moments
Intending to understand why you're not here
And I'm always here
Waiting for that day
Waiting for you to decide to return

It's the taste
It's the taste of your lips
A drug that poisons me and drives me mad
It's the smell
It's the smell of your hair
The aroma of spring which lingers on my skin

I can't forget
The time you loved me
But now that you're not here
I miss you
I love you
You'll never return

I'm here
Sculpting these verses
Discarding the sentiments of my love
And I'm leaving from here
Beginning another life
An emptier life now that you're not in it

It's the taste
It's the taste of your lips
A drug that poisons me and drives me mad
It's the smell
It's the smell of your hair
The aroma of spring which lingers on my skin

Now without you
I have no choice but to let you go

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Translated: Reik

I've listened to this song so many times I've lost count, but it was only recently that the Spanish words clicked in my head and I suddenly understood the lovelorn lyrics that Reik was singing. What I heard made the incurable romantic in me grin like an idiot, so I thought I'd share these sweet and sappy words with you. Cue the collective "Aww" moment.

Que Vida La Mia ("What A Life, This Life of Mine")

I wake up in the morning, to see you pass by,
and I'll have you in my mind for the rest of the day
what a life, this life of mine
I still don't know your name and now you're in control of me
and I spend all day imagining your smile...
what a life, this life of mine
I don't know what to do to be the air around you
and caress your skin...
I only want to talk, I only want to get to know you
give me a bit of your time to convince you
I only want to be your friend, and I'm dying to go out with you
give me a signal, just give me a glance
if you're at my side, nothing else matters
now I want to be in your arms, and I'm dying to
taste your lips, so red, full of you...
just say yes to me...

I stay awake at nights thinking of you
and if I sleep I dream only of having your caresses
what a life, this life of mine...
I have all this love and it's only for you
and I'm only satisfied seeing you another day
what a life, this life of mine...
I don't know what to do to be the air around you
and caress your skin...

I only want to talk, I only want to get to know you
give me a bit of your time to convince you
I only want to be your friend, and I'm dying to go out with you
give me a signal, just give me a glance
if you're at my side, nothing else matters
now I want to be in your arms, and I'm dying to
taste your lips, so red, full of you...
just say yes to me...

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Translated: Reik

I was saving this post for a bleak winter day, but the rain in the music video reminds me of what Vancouver looks like right now. Yes, my last week of summer sunshine has been rained out. And I have a sore throat and cough that won't quit.

Invierno ("Winter")

It rains outside, it rains still more
The city is deserted
Meanwhile you and I take refuge in eternity
I don't feel cold near you
Inside of me shines the sun

The sky falls and I don't care
We have our world
The sky is always blue when we're together
Nothing else matters
That here it'll forever be
Winter

So much noise, so much loneliness
People who run without stopping
Behind the door this universe of infinite peace
I need the calm that you give me

The sky falls and I don't care
We have our world
The sky is always blue when we're together
Nothing else matters

except what you give me

Clouds, wind, fear, rain
Gray nights without a moon
Another winter of darkness
You kiss me, you cure me
Your warmth and your tenderness
don't let it enter

Winter, winter, winter

The sky falls and I don't care
We have our world
The sky is always blue when we're together
Nothing else matters
That here it'll forever be
Winter

The sky falls and I don't care
The day is always blue
The sky falls and I don't care
We have our world

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Lisa's Most Coveted List

You know the drill! 5 things I'm loving or lusting after right now.

1. Reik's Secuencia album. Reik's sentimental pop rock en espanol makes me absurdly happy when I'm at work.

2. 'Scent of summer' tunic, $45.99. Purple? Check. Pleated chiffon? Check. Demure floral details? Check. I can't stop envisioning this top with my dark denim circle skirt.



3. Frying pan-da, $34.99. Grilled cheese sandwiches taste a wee bit better when your adorable frying pan is smiling back at you. Along with the Hello Kitty toaster, the panda frying pan might actually turn me into a breakfast person.



4. Gold and blue multi-flower hoops, $25.89. Oversized gold hoops are usually associated with a ghetto fabulous vibe, but these earrings transcend any association with hip-hop music video style. Sweet blossoms and gem and enamel details make these the accessory of choice for swishy summer skirts.



5. Colin Firth. BBC miniseries fans swear that Firth is the definitive Darcy. For me, his appeal lies in his ability to convey straitlaced British breeding while cutting loose in hilarious ways. My love for him was renewed while watching him rock out in a black tee and leather pants in What a Girl Wants (hey, it was on TV and there was nothing else on!). And who can forget the sissy fight sequences in Bridget Jones? I can't wait to see him belt out ABBA songs in Mamma Mia!

Update: I've just discovered that track 6 in the embedded playlist above skips. If you want to listen to "Invierno" (and trust me, it's worth a listen!), watch the video below.

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Translated: Reik

My latest Latin pop obsession is Reik, a guitar-driven Mexican pop group from Baja California. I love their soulful vocals, simple melodies, and the sound of their strumming. I could go on ad nauseum about their music and I'm having trouble deciding which song I should translate. At first I was really attracted to "Invierno," but "Invierno" means "winter," and a cursory skim-through of the Spanish lyrics indicated it wasn't the best song for summer since it's about a happy couple taking refuge from winter inside their inviting home. So instead I decided to translate one of their smash hits, "Levemente." Enjoy!

If you want to listen to the song, click here.

Levemente ("Slowly")

I intend to resolve the mystery of your goodbye
You have no alibi, you have no word, you have no heart
A fog of sadness clouds my vision
I have passed on the threshold of pain
Your absence is the longest winter I've lived
The lament and the memories have not left

Slowly each time that the wind blows I breathe you
Under the mantle of night I hallucinate you

I miss your faded fragrance
Since then time has dried it up, no no no
My heart is not a flower; it radiates pain
Your silence was the saddest conversation I've had
I don't know how much time has elapsed since then, no no no

Slowly each time that the wind blows I breathe you
Under the mantle of night I hallucinate you

Slowly each time that the wind blows I breathe you
Under the mantle of night I hallucinate you

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