Learning Spanish From Song Lyrics

This song is by the Norteño band "Grupo Pesado" from Monterrey, Nuevo León in México.
[From the Album "Sólo Contigo". Composed by Felipe De Jesús Jr. © Disa Records 2009]

The title "Ojalá" translates as something like "Hopefully" or "I hope" and it's a classic "you did me wrong - so I hope you get what's coming to you" type of song.

I actually really like the song, but I also think that it works as a good example of the "O" in the W.E.I.R.D.O. acronym that we use to remember when to use the present subjunctive. [See an explanation of the acronym here.]

Remember, none of these bad things have happened to her (yet). He just hopes that they do - and that's why he uses the subjunctive!.

The song starts with a fairly long instrumental intro and then we hear what's happened to make our singer so upset:

[Click the green arrow below to play the audio.]

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"¿Por qué?,
Si lo único que hice fue amarte con toda mi alma,
Te adoraba con todas mis fuerzas,
creí en tus promesas de amarme por siempre y ya ves.
¿Qué pasó?

Hoy me dices que vas a marcharte y que todo acabó,
Que tal solo era un juego,
Todo era mentira,
Que nunca me amaste,
Que solo fingías amor.

Y te ries al verme sufriendo
Y me dices que todo esto ha sido un error."

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[translation] Why? If the only thing that I did was to love you with all of my soul? I loved you with all of my strength, believed your promises to love me forever and now look. What happened?

Now you tell me you're going to leave and everything is over. That it was only a game, it was all a lie, that you never loved me, that you only faked being in love.
You laugh at me when you see me suffering and tell me that all of this has been a mistake.

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Now we get to the juicy part where he starts to tell her what he hopes will happen to her. It's also the part where we start to hear him use the subjunctive mood . [I have marked verbs in the subjunctive in bold italics to help make them stand out.]

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"Ojalá,
Que la vida te cobre con creces el daño que me haces,
Que no encuentres amor,
Y si un día lo encuentras, fracases.

Que a quien llames amor, se convierta en tu peor enemigo,
Y se burle de ti,
Como lo haces conmigo.

Que las noches se vuelvan eternas llorando en tu cama,
Que te abrace una pena, Y que sientas un frio en el alma.

Ojalá que algun día tu camino se llene de espinas,
Y sientas lo mucho que duele una herida.

Y al perder de ese amor mi recuerdo se clave en tu mente,
Y que sientas el mismo rencor que yo siento al perderte.

Ojalá que alguien te haga sufrir y de tanto dolor,
Ya no quieras vivir,.

Que desees la muerte."

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[translation] I hope..
that life pays you back with interest the hurt that you're doing to me, that you don't find love and that if, one day , you do - that you fail.

That the one you call "darling" turns into your worst enemy and makes fun of you, as you're doing to me.

That the nights turn themselves into an eternity as you cry in your bed. That a pain embraces you and you feel a chill in your soul.

That, one day, your route fills with thorns and you feel how much it hurts to be wounded....

and that in losing that love, the memory of me sticks in your mind - and that you feel the same bitterness that I do in losing you.

I hope that someone makes you suffer, and with so much pain that you no longer want to live..

that you wish you were dead....

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The last part of the song is a reprise of all of those wishes in the subjunctive.

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Ojalá que te guste esta canción y si tienes comentarios, sugerencias, preguntas o quejas - ¡escríbame, por favor!

I hope that you enjoyed this song and if you have comments, suggestions, questions or complaints - please write to me!

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Here's the video: