“Guantanamera” (Celia Cruz)

Live Performance of “Guantanamera”
Live Performance with The Fania All Stars in Zaire (1974)
Country: Cuba
Language: Spanish (Español)
Genre: Salsa

“Guantanamera” (Music by  Joseíto Fernández, Lyrics adapted from José Martí)

Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera

Yo soy un hombre sincero de donde crecen las palmas, dijo Marti
Yo soy un hombre sincero de donde crecen las palmas
y antes de morir yo quiero cantar mis versos del alma.

Cultivo una rosa blanca en junio como en enero.
Cultivo una rosa blanca en junio como en enero.
para el amigo sincero que me da su mano franca.

Mi verso es de un verde claro y de un carmín encendido.
mi verso es de un verde claro y de un carmín encendido.
mi verso es un ciervo herido que busca en el monte amparo

“Guantanamera” (English translation, ORS 2011)

*Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera

I’m a sincere man from where the palms grow, that’s what Marti said
I’m a sincere man from where the palms grow
and before dying I want to sing my verses from the soul

I cultivate a white rose in June and in January
I cultivate a white rose in June as well as in January
for the sincere friend who gives me an honest hand

My verse is from a clear green and a burning carmine
My verse is from a clear green and a burning carmine
my verse is a wounded deer that looks for the mountain refuge

*guajira Guantanamera ~  local girl from Guatánamo

Vocabulary and Etymology

1.  guajiro – (adjective) peasant, indigenous person (used in Cuba)
2.  franco – (adjective) frank, honest, natural; also “free” as in franco a bordo (free on board, FOB), franco de derechos (duty free); related to “free” Frankish (Germanic) people; also in Port franco, Ital franco, Fren franc
3. el carmín – (noun) pigment red color from aluminum salt of carminic acid, from cochineal insects; also refers to lipstick; from Arabic qirmiz “crimson” from Sanskrit “krmi” (insect)
4.  encendido – (adjective) heated, fiery, from verb encender (to light, to turn on); from Latin incendere (to set on fire) from candare (to shine); in Port acender, Ital accendere
5.  el ciervo – (noun) the deer; from Latin cervus; in Fren cerf, Ital cervo, but Port veado (as in venison)
6.  el amparo – (noun) the refuge, protection, from verb amparar (to protect) from Latin ante+ parare (to prepare, supply before)

Grammar

1.  Uses of “Como”
The word “como” has various uses in Spanish, mostly related to linking two ideas.

As, like ~
Tratame como una princesa.  Treat me as/like a princess.

Like, such as, for example ~
No hay nadie como tu.  There is no one like you.

And, As well as ~
“en junio como en enero” – in June and (as well as) in January

As, because, since ~
Como no me siento bien,… Since I don’t feel well,…

Roughy, approximately, about, like
Es como la misma cosa.  It’s basically like the same thing.

Other Uses

Ser como para (infinitive) : To be enough to…, to make you wanna…
Ex: Es como para preocuparse.   It’s enough to make you (want to) worry.

Tal como : just as

“Como quieras”  (phrase) : as you like, do as you wish

Como quiera que (verb subjunctive) : whatever…
Ex:  como quiera que sea (whatever it is, no matter what it is), como quiera que se llame (whatever it’s called)

This word is written without an accent, to distinguish it from the question word “cómo” which generally means “how”?

Guitar Chords
Chorus: A D E D
Verse: A Bm E D