Song guide

La Tortura

Alejandro Sanz, Shakira

La Tortura by Alejandro Sanz, Shakira, line by line: what the lyrics mean, 28 expressions explained and 389 words translated with their grammar. Learn Spanish from the song, free.

56 lines translated 389 words explained 28 expressions

Lyrics with English translation, line by line

Each line as sung, what it means, and — where it needs one — why it's said that way.

  1. Ay payita mía, guárdate la poesía

    Oh, my little one, keep your poetry to yourself

    'payita' is a diminutive term of endearment, likely derived from 'paya' (a non-Romani woman in some Latin American dialects) or used simply as an affectionate nickname. The diminutive suffix '-ita' softens and endears the address.

  2. Guárdate la alegria pa' ti

    Keep your joy for yourself

  3. Dame, dámelo

    Give it to me, give it to me

  4. No pido que todos los días sean de sol

    I don't ask that every day be sunny

  5. No pido que todos los viernes sean de fiesta

    I don't ask that every Friday be a party

  6. Y tampoco te pido que vuelvas rogando perdón

    And I don't ask you to come back begging for forgiveness either

  7. Si lloras con los ojos secos y hablando de ella

    If you cry with dry eyes and talking about her

    'llorar con los ojos secos' (crying with dry eyes) is a poetic oxymoron suggesting the partner's grief is performative or insincere — they speak of pain while showing no real emotion.

  8. Ay, amor, me duele tanto (Me duele tanto)

    Oh, love, it hurts me so much (it hurts me so much)

  9. Que te fueras sin decir a dónde

    That you left without saying where

  10. Ay, amor, fue una tortura perderte

    Oh, love, losing you was torture

  11. Yo sé que no he sido un santo

    I know I haven't been a saint

  12. Pero lo puedo arreglar, amor

    But I can fix it, love

  13. No solo de pan vive el hombre

    Man does not live by bread alone

    'No solo de pan vive el hombre' is a direct reference to the biblical verse Matthew 4:4 / Deuteronomy 8:3. It is a well-known saying in Spanish-speaking cultures, used here to mean that a relationship needs more than just material or surface-level things.

  14. Y no de excusas vivo yo

    And I don't live on excuses

  15. Solo de errores se aprende

    You only learn from mistakes

  16. Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón

    And today I know my heart is yours

  17. Mejor te guardas todo eso

    You'd better keep all of that to yourself

  18. A otro perro con ese hueso y nos decimos adiós

    Take that bone to another dog, and we say goodbye

    'A otro perro con ese hueso' is a classic Spanish idiom. It dismisses someone's excuse or story as unworthy of belief, telling them to take their nonsense elsewhere. It is the equivalent of 'pull the other one' in British English.

  19. Que esto es una vez, es otra vez

    Because this is once, and then again

  20. Que esto es una vez, es otra vez

    Because this is once, and then again

  21. No puedo pedir que el invierno perdone a un rosal

    I can't ask winter to spare a rose bush

  22. No puedo pedir a los olmos que entreguen peras

    I can't ask elm trees to give pears

    'Pedir peras al olmo' (asking an elm tree for pears) is a traditional Spanish proverb meaning to ask for the impossible. Elm trees do not bear pears, so the image conveys the futility of expecting something from someone incapable of giving it.

  23. No puedo pedirle lo eterno a un simple mortal

    I can't ask eternity from a mere mortal

  24. Y andar arrojando a los cerdos miles de perlas

    And go around casting thousands of pearls before swine

    'Arrojar perlas a los cerdos' (casting pearls before swine) is a biblical allusion from Matthew 7:6. It means wasting something precious on those who cannot appreciate it. The song uses it to say the singer has been giving too much to an undeserving partner.

  25. Ay, amor, me duele tanto, me duele tanto

    Oh, love, it hurts me so much, it hurts me so much

  26. Que no creas más en mis promesas

    That you no longer believe in my promises

  27. Ay amor, es una tortura perderte

    Oh love, losing you is torture

  28. Yo sé que no he sido un santo

    I know I haven't been a saint

  29. Pero lo puedo arreglar, amor

    But I can fix it, love

  30. No solo de pan vive el hombre

    Man does not live by bread alone

  31. Y no de excusas vivo yo

    And I don't live on excuses

  32. Solo de errores se aprende

    You only learn from mistakes

  33. Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón

    And today I know my heart is yours

  34. Mejor te guardas todo eso

    You'd better keep all of that to yourself

  35. A otro perro con ese hueso y nos decimos adiós

    Take that bone to another dog, and we say goodbye

  36. Dame, dámelo

    Give it to me, give it to me

  37. No te bajes, no te bajes

    Don't back down, don't back down

  38. Oye negrita, mira, no te rajes

    Hey girl, look, don't give up

    'negrita' is a common term of endearment in Latin American and Caribbean Spanish, especially in salsa and cumbia music. It does not carry the offensive connotation it would in English — it is an affectionate address to a woman, often a romantic partner.

  39. De lunes a viernes tienes mi amor

    From Monday to Friday you have my love

  40. Déjame el sábado a mí que es mejor

    Leave Saturday to me, it's better that way

  41. Oye mi negra, no me castigues más

    Hey my girl, don't punish me anymore

    'mi negra' is the same affectionate address as 'negrita' (line 37), used widely in salsa, cumbia, and vallenato music. It is a culturally specific term of endearment with no derogatory intent in this context.

  42. Porque allá afuera, sin ti no tengo paz

    Because out there, without you I have no peace

  43. Yo solo soy un hombre arrepentido

    I'm just a repentant man

  44. Y como el ave que vuelve a su nido

    And like the bird that returns to its nest

    The image of a bird returning to its nest ('el ave que vuelve a su nido') is a classic metaphor in Spanish-language poetry and song for a man who always comes home to his partner, no matter how far he strays.

  45. Yo sé que no he sido un santo

    I know I haven't been a saint

  46. Y es que no estoy hecho de cartón

    And it's that I'm not made of cardboard

    'No estoy hecho de cartón' (I'm not made of cardboard) is a colloquial expression meaning 'I have real feelings / I'm not a robot'. It implies the singer is a flesh-and-blood human who makes mistakes, not a flat, emotionless figure.

  47. No solo de pan vive el hombre

    Man does not live by bread alone

  48. Y no de excusas vivo yo

    And I don't live on excuses

  49. Solo de errores se aprende

    You only learn from mistakes

  50. Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón

    And today I know my heart is yours

  51. Ay, ay

    Oh, oh

  52. Ay, ay, ay

    Oh, oh, oh

  53. Ay, todo lo que he hecho por ti

    Oh, everything I have done for you

  54. Fue una tortura perderte y me duele tanto que sea así

    Losing you was torture and it hurts me so much that it's like this

  55. Sigue llorando "Perdón"

    Keep crying 'Sorry'

  56. Yo ya no voy a llorar hoy por ti

    I'm not going to cry for you today anymore

Expressions and idioms in “La Tortura”

The lines that don't mean what the dictionary says.

guárdate la poesía keep your poetry to yourself
guardarse algo is a reflexive construction meaning 'to keep something for oneself' or 'to hold something back'. The reflexive clitic 'te' (2nd person) signals that the action benefits or reflects back on the subject.
pa' ti for yourself / for you
'pa'' is a colloquial, song-lyric shortening of 'para'. In everyday speech and music, 'para ti' (for you) is often reduced to 'pa' ti'. This elision is extremely common in Latin pop and salsa.
No pido que ... sean I don't ask that ... be
pedir que + subjunctive is a standard pattern: verbs of requesting or wishing trigger the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. Here 'sean' (subjunctive of ser) is required because the main verb 'pido' expresses a wish.
vuelvas rogando perdón come back begging for forgiveness
volver + gerund (rogando) describes the manner in which someone returns — 'come back doing something'. This gerund construction is equivalent to English 'come back begging'.
lloras con los ojos secos you cry with dry eyes
This is an oxymoron used poetically: crying with dry eyes implies fake or insincere tears. The phrase 'con los ojos secos' (with dry eyes) modifies the verb 'lloras' as an adverbial phrase of manner.
me duele tanto it hurts me so much
doler works like gustar: the thing that hurts is the grammatical subject, and the person who feels pain is the indirect object marked by 'me'. So 'me duele' literally means 'it aches to me', not 'I ache'.
te fueras sin decir a dónde you left without saying where
'sin + infinitive' means 'without doing something'. Here 'sin decir a dónde' = 'without saying where (you were going)'. The indirect question 'a dónde' (to where) is embedded after 'decir'.
no he sido un santo I haven't been a saint
'haber + past participle' forms the present perfect tense in Spanish. 'He sido' = 'I have been'. The negation 'no' precedes the auxiliary 'he', not the participle.
lo puedo arreglar I can fix it
poder + infinitive is the standard modal construction for 'can / to be able to'. The direct object pronoun 'lo' (it) can be placed before the conjugated modal or attached to the infinitive — both are correct.
No solo de pan vive el hombre Man does not live by bread alone
This is a deliberate inversion of the biblical phrase for poetic emphasis. Normal word order would be 'El hombre no vive solo de pan'. Placing 'No solo de pan' at the front stresses what is being denied.
se aprende one learns / you learn
'se + 3rd person verb' forms the impersonal or passive construction in Spanish. 'Solo de errores se aprende' = 'One only learns from mistakes'. There is no specific subject — it applies to everyone.
mejor te guardas todo eso you'd better keep all of that to yourself
'mejor + present indicative' is a colloquial way to give advice or a mild warning, equivalent to 'you'd better...'. It is softer than an imperative but carries a clear recommendation.
a otro perro con ese hueso take that bone to another dog
This is a fixed Spanish idiom meaning 'don't try to fool me' or 'take your excuses elsewhere'. Literally 'to another dog with that bone', it dismisses someone's story as unbelievable.
nos decimos adiós we say goodbye to each other
'nos + verb' can express a reciprocal action — something done to each other. 'Nos decimos adiós' = 'we say goodbye to each other', not just 'we say goodbye'.
No puedo pedir que ... perdone I can't ask that ... forgive
pedir que + subjunctive: the verb 'pedir' (to ask/request) triggers the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. 'Perdone' is the present subjunctive of 'perdonar'.
pedir a los olmos que entreguen peras ask elm trees to give pears
This is a Spanish proverb-like expression: 'pedir peras al olmo' (to ask an elm tree for pears) means to ask for the impossible. The verb 'pedir' here governs 'a' before the indirect object and 'que + subjunctive' for the request.
pedirle lo eterno to ask for eternity from someone
'pedirle' = 'pedir' + indirect object clitic 'le' (to him/her/it). 'Lo eterno' uses the neuter article 'lo' before an adjective to create an abstract noun: 'lo eterno' = 'that which is eternal / eternity'.
andar arrojando to go around throwing / casting
'andar + gerund' is a periphrastic construction expressing a habitual or ongoing action, often with a negative connotation. It is similar to 'ir + gerund' but implies wandering or doing something repeatedly and carelessly.
no creas más en mis promesas you no longer believe in my promises
'creer en' means 'to believe in' — the preposition 'en' is required in Spanish where English uses 'in'. 'No ... más' together means 'no longer / not anymore'.
no te bajes don't back down / don't lower yourself
'bajarse' is the reflexive form of 'bajar'. While 'bajar' means 'to lower/go down', 'bajarse' in colloquial usage can mean 'to back down, to give up, to demean oneself'. The 'no + subjunctive' construction forms a negative command.
no te rajes don't give up / don't back out
'rajarse' is a colloquial reflexive verb meaning 'to chicken out, to give up, to back out of something'. The plain verb 'rajar' means 'to split/crack', but the reflexive shifts the meaning entirely to quitting or backing down.
de lunes a viernes from Monday to Friday
'de ... a ...' is the standard Spanish construction for expressing a range of time or space, equivalent to English 'from ... to ...'. Days of the week in Spanish do not take a capital letter.
Déjame el sábado a mí leave Saturday to me
'dejar + indirect object + noun' means 'to leave something to/for someone'. The 'a mí' at the end is an emphatic pronoun reinforcing the clitic 'me' already attached to 'déjame'. This double marking is standard in Spanish for emphasis.
vuelve a su nido returns to its nest
'volver a + noun' here means 'to return to (a place)'. Note that 'volver a + infinitive' has a completely different meaning ('to do something again'), so context is essential to distinguish the two uses.
no estoy hecho de cartón I'm not made of cardboard
'estar hecho de' means 'to be made of (a material)'. This uses 'estar' (not 'ser') because it describes a state or condition. 'Hecho' is the past participle of 'hacer' used as an adjective here.
todo lo que he hecho everything I have done
'todo lo que' is a fixed relative construction meaning 'everything that / all that'. 'Lo que' acts as a neuter relative pronoun. 'He hecho' is the present perfect of 'hacer' (to do/make).
sigue llorando keep on crying
'seguir + gerund' is a periphrastic construction meaning 'to keep doing something / to continue doing something'. It is one of the most common aspect-marking constructions in Spanish.
ya no voy a llorar I'm not going to cry anymore
'ir a + infinitive' expresses a near future intention, equivalent to English 'going to do something'. 'Ya no' together means 'no longer / not anymore', adding the sense that this is a definitive change.

Vocabulary to learn from “La Tortura”

The words the song uses most.

Verbs in the song, and the form being sung

Present tense for each; the highlighted row is the one you'll hear.

ser be / are

sung: sean irregular
ser — present tense
yo soy
tú eres
él / ella / usted es
nosotros somos
vosotros sois
ellos / ustedes son

pedir I ask / I request

sung: pido irregular
pedir — present tense
yo pido
tú pides
él / ella / usted pide
nosotros pedimos
vosotros pedís
ellos / ustedes piden

saber I know

sung: sé irregular
saber — present tense
yo sé
tú sabes
él / ella / usted sabe
nosotros sabemos
vosotros sabéis
ellos / ustedes saben

vivir lives / dwells

sung: vive
vivir — present tense
yo vivo
tú vives
él / ella / usted vive
nosotros vivimos
vosotros vivís
ellos / ustedes viven

doler it hurts / it aches

sung: duele irregular
doler — present tense
yo duelo
tú dueles
él / ella / usted duele
nosotros dolemos
vosotros doléis
ellos / ustedes duelen

Grammar you'll meet in this song

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