Shakira and Alejandro Sanz are back – and it’s pure 🔥.
Nearly two decades after their iconic 2005 hit “La Tortura”, Spanish superstar Alejandro Sanz and Colombian legend Shakira have reunited for “Bésame”, a smoldering, poetic ballad that blends flamenco soul with Latin pop sensuality.
In Bésame, their voices twine through lyrics full of longing, metaphors, and that unmistakable Spanish romanticism. Whether you’re here for the lyrical beauty, the emotional storytelling, or the Spanish practice, you’re in for a treat.
This post features a line-by-line Spanish to English translation, formatted for easy reading and language learning – plus vocabulary notes and cultural context at the end.
✨ Perfect for Spanish learners (B1-C1 level), language lovers, and fans of Shakira’s bilingual brilliance.
Fun fact: Did you know La Tortura was one of the first all-Spanish songs to dominate English-speaking charts? Their chemistry hasn’t faded – if anything, Bésame feels like a more grown-up sequel.
Let’s dive into the meaning behind the words – and why Bésame is already being called one of 2025’s most iconic collabs.
👇 Scroll down for the full translation, vocab tips, and more.
Letras
Lyrics
Te digo la verdad
I’ll tell you the truth
Si la vida es bonita
If life is beautiful
Tú y ella son tan parecidas
You and it are so alike
Al final no me atrevo a dejar
In the end, I don’t dare to let
que el destino decida
fate decide for me
Si existe algún riesgo de verme sin ti
If there’s even a chance I might lose you
Yo no quiero apostar
I don’t want to take that bet
Te aviso desde ya
I’m warning you now
Por si no lo notaste hace tiempo
In case you didn’t notice before
Esto ya no es broma
This is no longer a joke
Ni con todo el café de Colombia
Not even with all the coffee in Colombia
Me quito tu aroma
Can I get your scent off me
A tu boca. Perdona,
From your lips. Forgive me,
pero me quiero pegar
but I want to stick close to you
¿Te quieres pegar?
Do you want to stick close too?
No lo pienses tanto y bésame
Don’t overthink it — just kiss me
Que se acaban los misterios
Let all the mysteries end
Bésame de una vez
Kiss me already
Cero miedo, vamos en serio pa’ delante
No fear — we’re serious, moving forward
Quien le duela, que se aguante
Let whoever it hurts deal with it
Ya no tienes que ir atrás,
You don’t need to stay in the back anymore
mejor ven pásate al volante
come up and take the wheel instead
No lo pienses tanto y bésame
Don’t overthink it — just kiss me
Que se acaben los misterios
Let the mysteries come to an end
Bésame de una vez
Kiss me now
Cero miedo, vamos en serio pa’ delante
No fear — we’re going all in, moving forward
A quien le duela, que se aguante
Let whoever it hurts suck it up
Ya no tienes que ir atrás
You don’t have to sit in the back anymore
Mejor ven pásate al volante
Come on, take the wheel instead
Te escribí esta canción
I wrote you this song
Y una lista de cosas pendientes
And a list of things we still need to do
La primera es hacerte el amor
The first is to make love to you
Con carácter urgente
With absolute urgency
La segunda es quedarme pa’ siempre
The second is to stay — forever
La tercera es como la primera
The third one’s like the first
Pero más urgentemente
Only even more urgent
Todo lo que quiero, lo quiero contigo
Everything I want — I want it with you
Si tú eres mi reina gano al ajedrez
If you’re my queen, I win the chess game
Quiéreme sin pena
Love me without holding back
No hay nada contigo
With you, there’s nothing missing
Por dentro y por fuera
Inside and out
Soy como me ves amor
I’m just the way you see me, love
Me haces mejor,
You make me better
¿Qué más te digo?
What more can I say?
Y ya vámonos
Come on, let’s go
No lo pienses tanto
Stop thinking so much
Y bésame
And kiss me
Que se acaben los misterios
Let all the mysteries end
Bésame de una vez
Kiss me already
Cero miedo, vamos en serio pa’ delante
No fear — we’re in this for real, moving forward
A quien le duela, que se aguante
Let whoever it hurts deal with it
El amor no es pasajero
Love isn’t temporary
Cuando vamos al volante
When we’re the ones driving
La otra noche soñé contigo
The other night, I dreamed of you
La otra noche soñé contigo
The other night, I dreamed of you again
Que me estaba muriendo de frío
That I was dying of cold
y me calentó tu mirada
and your gaze warmed me up
La otra noche soñé contigo
The other night, I dreamed of you
La otra noche soñé contigo
I dreamed of you again
Que me estaba muriendo de frío
That I was freezing to death
y me calentó tu mirada
and your gaze brought me warmth
Y bésame
And kiss me
Que se acaben los misterios
Let all the mysteries fade away
Bésame de una vez
Kiss me once and for all
Cero miedo, vamos en serio pa’ delante
No fear — we’re going forward, for real
A quien le duela, que se aguante
Whoever it bothers will just have to deal with it
Ya no tienes que ir atrás
You don’t need to stay behind anymore
Mejor ven pásate al volante
Come — take the wheel instead
🧠 VOCABULARY LIST (by CEFR Levels)
✅ A2–B1 (High Beginner to Intermediate)
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| la verdad | the truth | Common phrase: Te digo la verdad = “I’m telling you the truth” |
| bonita | pretty / beautiful | Feminine adjective |
| parecidas | similar / alike | Feminine plural of parecido |
| dejar | to let / to leave | Seen in: no me atrevo a dejar |
| destino | fate / destiny | Abstract noun, frequently used poetically |
| riesgo | risk | Masculine noun |
| apostar | to bet | Stem-changing verb (o → ue): yo apuesto |
| broma | joke | Seen in: esto ya no es broma |
| aroma | scent | Masculine noun despite ending in -a |
| perdona | forgive me / sorry | From perdonar – used informally |
✅ B2 (Upper Intermediate)
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| atreverse (a) | to dare (to) | Pronominal verb: me atrevo a dejar |
| avisar | to warn / to let someone know | Te aviso desde ya = “I’m warning you now” |
| quitar | to remove / get rid of | Me quito tu aroma |
| pegar(se) | to stick / cling | Reflexive here: me quiero pegar |
| misterio(s) | mystery/mysteries | Common in romantic or poetic language |
| pasarse al volante | to take the wheel / take control | Colloquial phrase |
| hacer el amor | to make love | Euphemistic and romantic phrase |
| pendiente | pending / to-do | Used as noun: cosas pendientes |
| carácter urgente | urgent priority | Formal structure: adjective + noun |
✅ C1 (Advanced)
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| con carácter urgente | as an urgent matter | Formal register, great for writing |
| a quien le duela, que se aguante | let whoever it hurts, endure it | Subjunctive + impersonal structure |
| no hay nada contigo por dentro y por fuera | there’s nothing missing with you inside and out | Expresses totality and completeness |
| el amor no es pasajero | love isn’t fleeting | Pasajero = temporary/passenger |
| vamos en serio pa’ delante | we’re going seriously forward | Contraction pa’ = para (common in lyrics) |
🎯 HIGH-FREQUENCY PHRASES FOR LEARNERS
| Phrase | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|
| No lo pienses tanto | Don’t overthink it | B1 |
| Vamos en serio | We’re serious / It’s for real | B1–B2 |
| Te escribí esta canción | I wrote you this song | A2 |
| El amor no es pasajero | Love isn’t fleeting | C1 |
| Todo lo que quiero, lo quiero contigo | All I want, I want with you | B2–C1 |
| Pásate al volante | Take the wheel (control) | B2–C1 |
💬 Final Thoughts: A Kiss from the Past, A Soundtrack for the Present
Bésame feels like the natural evolution of La Tortura – no longer the messy, defiant breakup anthem, but a slower, deeper ache. Alejandro Sanz and Shakira don’t just sing about love – they sound like they’ve lived through it.
From the delicate guitar strums to the layered vocals and intimate lyrics, this song is more than a comeback – it’s a conversation between two artists who still understand each other musically, even after all these years.
🎧 Haven’t heard it yet? Listen to “Bésame” by Alejandro Sanz & Shakira on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube – and experience every lyric with new depth.
And if you’re learning Spanish, this song is rich in emotive vocabulary, subjunctive mood, and idiomatic expressions – check out the vocabulary section for a full breakdown.
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Hasta la próxima canción. 🎵
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