Bordar literally means "to embroider," the beautiful art of decorating fabric with a needle and thread. It's a word you won't find in most pop songs!
Juan Luis Guerra uses it in a stunningly poetic metaphor. He sings about wanting to be a fish so he can "bordar de corales tu cintura" (embroider your waist with corals), imagining a delicate and loving act of decorating her with the treasures of the sea. This unique use of the word transforms a simple caress into a work of art.
This song is one of the most creative love poems you'll ever hear. Juan Luis Guerra, a master from the Dominican Republic, isn't just saying he's in love; he's describing a heart that's completely lost its mind. He calls it a "corazón / Mutilado de esperanza y de razón" (a heart / Mutilated of hope and reason) that loses all control whenever he hears this person's voice. It's a "pobre corazón / Que no atrapa su cordura" (poor heart / That can't hold on to its sanity).
His solution to this love-madness is wonderfully strange: "Quisiera ser un pez" (I would like to be a fish). Why a fish? So he can live in his lover's fishbowl, gently bumping his nose against the glass. He imagines he could "hacer burbujas de amor por dondequiera" (make bubbles of love everywhere) and spend the night "mojado en ti" (wet in you). It's a beautiful, slightly crazy metaphor for wanting to be completely submerged in another person's world, to surround them with affection and satisfy a love he calls a "locura" (madness).
Did you know?
In addition to reading lyric translations, you can now learn Spanish with music and lyrics from your favorite artists.
Yes, including Burbujas De Amor by Juan Luis Guerra!
No more boring lessons. You can now learn with engaging and culturally relevant lyrics from the best artists.
