Alfonsina Y El Mar Lyrics in English Mercedes Sosa

Home / Lyrics Translation / Mercedes Sosa / Alfonsina Y El Mar

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Alfonsina Y El Mar by Mercedes Sosa from Spanish to English.

These lyrics have verified word for word translations. Click any lyric word to see the translation and hear the pronunciation!

Verse 1

By the soft sand that the sea licks

The song, written by Argentine writer Félix Luna, is about the Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni, following her suicide where she walked into the sea

Your little footprint

Doesn't come back anymore

Or: (Your small footprint) won't be seen anymore

A path of only pain and silence arrived

In 1938, Alfonsina found out that the breast cancer had reappeared

Until the deep water

A path of only mute sorrows arrived

Until the foam

God knows what anguish accompanied you

What old pains silenced your voice

To lie down lulled in the song

Of the seashells

The song that sings in the dark bottom of the sea

The seashell

Chorus 1

You leave Alfonsina, with your loneliness

What new poems did you go to search?

Alfonsina Storni (22 May 1892 – 25 October 1938) was an Argentine poet and playwright of the modernist period

An ancient voice of wind and salt

It breaks your soul and is taking it

And you go there

Like in dreams asleep

Alfonsina, dressed in sea

Verse 2

Five mermaids will carry you

Or: Five little mermaids will take you

Through paths of seaweed and coral

And phosphorescent seahorses will make

A circle around you

Lit: A round by your side

And the inhabitants of the water will play

Soon by your side

Lower the lamp for me a little

Let me sleep nurse, in peace

This part of the lyrics is inspired in Storni's last sonnet 'Voy a dormir' (I am going to sleep)

And if he calls

Don't tell him I'm here

Tell him that Alfonsina isn't coming back

And if he calls

Don't ever tell him that I'm here

Say that I'm gone

Chorus 2

You leave Alfonsina, with your loneliness

What new poems did you go to search?

An ancient voice of wind and salt

It breaks your soul and is taking it

And you go there

Like in dreams asleep

Alfonsina, dressed in sea

Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

Lyrics © ONErpm, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Did you like these lyrics?

SONG MEANING

Sway with the gentle rhythm of the zamba and let the ocean breeze guide your imagination. “Alfonsina y el Mar” tells the hauntingly beautiful story of Alfonsina Storni, a celebrated Argentine poet who, burdened by sorrow and illness, chose to end her life in the sea. Mercedes Sosa transforms this tragic farewell into a lullaby of waves, seashells, and whispered poems. Each verse paints Alfonsina’s final walk across soft sand, her footprints swallowed by the tide, as mythical sea creatures escort her to a tranquil, dream-like world beneath the water.

More than a tale of loss, the song celebrates artistic freedom and eternal peace. The ocean becomes a compassionate cradle, promising new poems and timeless melodies carried by ancient “voices of wind and salt.” While the lyrics mourn a life departing, they also sparkle with imagery of coral paths and glowing seahorses, reminding us that creativity does not vanish; it simply changes form. Listen closely and you will hear both a tender goodbye and an everlasting tribute to the power of poetry to transform pain into beauty.

Did you know?

In addition to reading lyric translations, you can now learn Spanish with music and lyrics from your favorite artists.

Yes, including Alfonsina Y El Mar by Mercedes Sosa!

No more boring lessons. You can now learn with engaging and culturally relevant lyrics from the best artists.

Mercedes Sosa Alfonsina Y El Mar Lyrics