Cautivaron means 'captivated' or 'charmed'. It's a strong and evocative verb that goes beyond simply 'liking' someone, suggesting a powerful and almost irresistible attraction.
In the song, the singer describes how the woman's fascinating eyes 'me cautivaron' (captivated me), indicating an immediate and profound emotional impact. This word perfectly captures the intensity of his initial enchantment and sets the stage for his deep affection.
Grupo Bryndis frame this as a rescue story, not a courtship. The singer starts out flat-out sad, and then everything turns on one line: "Estaba yo muy triste cuando ella apareció" ("I was very sad when she showed up"). Her arrival is the whole plot; nothing about her looks or her voice gets more than a glance before he's already sure.
What follows is a vow, repeated twice for weight: "Solamente a ella le daré todo mi amor" ("Only to her will I give all my love"). He calls her "la mujer mas bonita del este" ("the most beautiful woman from the east"), and when the song brings up envy from people around them, he doesn't argue it away — he escalates past it: "Por esa mujer voy hasta la guerra" ("For that woman I'll go to war"). It's a cumbia built on that one shift, from sad to certain, and it never really looks back.