Nombre Y Apellido Lyrics in English by Luis Enrique, De La Ghetto

Sabia is a fascinating word because it has a double meaning. It can mean 'wise' (as in a wise woman) or 'sap' (the vital fluid in plants).

In the song, Luis Enrique sings, "Tú eres la sabia, mi tierra fértil" (You are the sap, my fertile land). He uses the word to describe his beloved as the life-giving essence that nourishes him, just as sap nourishes a plant. This poetic use of a word with dual meanings makes it particularly memorable and rich.

The title phrase does the whole job. When Luis Enrique sings "Eso tiene nombre y apellido" (That has a first and last name), he means the thing that turned his life around is somebody he can point at and name, not luck and not fate. The opening admits how long the wait was, "hace tiempo que a la vida yo se lo pedí" (a long time ago I asked life for it), and then adds the catch: "Pero nada llega si no estás listo pa' recibir" (But nothing comes if you are not ready to receive). Before that there was a man pouring drinks for nobody, "A la soledad servía otro trago en la mesa" (I would serve loneliness another drink at the table).

The best moment is one salsa singer tipping his hat to another. "Así como Juan Luis dijo un día" (Just as Juan Luis said one day) sets up "Pa' mí, tú seria' la burbuja, yo, el pez" (For me, you would be the bubble, I'd be the fish), a nod to Juan Luis Guerra and his fish tanks and bubbles, which is either very sweet or slightly too much depending on your tolerance for aquariums. After that the song keeps reaching for weather. Autumn leaves fall, winter whistles, and then "Y fui esperando la primavera" (And I was waiting for spring), "Como el desierto a que le lloviera" (Like the desert waiting for it to rain). De La Ghetto takes the last verse and delivers the plainest line of the lot, "Es que esa niña a mí me devolvió la fe" (That girl restored my faith).