Ojitos Soñadores Lyrics in English by Ramón Ayala
Consentida is a beautiful term of endearment that doesn't have a perfect English equivalent. It describes a loved one, often a partner or child, who is cherished, doted on, and perhaps a little spoiled with affection.
In this classic Norteño song, the singer opens by wondering where his consentida has gone. Using this word instead of a more common term like 'mi amor' (my love) reveals a deep, specific, and tender relationship, setting a tone of profound loss and longing.
Ramón Ayala delivers pure Northern Mexican heartbreak in "Ojitos Soñadores" (Dreamy Little Eyes), and he does not hold back on the drama. The narrator is completely lost without his darling, wondering aloud: "Donde andará mi consentida / Donde andarán aquellos ojos soñadores" ("Where could my spoiled darling be? / Where could those dreamy eyes have gone?"). Notice the word consentida here: it literally means "pampered" or "spoiled," but across Mexican Spanish it is a classic term of endearment for the woman you dote on most. She planted carnations in his garden and swore she would return when they bloomed, but time ran out. The blossoms did not just bloom; they withered away ("Ya vino el tiempo en que las flores se secaran"), and "esa prieta" (that dark-skinned darling) is nowhere in sight. In Mexico, prieta is an affectionate pet name for a brown-skinned woman, though here it comes laced with real sting because she broke her word.
Faced with an empty garden, he turns to the ultimate cliché and discovers it is a total lie. He heads off to drown his sorrows ("Yo me emborracho en las cantinas" / "I get drunk in the cantinas") because people always claim booze can wipe out heartache ("Dicen que el vino es el que quita un sentimiento"). Ayala's character calls bluff on the whole concept: "Pero les juro que es mentira / Porque jamás se me ha olvidado lo que siento" ("I swear it is a lie, because I never forget what I feel"). Instead of numbing the pain, the drinks just leave him wishing for the sweet release of death ("Será mejor hallar la muerte") so the black grief finally stops beating him down. It is dramatic, stubborn, and completely honest about how useless alcohol is against genuine heartache.
