Guantanamera
Elmer Ferreira Lyrics
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guajira guantanamera.
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
de donde crece la palma.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma.
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera
Mi verso es de un verde claro
y de un carmín encendido.
Mi verso es de un verde claro
y de un carmín encendido.
Mi verso es de un ciervo herido
que busca en el monte amparo.
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera.
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera.
Con los pobres de la tierra
quiero yo mi suerte echar.
Con los pobres de la tierra
quiero yo mi suerte echar.
El arroyo de la sierra
me complace más que el mar.
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera.
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera,
guajira guantanamera. Ja
The song "Guantanamera" by Elmer Ferreira is a tribute to the people of Guantánamo, a province in southeastern Cuba. The song starts with the repeated phrase "Guantanamera, guajira guantanamera," which means "Guantánamo woman, country girl from Guantánamo." The singer introduces himself as a sincere man from the place where palm trees grow, and he declares his desire to share his soulful poems before he dies.
The second stanza describes the singer's style of poetry, which is marked by vivid descriptions of nature in shades of green and red. He poetically compares his work to a wounded deer searching for shelter in the forest. The final stanza of the song expresses the singer's solidarity with the poor and his preference for the mountain stream over the sea. The lyrics of "Guantanamera" are an ode to the Cuban countryside and its people, with a focus on their simple pleasures, beauty, and struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Guantanamera
This song is about a woman from Guantánamo, a municipality and city in Cuba.
guajira guantanamera.
The woman from Guantánamo is a rural peasant girl.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
The singer is a genuine and honest man.
de donde crece la palma.
He is from a place where palm trees grow.
Yo soy un hombre sincero
The singer is a genuine and honest man.
de donde crece la palma.
He is from a place where palm trees grow.
Y antes de morirme quiero
Before he dies, he wants to
Echar mis versos del alma.
share his heartfelt poetry.
Mi verso es de un verde claro
His poetry is like a light green color.
y de un carmín encendido.
But also has a bright, fiery red tone.
Mi verso es de un ciervo herido
His poetry is that of a wounded deer.
que busca en el monte amparo.
A deer seeking shelter in the woods.
Con los pobres de la tierra
The singer desires to be with the poor of the earth.
quiero yo mi suerte echar.
He wishes to share their fate.
El arroyo de la sierra
The mountain brook
me complace más que el mar.
is more pleasing to him than the sea.
Guantanamera,
The song ends with a repetition of the title.
guajira guantanamera.
Reminding us of the rural, peasant girl from Guantanamo.
Contributed by Grace W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.