Born María de los Dolores Flores Ruíz, Lola Flores became a famous dancer and singer of Andalusian folklore at a very young age, featuring in films from 1939 to 1987. Her greatest success was in folklore shows with Manolo Caracol, who was her artistic partner until 1951.
In 1958 she married Antonio González el Pescaílla, a guitarist. She had three children: Dolores (singer and actress Lolita Flores); rock musician, singer and actor Antonio Flores; and singer and actress Rosario Flores.
Lola Flores died of cancer in 1995, aged 72, and was interred in the Cementerio de la Almudena in Madrid. Shortly after her death, her distraught 34-year-old son died of a drug overdose and was buried near her.
Pena Penita Pena
Lola Flores Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
esta noche negra lo mismo que un pozo,
con un cuchillito de luna lunera,
cortaría los hierros de tu calabozo.
Si yo fuera reina de la luz del día,
del viento y del mar,
cordeles de esclava yo me ceñiría
pot tu libertad.
Estribillo
¡Ay, pena, penita, pena -pena-,
pena de mi corazón,
que me corre por las venas -pena-
con la fuerza de un ciclón!
Es lo mismo que un nublado
de tiniebla y pedernal.
Es un potro desbocado
que no sabe dónde va.
Es un desierto de arena -pena-,
es mi gloria en un penal.
¡Ay, penal! ¡Ay, penal!
¡Ay, pena, penita, pena!
Yo no quiero flores, dinero, ni palmas,
quiero que me dejen llorar tus pesares
y estar a tu vera, cariño del alma,
bebiéndome el llanto de tus soleares.
Me duelen los ojos de mirar sin verte,
reniego de mí,
que tienen la culpa de tu mala suerte
mis rosas de abril.
Estribillo
In the song Pena Penita Pena, Lola Flores talks about the pain and suffering caused by love. The lyrics are a combination of the yearning for love, the pain caused by it, and the longing to be with the person you love. The first verse describes the desire to have the power to release the person you love from their misery by cutting the chains that surround them with a knife made of moonlight. The second verse talks about the desire to be a queen to have the power to control everything, including the wind and the sea so that she can wear the shackles of a slave to free the person she loves.
In the chorus, Lola Flores expresses the depth and intensity of her sorrow, using the metaphor of a cyclone passing through her veins. She compares her pain to a dark cloudy sky, a thunderstorm, a wild horse that doesn't know where it is going, and a desert filled with sand. She finds her glory in the penitentiary where her loved one is imprisoned, and her heartache makes her cry.
In the last verse, Lola Flores expresses her preference for her loved one's company rather than material possessions such as flowers and money. She would instead share in his sorrows and drink his tears. She blames herself for his misfortune, and her eyes hurt from searching for him.
Line by Line Meaning
Si en el firmamento poder yo tuviera,
If I had power over the sky,
esta noche negra lo mismo que un pozo,
This dark night is as deep as a well,
con un cuchillito de luna lunera,
With a little moon knife,
cortaría los hierros de tu calabozo.
I would cut the bars of your prison.
Si yo fuera reina de la luz del día,
If I were queen of the daylight,
del viento y del mar,
Of the wind and the sea,
cordeles de esclava yo me ceñiría
I would adorn myself with slave ropes
pot tu libertad.
For your freedom.
¡Ay, pena, penita, pena -pena-,
Oh, pain, little pain, pain-
pena de mi corazón,
Pain of my heart
que me corre por las venas -pena-
That runs through my veins
con la fuerza de un ciclón!
With the force of a cyclone!
Es lo mismo que un nublado
It's like a cloudy
de tiniebla y pedernal.
Of darkness and flint.
Es un potro desbocado
It's a wild horse
que no sabe dónde va.
That doesn't know where it's going.
Es un desierto de arena -pena-,
It's a desert of sand-
es mi gloria en un penal.
It's my glory in a prison.
¡Ay, penal! ¡Ay, penal!
Oh, prison! Oh, prison!
¡Ay, pena, penita, pena!
Oh, pain, little pain, pain!
Yo no quiero flores, dinero, ni palmas,
I don't want flowers, money or accolades,
quiero que me dejen llorar tus pesares
I want to be allowed to cry with you,
y estar a tu vera, cariño del alma,
And to be by your side, dearest love of my soul,
bebiéndome el llanto de tus soleares.
Drinking up the tears of your soleares.
Me duelen los ojos de mirar sin verte,
My eyes hurt from looking at you without seeing you,
reniego de mí,
I curse myself,
que tienen la culpa de tu mala suerte
For being to blame for your bad luck,
mis rosas de abril.
My April roses.
¡Ay, pena, penita, pena!
Oh, pain, little pain, pain!
Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alfredomiranda6555
Soy puertorriqueño, músico y descendiente de españoles de Asturias. Nunca en mi vida he escuchado a una artista con el temperamento, el ángel y el carisma de La Faraona, Lola Flores! Tiene ese algo intangible que sólo los verdaderamente grandes poseen. Al cantar Lola movía los sentimientos a quien tenía el privilegio de escucharla y mejor aún, verla en plena actuación. Hasta el grado de arrancar lágrimas de emoción y admiración. Y yo no soy la excepción. Grande Lola de España! Eterna en nuestros corazones!!
@alfonsoobispo1637
Ella se vivía su película y nos la transmite con su voz. Gracias que tenemos sus audios y videos, por qué así es que se sabe que es inmortal... Lola para siempre!!!
@nombre827
un saludo desde Asturias 🤗
@auroramonedero1264
Era sin igual fabulosa y encantandora
@claritachocolatier
Soy Boricua y pienso igual es una obra de arte
@susanagonzalez5223
Alfredo , totalmente de acuerdo
La Faraona era única e inolvidable
@JavierGarcia-zk1wu
Dios mio! Las cejas la boca las manos el pelo... que expresividad me daban ganas de llorar de emocion! Que mujer! Que arte!
@joaquincristianferreira5165
Javier, coincido contigo. Desde que descubrí este vídeo no puedo dejar de
pasarlo una y otra vez!
@leonardo090577
Javier García Comparto tu comentario.
@albertmaster8087
Javier García wow