Yesterday I received an email from a reader, Max Herzog, a guitarist based in San Diego, who came across today's letra on my blog. (I originally posted it about four years ago. I struggled with the translation then, and I'm still struggling with it today.) Max had some great insights along with a smoother translation which I wanted to share with you. You'll find his translation below (with just a couple of small changes from me).

Fandangos
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Los ojos como las moras
y los dientes de marfil
y tu boca es una fuente
donde una noche bebí 
agua con ansias de muerte

Moorish eyes*
And teeth like ivory
And your mouth is a spring
Where one night I drank
Water in fear of death

You can listen to Mayte Martín singing it within her song, Conquero, here.

By the way,

*Though perhaps this line could be translated as 'eyes like blackberries' Ricardo says that this meaning would not even cross the mind of a Spaniard reading it, that someone from Spain would read it as the eyes of a Moorish woman. 

Thanks Max for chiming in. Translating will forever challenge me, and I always appreciate input and suggestions.

You might also enjoy

Más Fandangos (second letra of Conquero)

Fandangos de Huelva (final letra of Conquero)

When You Look at Yourself

The Sea

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