Mexico has contributed so mightily to the canon of songs that quality as high art that it’s impossible to keep track of these gems, but, at least to my ears, none is more impressive, more beautiful or more haunting that this classic Huapango love song interpreted by the legendary Javier Solís, though in this version, the actual interpreter is Enrique Cáceres.
The lyrics to the song are below:
Qué bonitos ojos tienes
Debajo de esas dos cejas
Debajo de esas dos cejas
Qué bonitos ojos tienes
Ellos me quieren mirar
Pero si tú no los dejas
Pero si tú no los dejas
Ni siquiera parpadear
Malagueña salerosa
Besar tus labios quisiera
Besar tus labios quisiera
Malagueña salerosa
Y decirte niña hermosa
Eres linda y hechicera
Eres linda y hechicera
Como el candor de una rosa
Si por pobre me desprecias
Yo te concedo razón
Yo te concedo razón
Si por pobre me desprecias
Yo no te ofrezco riquezas
Te ofrezco mi corazón
Te ofrezco mi corazón
A cambio de mi pobreza
Malagueña salerosa
Besar tus labios quisiera
Besar tus labios quisiera
Malagueña salerosa
Y decirte nina hermosa
Eres linda y hechicera
Que eres linda y hechicera
Como el candor de una rosa
Y decirte niña hermosa
In English:
What beautiful eyes you have
Under those two eyebrows
Under those two eyebrows
What beautiful eyes you have
They want to look at me
But if you don’t let them
But if you don’t let them
Don’t even blink
Malagueña salerosa
Kissing your lips would like
Kissing your lips would like
Malagueña salerosa
And telling you beautiful girl
You’re pretty and sorceress
You’re pretty and sorceress
Like the candor of a rose
If you despise me for poor I
grant you reason
I grant you reason
If you despise me for poor
I do not offer you riches
I offer you my heart
I offer you my heart
In exchange for my poverty
Malagueña salerosa
Kissing your lips would like
Kissing your lips would like
Malagueña salerosa
And tell you beautiful girl
You are pretty and sorceress
That you are pretty and sorceress
Like the candor of a rose
And tell you beautiful girl