Luis Fonsiโs โDespacitoโ became the No. 1 song in the country last week, a feat that hasnโt been achieved by a Spanish-language song since the โMacarenaโ in 1996.
The hitโs original version features reggeaton superstar Daddy Yankee. But in April, Justin Bieber decided to join the worldwide phenomenon and collaborated on a remix that quickly climbed the U.S. charts.
Bieber sings in Spanish for the first time on the track, and Fonsi said the Canadian artist learned the lyrics phonetically in less than a week. The Spanish lyrics didnโt seem to stick, however, as the singer appeared to forget all the words to the song during a New York City club performance on Tuesday.
We get it, โDespacitoโ can be challenging for non-Spanish speakers. Thatโs why HuffPost Latino Voices is giving English-speaking fans a quick lyric guide.
Hereโs a rough translation of what the No. 1 song in the country is actually talking about. And yes, weโre using the lyrics from the original version.
โDespacitoโ or โSlowlyโ
Fonsi:
Sรญ, sabes que ya llevo un rato mirรกndote,
Tengo que bailar contigo hoy.
Vi que tu mirada ya estaba llamรกndome,
Muรฉstrame el camino que yo voy.
Yes, you know Iโve been looking at you for a while,
I have to dance with you today.
I saw that your look was already calling me,
show me the way and Iโll go.
ยกOh!
Tรบ, tรบ eres el imรกn y yo soy el metal.
Me voy acercando y voy armando el plan,
sรณlo con pensarlo se acelera el pulso.
Ya, ya me estรก gustando mรกs de lo normal.
Todos mis sentidos van pidiendo mรกs,
Esto hay que tomarlo sin ningรบn apuro.
Oh!
You, youโre the magnet and Iโm the metal.
Iโm getting closer and coming up with a plan,
just thinking about it accelerates my pulse.
Iโm already enjoying it more than normal.
All of my senses are asking for more,
this has to be done without a hurry.
[Chorus]
Despacito
Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito.
Deja que te diga cosas al oรญdo,
para que te acuerdes si no estรกs conmigo.
Despacito
Quiero desnudarte a besos despacito.
Firmar en las paredes de tu laberinto
y hacer de tu cuerpo todo un manuscritoQuiero ver bailar tu pelo, quiero ser tu ritmo
Que le enseรฑes a mi boca, tus lugares favoritos.
Dรฉjame sobrepasar tus zonas de peligro,
hasta provocar tus gritos
y que olvides tu apellido
[Chorus]
Slowly
I want to breathe your neck slowly.
Let me whisper things in your ear,
that youโll remember when youโre not with me.
Slowly
I want to undress you with kisses slowly.
Sign the walls of your labyrinth
and turn your body into a manuscript.
I want to see your hair dance, I want to be your rhythm
I want you to show my mouth your favorite places.
Let me surpass your danger zone,
until it makes you scream
and makes you forget your last name.
Daddy Yankee:
Si te pido un beso, ven, dรกmelo. Yo sรฉ que estรกs pensรกndolo.
Llevo tiempo intentรกndolo, mami, esto es dando y dรกndolo.
Sabes que tu corazรณn conmigo te hace bam-bam.
Sabes que esa beba estรก buscando de mi bam-bam.
Ven, prueba de mi boca para ver cรณmo te sabe.
Quiero, quiero, quiero ver cuรกnto amor a ti te cabe.
Yo no tengo prisa, yo me quiero dar el viaje.
Empezamos lento, despuรฉs salvaje.
Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito.
Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito.
Cuando tรบ me besas con esa destreza
veo que eres malicia con delicadeza.
Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito.
Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito.
Y es que esa belleza es un rompecabezas,
pero paโ montarlo aquรญ tengo la pieza.
ยกOye!
If I ask you for a kiss, come on, give it to me. I know youโre thinking about it.
Iโve spent a while trying, mami, this is give and giving.
You know your heart with me goes bam-bam.
You know what this babe wants from me is bam-bam.
Come, taste my mouth to see how it tastes to you.
I want, want, want to see how much love fits in you.
Iโm in no rush, I want to take the ride.
Weโll start slow and then go wild.
Step by step, gentle gently.
Weโll get closer, little by little.
When you kiss me with that skill,
I see that you are malice with finesse.
Step by step, gentle gently.
Weโll get closer, little by little.
This beauty is a puzzle,
but to put it together I have the piece.
Oye!
[CHORUS, 2x]
Luis Fonsi:
Despacito
Vamoโ a hacerlo en una playa en Puerto Rico,
hasta que las olas griten โยกAy, Bendito!โ
para que mi sello se quede contigo.
ยกBailalo!
Slowly
Weโre going to do it on a beach in Puerto Rico,
until the waves scream โOh, Lord!โ
so that my seal [likely meaning mark or impression] stays with you.
Dance!
OK, now youโre ready to sing along with Fonsi and D.Y.!