# A Song Translation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-song-translation/112601>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 6, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-song-translation/112601 "2002-06-06T03:34:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-song-translation/112601/1 "2002-06-06T03:34:41Z")

</div>

Remember Labamba ? (Either the Ritchie Valens or Los Lobos version)  
Well, just for the heck of it, I got the lyrics from [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kidspan/lyrics/labamba.htm](http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kidspan/lyrics/labamba.htm)  
Then, I translated it, line for line at [http://world.altavista.com/](http://world.altavista.com/)  
Here’s what I got:  
In order to dance bamba  
In order to dance bamba one little is needed grace  
One little of grace for my, you  
And above and above  
And above and above by you sere, you sere, you sere  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
I am not marine  
I am not marine  
I am captain, I am captain, I am captain  
Bamba, bamba,  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba  
In order to raise the sky  
In order to raise the sky  
Great stairs are needed  
Great stairs and another very small one  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
I am not marine  
I am not marine  
I am captain, I am captain, I am captain  
Bamba, bamba,  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba, bamba  
Bamba

(There’s no reason for this post other than I felt like posting it 😃 )

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-song-translation/112601/2 "2002-06-06T03:46:26Z")

</div>

This question was also answered by Songbird [here](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlabamba.html) and [here](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlabamb2.html). She disagrees with your translation…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-song-translation/112601/3 "2002-06-06T03:48:35Z")

</div>

It’s no my translation, it’s Alta Vista’s translation. I know this isn’t accurate.