Quisiera amarte menos [English translation]

Springtime when I was twenty,

a shrine to my youth,

I used to dream of a happy love

And I'm alone with my servitude

I should like to love you less,

not to see you any more. I'd like

to escape from this blaze

which I can't resist.

It's cruel1, this affection

which gives me no rest,

without you I can't get peace2

and I don't know how to live far from you.

I should like to love you less

because this isn't life any more,

my life is wasted

through loving you so much.

I don't know whether I need

to have you or lose you.

I know that I've loved you

more than I can handle.

I'd like to love you less,

seeking to forget

and instead of loving you less

I love you much more.

Between two who love each-other truly

the love has to be different

while one gives her whole life

the other just lets himself be loved.

It's truth, and nevertheless I can't

be happy with loving you

I ask heaven to end soon

this bitter chain of love.

I should like to love you less,

not to see you any more. I'd like

to escape from this blaze

which I can't resist.

It's cruel1, this affection

which gives me no rest,

without you I can't get peace2

and I don't know how to live far from you.

I should like to love you less

because this already isn't life,

my life is wasted

through loving you so much.

I don't know whether I need

to have you or lose you.

I know that I loved you

more than I could cope with.

I'd like to love you less,

seeking to forget

and instead of loving you less

I love you much more.

1. a. b. In one of her recordings Vargas sins"No quiero este cariño", in another "Es cruel este cariño" which I believe are the correct words so I've translated that, rather what she sings in this version (which makes no sense)2. a. b. "sin ti la paz no alcanzo" is what Pitingo sings, and although I don't like his singing I like his words, which do make sense - the words sung here don't. Some sing "Que suffro si no alcanzo" which is pretty clumsy too.

• Artist:Chavela Vargas