Sueño Contigo – Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto

The group Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto (The Pipers from San Jacinto) captures the heart and soul of traditional Colombian folk music, staying true to the roots of Cumbia – a vibrant fusion of Indigenous and African influences that emerged along Colombia’s Caribbean coast which have been active since 1940 and remain active to this day. From the 1950s onwards, they began touring Colombia, managed by writer and researcher Manuel Zapata Olivella. The gaiteros meaning those who play the gaita (or Kuisi) flute and San Jacinto for the town the group originated from in the Colombian Department of Bolívar.

As decades passed, the group began incorporating a second generation of musicians, among whom can be found some of the sons of the original line-up. In 2007 the group won a Latin Grammy award in the category Folkloric Music.

Today’s featured music is called Sueño Contigo (Eng. Dream of You) which was authored by Rafael Castro Fernandez. It is the second song to feature here from the group after Candelaria.
Sueño Contigo is a lovely written, but as I found out – quite complex love song which tells of the writer’s longing for a girl named Maria whom in his dreams is his wife. It was difficult for me to translate the song below since it contains dual meanings and nuances in phrasing.
Upon assistance of a native Colombian speaker, I learnt for example when the author wrote – Oh! I don’t want to dream again so I don’t suffer more ‘hangovers’. The use of ‘hangover’ here isn’t a literal hangover (resulting from excessive drinking), rather ‘hangover’ (‘guayabo’ in Spanish) refers here in its dual-use as succumbed to longing for someone and feeling despondent.

A loose English translation of Sueño Contigo (Dream of You) follows:

Oh, last night I dreamed of you, my dear beautiful woman.
Oh, last night I dreamed of you, my dear beautiful woman.
Oh! I was your husband, and you were my spoilt one.
Oh! I was your husband and you were my spoilt one.

Oh! Mary, oh! Mary, listen, my darling Mary. Oh! Mary, oh! Mary, listen, my darling Mary.
Oh! I held you in my arms, and I couldn’t think of anything else to do with you.
Oh! I had you in my arms and couldn’t think of anything else to do with you.
Because I had already achieved what I had longed for.
Because I had already achieved what I had longed for.

Oh! Mary, oh! Mary, listen, my darling Mary. Oh! Mary, oh! Mary, listen, my darling Mary.

So great was my joy that I trembled with emotion.
So great was my joy that I trembled with emotion.
Because I already had Mary and was the owner of her love.
Because I already had Mary and was the owner of her love.

Oh! Mary, oh Mary, listen, my darling Mary. Oh! Mary, oh! Mary, listen, my darling Mary.
Oh! I don’t want to dream again so I don’t suffer more longing.
Oh! I don’t want to dream again so I don’t suffer more longing.
Because when I woke up, Maria wasn’t by my side.
Because when I woke up, Maria wasn’t by my side.

Oh! Mary, oh Mary, listen, my darling Mary. Oh! Mary, oh Mary, listen, my darling Mary.
Oh! Maria, oh Maria, listen Maria of my life.

References:
1. Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto – Wikipedia