Everything Changes (Mercedes Sosa - Todo Cambia, English Lyrics)

Mercedes Sosa is an argentinian traditional folklore singer and songwriter. Her career spanned over 50 years, and is one the most known voices in the country. This amazing song was actually written by Julio Numhauser, a chilean musician, during his exile in Sweden in 1982 where he was escaping the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Mercedes Sosa recorded her version in her 1984 album "¿Será Posible el Sur?" ("Could the South be Possible?"). I find this song incredibly sentimental, and the voice of Mercedes brings a lot of energy into it. I will definitely do more songs by her.

This is the original version as far as I know. I don't quite get the same feelings when listening to it.    • Todo Cambia - Julio Numhauser (Amerin...  

Most of the verses start with "cambia" (it changes). I could not maintain this while making the English lyrics idiomatic. So a lot of the poetry of this song is lost in translation.

I translated "de mi pueblo y de mi gente" as "of my town and my people". However, while "pueblo" can mean "town", I think the intention is closer to "people", but the English language does not make the same distinction Spanish does! "Gente" would be used for some group of people, or the people on the street, etc, without a deeper meaning. A "pueblo" though, would be a populace, sharing a common nationality or identity

I translated "brillante" as "jewel". A literal translation is "shiny". When used as a noun, it refers to any kind of jewelry made of something shiny like gold, silver, or stones.

Spanish:

Cambia lo superficial
Cambia también lo profundo
Cambia el modo de pensar
Cambia todo en este mundo

Cambia el clima con los años
Cambia el pastor su rebaño
Y así como todo cambia
Que yo cambie no es extraño

Cambia el más fino brillante
De mano en mano su brillo
Cambia el nido el pajarillo
Cambia el sentir un amante

Cambia el rumbo el caminante
Aunque esto le cause daño
Y así como todo cambia
Que yo cambie no extraño

Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia

Cambia el sol en su carrera
Cuando la noche subsiste
Cambia la planta y se viste
De verde en la primavera

Cambia el pelaje la fiera
Cambia el cabello el anciano
Y así como todo cambia
Que yo cambie no es extraño

Pero no cambia mi amor
Por más lejos que me encuentre
Ni el recuerdo ni el dolor
De mi pueblo y de mi gente

Lo que cambió ayer
Tendrá que cambiar mañana
Así como cambio yo
En esta tierra lejana

Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia

Pero no cambia mi amor
Por más lejos que me encuentre
Ni el recuerdo ni el dolor
De mi pueblo y de mi gente

Y lo que cambió ayer
Tendrá que cambiar mañana
Así como cambio yo
En esta tierra lejana

Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia

Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia
Cambia, todo cambia

English:

The shallow changes,
the deep also changes
The way of thinking changes,
everything changes in this world

The weather changes through the years,
the shepherd changes his flock
And just like everything changes,
that I myself change isn't strange

The finest jewel changes
its shine from hand to hand
The bird changes its nest,
a lover changes his feelings

The walker changes his course,
even if this harms him
And just like everything changes,
that I myself change isn't strange

It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes

The sun changes in its race,
when the night subsists
The plant changes and dresses
of green in the spring

The beast changes its fur,
the old man changes his hair
And just like everything changes,
that I myself change isn't strange

But my love does not change,
no matter how far away I am
Nor the memory nor the pain
of my town and my people

What changed yesterday
will have to change tomorrow
Just like I change
in this distant land

It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes

But my love does not change,
no matter how far away I am
Nor the memory nor the pain
of my town and my people

And what changed yesterday
will have to change tomorrow
Just like I change
in these distant lands

It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes

It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes
It changes, it all changes