"Mientes" stands out among the Spanish songs I know. It has a universal theme but particularly unintuitive wording if you try to translate it without a solid grasp of the target culture. This post is a thought experiment, showcasing both how clunky a semi-literal translation can be and also how much modification/explanation is needed for it to flow for an English speaker. I might follow up with a Part 2 to explain the changes I made.

Ever seen an online translation of a song that looked a little like this?

Today, remembering who I am again

Knowing what you give and what I give

There's no room for you left in me

And time did its own, and I comprehended

Things don't happen because yes

You're not the person that I thought,

That I believed,

That I asked for

You're lying!

You hurt me and apologize later

There's no case/defense for what you try

The desire to feel does not stay with me

You return!

When I've almost forgotten you

Search for your road in another part

While I search for the time I lost

That today I'm better without you

Here's a translation that's been adapted to the target culture:

Now I'm left trying to remember who I am

Thinking of what each of us brings to this relationship

There's no room for you in my heart/life anymore

And time did its thing (i.e., hindsight is 20/20), and I realized

Things didn't work out because it's true:

You really aren't the person that I perceived you to be,

That I thought I knew,

That I wanted

Liar!

You hurt me one minute and say sorry the next

There's no excuse for how you treat me

You've left me wishing I couldn't feel emotions [because of how much you hurt me]

You always come back

Right when I've almost forgotten you

Go find your destiny somewhere else

While I make up for lost time

Because I'm better off without you now