+50 COLOMBIAN COPLAS: SHORT, LOVE, COUNTRY AND OTHERS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Colombian couplets are part of traditional folk poetry of the country. They were brought from Spain and currently represent the folklore of the Colombian population. This musical genre is the union or coupling of several verses that result in a stanza.

Normally the verses have a colloquial and spontaneous language. They touch on themes of love and heartbreak, of everyday life, of the countryside, of religion, and many tend to have a humorous tone.

Paco Godoy

Below is a compilation of popular Colombian couplets. As a title, each one bears the name of its author and, failing that, an assigned title. In some cases, the name of the author is unknown.

Most of these verses have been taken from compilations by Francisco Suárez Pineda, Rufino Gutiérrez, Jorge Isaacs and Carlos López Narváez.

Colombian verses on verses

Manuel Machado

Until the people sing them, the verses, verses are not, and when the people sing them

no one knows the author anymore.

Such is the glory, Guillén, of those who write songs:

hear people say

that nobody has written them.

Make sure your verses

go to town to stop, even if they stop being yours

to be of others.

That, by melting the heart

in the popular soul, what is lost in name

you earn eternity.

You will have my light on

And you tell me "I adore you"

"I love you all my life"

until you stop loving me

You'll have my light on

Your verses are the elixir

that feeds my conscience

because I know that when I write them

I only think of your star.

I'll mix galan couplets

with my Colombian verses.

Short Colombian couplets

Love verses

Alto de Sabaneta

In the Alto de Sabaneta

a drone sings and roars, and in the little tune he says

How beautiful is love.

Andalusia

When you remember me

Pray me a Hail Mary

and remember the kisses

that I gave you in Andalusia.

In the Boquerón de Tausa

my tears I shed

for black eyes

that I left in Chiquinquirá.

The first love i had

it was with one of Briceño, of the same smart

I wanted to catch the dream.

The first love i had

it was with one of Ubaté

white and red

like the coffee flower.

Villeta

The first love i had

it was with one of Villeta, I went to give him a kiss

and she hit me on the face.

My chat is very pretty,

I found only one defect;

He doesn't have black eyes

But I'll put them on.

My beautiful china embarked, embarked on the Magdalena, and the river was growing

with the cry of my sorrow.

How far you are from me;

I can't see you;

the hills are to blame, Who could knock them down!

I never tire of admiring

that exquisite person.

Here you go miss, a slave to send.

There is no sun or moon for me.

Night, morning or day;

Well, only in you, my life, thinking I'm at one;

at two with attention;

at three my luck says, my life, why love you

how long the hours are

If your love gets angry

put it in a backpack

and carry it on your back

Let's see if he screams or not.

Throw yourself out the window

that I will receive you, with a rose in hand

and a carnation on each foot.

The ring you gave me

I have it very well saved:

the finger was loose

and the heart clenches.

You say you don't love me

I lose nothing with that, because I have more loves

What flowers does a cherry tree have?

You say you don't love me?

Well that we have loved:

only there is no remedy

after what happened.

Achiral

I'm not from here, I come from the Achiral, not because they see me like this

think I'm liberal.

Aguazul

When I came from Aguazul

I came like the others:

the crop forward

and the spine back.

Alto del Cogollo

At the top of the Cogollo

where they call cabiceras, The old women are sold chicha, the brandy daughters.

Alto de Bermejo

In the Alto de Mermejo

I wanted to hit a date

because I asked for a candle

to light my whip.

Alto del Trigal

This said the armadillo

going up to Alto 'el Trigal

If San Isidro was a Gothic, Jesus Christ is liberal.

Path of Los Patos

The Way of the Ducks

is covered with flowers, where my barefoot daughters

they entertain their pains.

Captain

In Capitanejo coto

and in Macaravita dandruff;

it is better to have a preserve, and not be scratching that scratching.

Fótneque, Chaguant, Serrezuela and Zipaquirá

In bittersweet Fomeque, in syrupy Chaguaní, in spicy Serrezuela

in Zipaquirá salty.

Moniquirá

Nice Moniquirá

but not to live, nice Moniquirá

to get in and out.

Nice Moniquirá

for those who have a girl, for those of us who don't have

what a deceptive land.

Magdalena river

D'among the green hills

the full moon rises

and where you can see here

the waters of the Magdalena.

Zipaquira

Matica de allajatica, nuanced with rosemary, just from such a beautiful mouth

I hope the answer.

Canners

When you go to bathe

take a knife and a spear, because they are 'canning'

like a dog in slaughter.

Down!

Down with the green ribbons, up the red ones, down the mochoroco

with stationary swords!

To take the road

Dawn is coming, the rooster hen already crowed:

the time has come

that we take our way.

Pass jobs

Goodbye and shake hands

below the fence:

everything was passing jobs

since they have watched us.

Party

A girl told me

over there in Guateque, when is he going for the child

that is putting pereque.

We guatecanos

let's go to Guateque

to take our ears

before the corn dries up.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Couplets with a humorous tone

Otumbe

If you go down a road

Where they give you an inn, Steal even the knife

And leave at dawn.

Doll e 'rag

You tell everyone

that I am dying for you:

by the way! doll 'e rag

because of how beautiful you are.

You say you don't love me

You say you don't love me

because I have not hurt you:

Did you already forget about that

What did your walk hurt?

You say you don't love me

You say you don't love me

because I have no panties:

when you want I show you

with eyelets and buttons.

Fonúbón and Monserrate

But if you get angry

and you turn to the corner, behind Monserrate

he also goes to Fontibón.

So high that the moon goes

above 'e Monserrate, so good is the chili

scrambled with avocado.

What I owe

Tonight I stay up late

tomorrow I go to bed and sleep, later i get work

to pay what I drink.

This said the armadillo

This said the armadillo

sitting on some handles:

chocolate for the old women:

the kisses for the girls.

This said the armadillo

This said the armadillo

passing through Sibaté:

If you want to eat arepa, roll up your sleeves and molecule

The cows and the bulls

Up there in that high

two bulls were goring:

the cows laughed when they saw

fighting their husbands.

Across the river

Across the river

is death on a ball, laughing out cold

with a broken shroud.

If i were black cat

If i were black cat

jumped out the window:

I gave you a little kiss

your mother already scratched.

Nostalgic and melancholic verses

My regrets

If the saddest of the saddest

he will hear my regrets, for pitying my sorrows

he will forget his.

The evil that i suffer

Life passed by dying;

If I died, I would live

because dying, I would come out

of the evil that I suffer living.

Cali

Say, Cali, how did I offend you:

Why do you macerate me so much?

Oh! Why like beasts

do you tear me apart like this?

Goodbye Cali

Goodbye Cali so famous

land where I was born, that for others you are a mother

and stepmother to me.

How can I?

Good friend, I ask you, I want you to give me reason:

How can i live

Without them talking about my opinion?

I sing

Some sing because they know

others for the mere win:

I sing to appease

a regret that accompanies me.

Goodbye

Goodbye, straw house, soaked by bunch.

Goodbye life of my life

when will my eyes see you

A sad farewell

and a well felt absence, like a sharp dagger

to take my life.

Chinita del alma

Goodbye square house

four corner square!

goodbye, sweetheart of the soul, bunch of carnations.

References

1. López, C. (1967) Poetry and anonymous verses. Recovered from: publications.banrepcultural.org
2. Tarazona, E. (2012) Las coplas - Colombia. Recovered from: larmancialtda.com
3. Espejo Olaya, M. (1999) Notes on toponymy in some Colombian couplets. Recovered from: thesaurus.caroycuervo.gov.co
4. Farid Freja, A. (2012) Romances, verses and tenths in the Pacific and the Colombian Caribbean: poetics of an oral literature in Colombia. Recovered from: core.ac.uk
5. Meaning of couplet. Recovered from: meanings.com