After dinner last night I caught midway of Stars on Ice 1999 on the "Now" channel and got moved beyond words by the performance of Katya Gordeeva and Ilia Kulik.

Katya is a four-time world skating champion who skated with her husband Sergei Grinkov up until the latter's sudden death (from a heart attack, on the ice during practice) in 1995. "She is now making a new life as a solo skater," said the sportscaster as Katya danced solo, "and is now exploring new opportunities with other people," whence the lights turned on Ilia Kulik and together they made ice magic.

"What she does now is different than what she could have done with Sergei," the program host commented, "but it is just as special."

Katya and Ilia together were nothing short of mesmerizing -- they are technically splendid, graceful, elegant...almost perfect. But beyond the lifts, the swirls and the treacherous moves, it was the soul, the unspoken connection that made the program sad but beautiful at the same time. Together they beautifully, poignantly essayed the essence of Rosana's Si Tu No Estas Aqui and Ricky Martin's Casi Bolero), somehow telling of Katya's courageous struggle over grief, bravely moving on and finding hope from love anew. I went to bed close to tears and totally affected.

And then, to more pleasant surprise, I found the lyrics of the two songs which touched me just as strongly. The spanish melody is already romantic and moving (as most spanish ballads are), but the words are a beautiful poetry. Here are the lyrics and some translation for your appreciation..


SI TU NO ESTAS AQUI
(If you're not here)
performed by Rosana Arbelo


No quiero estar sin ti
I don't want to be without you
Si tu no estas aqui me sobra el aire
If you're not here, I don't need air
No quiero estar asi
I don't want to be this way
Si tu no estas la gente se hace nadie
If you're not there, people become nothing


Si tu no estas aqui no se
If you're not here, I don't know
Que diablos hago amandote
What in the devil's name I'm doing loving you
Si tu no estas aqui sabras
If you're not here, know
Que Dios no va a entender por que te vas
That God won't understand why you're leaving


No quiero estar sin ti
I don't want to be without you
Si tu no estas aqui me falta el sueño
If you're not here I can't sleep
No quiero andar asi
I don't want to be this way

Latiendo un corazon de amor sin dueño
A loving heart beating without an owner
Si tu no estas aqui no se...
If you're not here. I don't know...

Derramare mis sueños si algun dia no te tengo
I will cry away my dreams, If I don't have you some day
Lo mas grande se hara lo mas pequeño
The biggest thing will become the smallest thing
Paseare en un cielo sin estrellas esta vez
I will stroll in a sky without stars this time
Tratando de entender quien hizo un infierno el paraiso
Trying to understand who made a hell out of paradise
No te vayas nunca porque
Don't ever go because
No puedo estar sin ti
I can't be without you

Si tu no estas aqui me quema el aire
If you're not here the air burns me
Si tu no estas aqui no se...
If you're not here I don't know......
que Dios no va a entender por que te vas...
that God won't understand why you're leaving

Si tu no estas aqui...
If you're not here


CASI UN BOLERO
Almost a Ballad
performed by Ricky Martin

Suenan las campanas de mi mente
Ring the bells of my mind
que tristemente suenan por mi
that sadly sound for me
En esta casa sin gente
In this empty house
que me recuerda tanto, tanto a ti
that reminds me so much, so much of you

Esta maldita soledad
This damned loneliness
viene conmigo y conmigo va
Comes with me, and with me it goes
con tu foto sobre mi piel
With your photo against my skin
Suena en mi corazon
There rings in my heart
casi un bolero
almost a ballad

Y ojala estuvieras junto a mi esta vez, y muchas mas
And wishing you would be by me this time, and many more
Y ojala te viera junto a mi otra vez, y muchas mas
and wishing I would see you next to me again, and many more
La tristeza que te canto
The sadness I sing to you
se la va llevando el viento
Goes with the wind

Ahora que te busco me arrepiento
Now that I search for you I regret it
no se porque te deje marchar
I don't know why I let you go
nunca te dije te quiero
I never told you I loved you
no lo podias adivinar
couldn't you guess it

Con tu recuerdo siempre
Always with your memory
como un fantasma que no se va
like a ghost that does not leave
Pongo tu foto sobre mi piel
I put your photo against my skin
suena mi corazon
there rings in my heart
casi un bolero
almost a ballad

Y ojala estuvieras junto a mi
And wishing you would be by me
esta vez, y muchas mas
this time and many more
y ojala te viera junto a mi otra vez y muchas mas
and wishing I would see you next to me again, and many more

La tristeza que te canto
The sadness I sing to you
Se la va llevando el viento
Goes with the wind