Practice Spanish with Native Speakers: A Vlog with Subtitles

Follow the vlog: El Rocío in Spanish and English

This edited reading companion follows the outing from getting ready to returning home. It condenses the conversations and translates their meaning; it is not a word-for-word transcript. Repeated songs and song lyrics are omitted. Open a timestamp to hear the original exchange.

0:00 — Discovering El Rocío

Spanish: Hay una tradición muy interesante en el sur de España: muchas personas van andando hasta la ermita del Rocío. Lucía nunca ha ido y quiere descubrirla con nosotros.

English: There is a very interesting tradition in southern Spain: many people walk to the El Rocío sanctuary. Lucía has never been and wants to discover it with us.

Spanish: Hoy nos vamos de excursión. Primero tengo que prepararme y ponerme ropa adecuada.

English: Today we are going on an outing. First I need to get ready and put on suitable clothes.

0:34 — Finding an outfit

Spanish: El traje de rociera se parece al de flamenca, pero Lucía busca una falda más amplia para andar. Prueba a colocarse una flor y bromea: «No parezco muy rociera yo».

English: The rociera outfit resembles a flamenco dress, but Lucía looks for a wider skirt for walking. She tries putting a flower in her hair and jokes, “I don’t look very much like a rociera.”

Spanish: Busca ropa en casa de su madre y termina diciendo: «Pues mira, voy a ir así».

English: She looks for clothes at her mother’s house and eventually says, “Well, look, I’m going like this.”

1:48 — A homegrown strawberry

Spanish: Mira esta fresa: ¡qué bonita está y qué grande es! Intento lavarla con el grifo, pero no sale como esperaba.

English: Look at this strawberry: it looks so beautiful and it is so big! I try to wash it using the tap, but it does not go as planned.

Spanish: Cuando la fresa es tuya, sabe mucho mejor. «Te he visto crecer», le dice Lucía antes de comérsela.

English: When the strawberry is your own, it tastes much better. “I’ve watched you grow,” Lucía tells it before eating it.

2:22 — Hair and lipstick

Spanish: Me voy a echar laca. No funciona: está peor. Esto es una horquilla.

English: I am going to put on some hairspray. It is not working: it looks worse. This is a hairpin.

Spanish: Normalmente no me pinto los labios, pero hoy es un día especial. Lucía no queda convencida con el resultado y se pone gafas de sol para que no la reconozcan.

English: I do not normally wear lipstick, but today is a special day. Lucía is not convinced by the result and puts on sunglasses so people will not recognize her.

3:25 — Fireworks and carts

Spanish: Empieza nuestra aventura. Ya he escuchado un cohete: anuncian que llegan las carretas.

English: Our adventure begins. I have already heard a firework rocket: they announce that the carts are arriving.

Spanish: La policía ha cortado la calle para el paso de las carretas, los caballos y los bueyes. La gente espera y camina por la carretera.

English: The police have closed the street for the carts, horses and oxen to pass. People wait and walk along the road.

4:48 — The less glamorous side

Spanish: Huele mucho a caca de caballo. Huele fatal. «Pobres bueyes», comenta Lucía al verlos tirando de las carretas.

English: It smells strongly of horse poop. It smells awful. “Poor oxen,” Lucía comments as she sees them pulling the carts.

Spanish: Las carretas llevan comida y bebida para todo el camino. La gente va cantando.

English: The carts carry food and drink for the whole journey. People are singing as they go.

5:41 — An interview with Mum

Spanish: Lucía: «Hola, perdona. ¿Usted quién es?». Su madre: «Soy tu madre, Lucía».

English: Lucía: “Hello, excuse me. Who are you?” Her mother: “I’m your mother, Lucía.”

Spanish: Va con la Hermandad de Triana porque su familia es trianera. Explica la devoción a la Virgen del Rocío y dice que le gusta el ambiente y conectar con la gente.

English: She is going with the Triana brotherhood because her family comes from Triana. She explains the devotion to Our Lady of El Rocío and says she likes the atmosphere and connecting with people.

6:25 — Romero: two meanings

Spanish: La madre enseña una ramita de romero. También explica que a los peregrinos de esta romería se les llama romeros.

English: Her mother shows a sprig of rosemary. She also explains that the pilgrims taking part in this pilgrimage are called romeros.

Spanish: Una señora regala romero a los que pasan. Lo hace todos los años porque tiene mucho en casa y quiere que los demás lo disfruten.

English: A woman gives rosemary to the people passing by. She does it every year because she has plenty at home and wants others to enjoy it.

7:15 — Meeting Concha and Carmen

Spanish: Concha viene de Madrid con una amiga rociera. Es su primera vez y dice que le gusta mucho.

English: Concha has come from Madrid with a friend who takes part in El Rocío. It is her first time and she says she likes it very much.

Spanish: Carmen viene a hacer el camino solo este día. No todos los que aparecen en el vlog hacen el recorrido completo.

English: Carmen has come to walk the route just for this day. Not everyone appearing in the vlog makes the whole journey.

7:49 — Paula explains her outfit

Spanish: Paula lleva una bata que va suelta, un piquillo, una flor y peinas. Explica que cada persona lleva el traje a su manera.

English: Paula wears a loose-fitting dress, a small shawl, a flower and decorative hair combs. She explains that each person wears the outfit in their own way.

Spanish: Llama faldiquera a la pequeña bolsa donde guarda sus cosas. Y la ramita de romero no puede faltar.

English: She calls the small pouch where she keeps her belongings a faldiquera. And the sprig of rosemary is a must.

8:23 — The Simpecado

Spanish: Lucía señala el Simpecado que llevan hacia El Rocío. Es un estandarte con una imagen de la Virgen, colocado en una carreta adornada.

English: Lucía points to the Simpecado that they are taking towards El Rocío. It is a banner bearing an image of the Virgin, placed in a decorated cart.

Spanish: El recorrido es largo y se hace andando, a caballo o con las carretas. Después, Lucía recuerda que hay una guía gratuita para estudiar español en la descripción del vídeo.

English: The journey is long and people travel on foot, on horseback or with the carts. Afterwards, Lucía reminds viewers that there is a free Spanish study guide in the video description.

8:56 — A refreshing stop

Spanish: Unos participantes toman una cervecita y algo para refrescarse. Ya llevan un rato andando, pero todavía les queda camino.

English: Some participants have a little beer and something to refresh themselves. They have already been walking for a while, but they still have some way to go.

Spanish: Uno dice: «Sarna con gusto no pica». En este contexto, quiere decir que el esfuerzo se lleva mejor cuando haces algo que te gusta.

English: One says, “Sarna con gusto no pica.” In this context, he means that the effort is easier to bear when you are doing something you enjoy.

9:18 — Songs and emotion

Spanish: El Simpecado se para delante de los colegios y los niños cantan sevillanas. La gente da vivas y algunas mujeres lloran de emoción.

English: The Simpecado stops outside the schools and the children sing sevillanas. People cheer, and some women cry because they are moved.

Spanish: Una señora explica: «Me emociona mucho oír cantar y ver el Simpecado».

English: A woman explains, “Hearing the singing and seeing the Simpecado really moves me.”

10:37 — Children, carts and careful steps

Spanish: Cuatro niños van en una carreta. El de la izquierda lleva un chupete. Lucía sigue caminando con cuidado para no pisar la caca.

English: Four children are riding in a cart. The one on the left has a pacifier. Lucía keeps walking carefully so she does not step in the poop.

Spanish: Hay muchas paradas, muchas canciones y muchos vivas. Las carretas siguen pasando por el pueblo.

English: There are lots of stops, lots of songs and lots of cheers. The carts continue through the town.

11:21 — The main square

Spanish: Llegan a la iglesia de la plaza y suenan las campanas. Lucía llama La Plaza a la plaza principal del pueblo.

English: They reach the church in the square and the bells ring. Lucía calls the town’s main square La Plaza.

Spanish: Todo el mundo espera al Simpecado para seguir el camino. Lucía cree que van a cantar, pero dice: «No me entero».

English: Everyone waits for the Simpecado so they can continue the journey. Lucía thinks they are going to sing, but says, “I can’t make out what’s going on.”

12:15 — More singing, then home

Spanish: Los niños cantan y la comitiva sigue subiendo la calle principal. Hay tanta gente que cuesta caminar.

English: The children sing and the procession continues up the main street. There are so many people that it is hard to walk.

Spanish: Lucía lleva toda la mañana caminando. Ya es tarde y dice: «Me muero de hambre», así que se va a casa a comer.

English: Lucía has been walking all morning. It is getting late and she says, “I’m starving,” so she goes home to eat.

13:22 — A final joke and dessert

Spanish: Hay que tener cuidado de no pisar la caca. Lucía vuelve a bromear con el olor antes de decir que ha sido muy bonito compartir la alegría de la gente.

English: You have to be careful not to step in the poop. Lucía jokes about the smell again before saying how lovely it has been to share in people’s joy.

Spanish: Ya en casa, coge una nectarina de su nectarino para el postre. Espera que te haya gustado el vídeo y se despide: «Nos vemos muy pronto».

English: Back home, she picks a nectarine from her nectarine tree for dessert. She hopes you enjoyed the video and says goodbye: “See you very soon.”

Words and expressions to notice

• romero / romera: Romero can mean rosemary. A romero or romera is also a pilgrim; these are separate dictionary senses with different origins.
• laca, horquilla, pintalabios: Here: hairspray, hairpin and lipstick. Echarse laca means to apply hairspray.
• buey → bueyes: Ox → oxen. The plural forms are bueyes in Spanish and oxen in English.
• faldiquera: Paula’s local word, printed in the video, for her small pouch. Faltriquera is the standard dictionary headword for a cloth pouch tied at the waist.
• Sarna con gusto no pica: Literally, “Scabies you welcome does not itch.” It is a saying about putting up with discomfort for something you enjoy, rather than a medical statement.
• emocionada / me emociona: Moved or emotional / it moves me. In the interviews, the tears express emotion, rather than necessarily sadness.
• me muero de hambre: A common exaggeration meaning “I’m starving.”
• nectarina / nectarino: The fruit / the tree.

Replay one interview, copy a useful question, and answer it with your own details. Notice how Lucía uses both tú and usted as she talks to different people.