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Quizás, Quizás, Quizás

original song written and composed by Osvaldo Farrés

Manuscripts, fine bindings, an engraving plate and preserved performance ephemera
Arts and lettersInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 16, 2026
Entity authorityQ1789054 ↗
Source-derived summary

"Quizás, quizás, quizás", sometimes known simply as "Quizás" (Latin American Spanish: [kiˈsas]; "Perhaps"), is a popular song by the Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés. Farrés wrote the music and original Spanish lyrics for the song which became a hit for Bobby Capó in 1947.

English version

English lyrics for "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" were made by Joe Davis from the original Spanish version. That English version was first recorded by Desi Arnaz in 1948 (RCA).

French version

The French lyrics, Qui sait, qui sait, are by Jacques Larue, with a slightly different meaning. The story is about a man wondering if the flirting of his girlfriend while dancing with an unknown man will have impact on their relationship: "Who knows?". It has been first recorded by Luis Mariano in 1948, on a single for His Master's Voice.

Cover versions

Notable cover versions include:

1951: Bing Crosby recorded the song with the Bando da Lua on February 5, 1951, for Decca Records.

1953: Xavier Cugat

1955: Fairuz [in Arabic, titled Murafrif-ud-Dalāli (مرفرف الدلال)]

1957: Perez Prado

1958: Nat King Cole regularly performed the song. His version appeared on his 1958 album Cole Español and frequently appeared in the 2000 film In the Mood for Love.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás” as original song written and composed by Osvaldo Farrés. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA productive route into publication, performance and collection histories when the underlying object or edition remains clearly identified. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1947, 1948, 1951, 1953—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1947. The account is most persuasive where Quizás, original and song can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as original song written and composed by Osvaldo Farrés. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1789054. The Library of Congress control number is no2012148019. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1947, 1948, 1951 and 1953.

Critical limits

Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.

Best used for
  • Identifying works and editions
  • Tracing reception history
  • Finding collection records
Verify next

The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Quizás, Quizás, Quizás primary sources, Quizás, Quizás, Quizás archive and Quizás research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás”?
  2. Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
  3. Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.