Photo: Roberto Rufino

My favourite tango poet is José María Contursi, author of famous and dramatic tangos like Gricel, Quiero verte una vez más, En esta tarde gris and Toda mi vida. His lyrics are full of desperation, guilt, loneliness, dramatic metaphors and other examples of language bordering on the extreme, as you can see for yourself in the translation of an underrated Di Sarli song below.

Lo mismo que antes (The same as before), lyrics by José Maria Contursi

La vi esa tarde,
vestida de blanco
pasó sin mirarme,
tan cerca mío.
¿Cómo es posible?
¡La quise tanto!
Y halló en mis brazos
calor de nido.
Cerré los ojos,
¡qué ganas de hablarle!
Sentí derrumbarse
toda mi vida.
Pero la voz de la razón,
conociéndome,
augó mi corazón.

I saw her that afternoon,
dressed in white.
She passed by,
without looking my way,
so close to me.
How is that possible?
I loved her so much.
In my arms she found
the warmth of a love nest.
I closed my eyes…
so much desire to talk to her!
I felt my entire life collapse.
But the voice of reason,
knowing me so well,
stifled my heart.

Volví mis pasos, temblando
con el alma deshecha,
con los ojos sangrando.
No puedo vivir sin ella,
llorando, llorando.
¿Por qué dejé que se fuera
así sin decirle mi angustia,
sin contarle mis penas?
No he podido todavía comprender,
amor, por qué…

Trembling, I withdrew
with my broken soul,
with my bleeding eyes.
I can’t live without her,
crying and crying.
Why did I let her go
without telling her about
my anguish, my sorrows?
I have yet to understand,
my love, why…

YouTube link (Di Sarli)