Photo: Alberto Morán

Some tangos are so sad and bitter that it’s hard to not be emotionally influenced when hearing them. The following lyric is very bitter in itself, and apart from that, the dramatic effect is also strenghtened by Pugliese’s dark style and Morán’s emphatic, heart-wrenching voice. I recommend you to listen to some D’Arienzo or cheerful Donato right afterwards to make up for the emotional impact.

Desilusión, lyrics by Lito Bayardo

Los años venturosos ya pasaron
igual que una bandada de ilusión.
Te dí la primavera de mi vida
mis dulces alegrías
mi joven corazón.
Quería que el mundo te admirara,
quería que brillaras como el sol,
y ciego en el afán de ver tus triunfos
fui dando cuanto pude por nuestro amor.

The happy years are long gone,
like a flock of illusions.
I gave you the spring of my life,
my sweet happiness
and young heart.
I wanted the world to admire you,
I wanted you to shine like the sun,
and blinded by my eagerness
to see you succeed,
I devoted my entire life
to our love.

Cuánto luché para que fueras a mi lado
el amor ambicionado
que tanto acaricié.
Cuánto dolor tuve que ahogar
dentro del pecho,
cuánta amargura,
cuánta humillación.
Y ya sobre el final de tu mentido amor,
más honda es esta cruel desilusión.

I struggled so much
to have you by my side,
the deeply desired love
that I cherished greatly.
I had to overcome so much
sorrow inside my chest,
so much bitterness,
so much humiliation.
And with the end
of your deceiving “love”,
my disillusion is greater still.

YouTube link (Pugliese-Morán)