I like to translate songs that have been covered by several orchestras, so that my readers can compare the often very different interpretations in music and singing. I am now presenting to you a song that has been covered by two popular orchestras, namely those of Ricardo Tanturi and Miguel Calò. I think the following story has a specifically sardonic tone and in my opinion the singing in Calò’s version, by Berón, does not represent the essence of the lyrics well. I’d recommend you to listen to the ‘tough guy of the barrio’, Alberto Castillo, first.

I guess you some of you international readers have heard this song in milongas, but perhaps you’ll get a different impression of its content, now that you can understand the lyrics. There are a few lines I am not entirely sure about, as this was a hard one to translate, but I guess most of it is pretty accurate.

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1) Tanturi/Castillo  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6PNhwZ40KI
2) Calò/Berón   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24_b3F_lYGA

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A Crime.

My personal tragedy, Your Honor, is a story
in which the end can serve as a starting point.
I realize that, because of the bizarre nature
of my glory, it would be hard to sound sentimental.
The life I gave her, was sheer torture
and her soul had to endure my frentic rage.
My jealousy brought about madness
and right in the middle of this hell,
I lost control over myself.

The life in her eyes disappeared when
my fingers of steel embroidered a necklace
around her nacreous throat.
She turned to kiss my hands
and she could barely scream,
when her voice faded out
without reproach, and thus,
in a gentle way, her night came to an end.
I can still see her anguish before my eyes
and that impression will not go away.

Your Honor, because of this story about such an evil
and brutal crime, even the smallest detail
must not escape your memory and
I want everyone to know she was
 a good person and that I did her harm.

My favourite singer Jorge Maciel is most certainly a dangerous kind of drug, a drug that should be consumed with moderation. His bittersweet, dramatic voice is exceptionally enchanting, but should maybe be heard late at night, after you have had one too many. Most tango fans probably know him as a singer in Osvaldo Pugliese’s orchestra, but today I present you a very sensible kind of song that he performed together with Alfredo Gobbi. Neither Maciel nor Gobbi are probably the most popular/accessible tango figures out there, but I think this combination of lyrics and singing is so powerful that you just need to see for yourself and try it out. However, do so at your own risk! (and remember that this song isn’t really useful for dancing…)

There is also a version by Gobbi with another singer (Tito Landó) and a version by Osvaldo Pugliese with Abel Cordoba.

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I don’t add an .mp3 in this case because you can find it on YT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_E_h405qps

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Your anguish and my pain (Alfredo Gobbi, lyrics by Julio Camilloni)

How could I ask your rose garden
to stop giving you roses?
Who could, please, put
that melodious bird to silence?
How should I entreat that fountain
to stop telling you things?

That would mean urging my heart
to give up for dead this passion
that bursts into flames with every heartbeat.

No… I just can’t obey your request.
No…. how could I possibly forget you?
Who?… wants to remove you from my life?
On our parting, something strange was visible to me…

Today, through your lit-up window
I saw you crying, unable to sleep.
And my poor shadow, deeply in love,
cried over your anguish and my pain.

Original lyrics, source (completely the same as in the song): http://www.hermanotango.com.ar/Otras%20Letras/TU%20ANGUSTIA%20Y%20MI%20DOLOR.htm