Sing along with ANGEL VARGAS with ORQUESTA ANGEL D’AGOSTINO
It was customary at the milongas for a doorman to give a stub to those who left the milonga, in case they wanted to return later; that way, they wouldn’t have to pay the entry fee twice. The song tells about a character who waited outside the milonga waiting for a friend who had promised to let him in for free. Just in case, during intermission he asked for a stub to everyone who left. Stub and password have the same translation into Spanish, however, there was no such thing as people having “passwords” to enter a milonga for free.
CASTELLANO
ENGLISH
Sábado a la tarde, te planchás el traje
Te cortás el pelo, después te afeitás,
Con bastante crema te hacés dar masajes,
Gomina y colonia, luego te peinás.
Lista tu figura, llegada la noche
Te vestís ligero después de cenar,
Con un cigarrillo prendido en los labios
Sales de tu casa, te vas a bailar.
Y al llegar al “Sportivo”,
Con tu silueta elegante,
Te detienes en la puerta
Con los aires de un doctor.
Está atenta tu mirada,
Para ver si está el amigo,
Que anteayer te prometiera
La entradita de favor.
Y mientras vas esperando
Ya tenés todo planeado,
Si no aparece el amigo
Te la sabes arreglar.
Esperás el intervalo
Y con tu cara risueña,
Le pedís la contraseña
A todo aquel que se va.
Saturday afternoon, you press the suit
You get a haircut, later you shave,
With enough cream you get massages,
Hair gel and cologne, then you style your hair.
Ready your body, at night
You dress quickly after dinner
With a lit cigarette on your lips
You leave your house, you’re going dancing.
And when you arrive at the “Sportivo”
With your elegant silhouette,
You hang out by the door
With the air of a doctor.
Your eyes are attentive,
Looking for the friend,
Who promised you the day before yesterday
to comp you entry to the salon as a favor.
And while you’re waiting
You already have everything planned,
If the friend doesn’t show up
You know what to do.
You wait for the intermission
And with your smiling face,
You ask for the stub
To everyone who leaves.
Copyright (c) Planet Tango 1998-2012 All Rights Reserved
Sing along with ANGEL VARGAS with ANGEL D’AGOSTINO
Comments
CASTELLANO
ENGLISH
Te perdiste del rincón natal
tras un sueño de distancia
Sin pensar que allá quedaban
los seres que te amaban
y yo con mi constancia…
¡Agonía de vivir sin vos
y morir en el camino.
Y marché, dejando atrás
la maldición sobre los dos…
¡Y éste es el pago que me das!
Ahora no me conocés…
¡me borro tu ingratitud!…
Aunque dejés mi alma trunca,
no podrás olvidar nunca
lo de nuestra juventud…
¡Algún día llorarás
todo el daño que me hacés!…
Te busqué sin darme paz,
por cariño nada más…
¡Y ahora no me conocés!..
¡No se juega con un corazón
como vos lo hacés conmigo!..
¡No pongas el gesto huraño!
Buscarte fue mi engaño
y hallarte mi castigo…
Yo no sé cómo podés fingir
este asombro en mi presencia.
Yo, que soñaba esta ocasión,
te vi pasar, te oí reír…
y se hizo trizas mi ilusión!
You left your hometown
In search of a distant dream
Not thinking you left behind
those who loved you
and me, with my perseverance…
The agony of living without you
or dying on the road
I went away, leaving behind
the curse on both of us…
And this is how you pay me!
Now you don’t know me…
You ungratefulness erased me!…
Although you leave my life incomplete,
you can never forget
what we had in our youth
Some day you will cry
for all the pain you caused me!
Without peace I searched for you,
for love, and nothing else
and now you don’t know me!
No one should play with a heart
as you have done with mine!…
Don’t have that unfriendly face!
Searching for you was my mistake
and finding you was my punishment.
I don’t know how you can pretend
the surprise of seeing me.
I used to dream of this moment,
I saw you walk by, I heard you laugh
And my illusion was torn to pieces!
Copyright (c) Planet Tango 1998-2011 All Rights Reserved
Sing along with ANGEL VARGAS with ANGEL D’AGOSTINO
Arrabal is a poetic representation of the suburbs, or the fringe territory outside the center of the city. According to Jose Gobello, “Tres esquinas” alludes to the crossing of Montes de Oca and Osvaldo Cruz Streets in the neighborhood of Barracas, and to the café called “Tres esquinas”, later “Cabo Fels”, located in that place. The lyric was written by Cadícamo in 1940 for a music previously composed by Ángel D’Agostino (for an unpublished tango entitled “Pobre piba”). It was premiered that year by Ángel Vargas who was the vocalist of the D’Agostino Orchestra.
We are grateful to Richard Norris who contributed valuable corrections and modifications both in style and accuracy. He sought the help of Daniel Korman, director of a language school in Bs.As., as some of the words used by Cadicamo are part of the jargon of the city and not found in the dictionary.
CASTELLANO
ENGLISH
Yo soy del barrio de “Tres Esquinas”,
viejo baluarte del arrabal,
donde florecen como glicinas
las lindas pibas de delantal.
Donde en la noche, tibia y serena,
su antiguo aroma vuelca el malvon
y bajo el cielo de luna llena
duermen las chatas del corralon.
Soy de ese barrio de humilde rango,
yo soy el tango sentimental,
soy de ese barrio que toma mate,
bajo las sombras que da el parral.
En sus ochavas compadree de mozo,
pele la daga por un loco amor,
y vi en los ojos de una maleva
la ardiente ceba de mi pasión.
Nada hay más lindo ni más compadre
Que mi suburbio murmurador,
Con los chimentos de las comadres
Y los piropos del picaflor…
Vieja barriada que fue estandarte
De mis arrojos de juventud,
Yo soy del barrio que vive aparte
En este siglo de Neo-Lux.
I’m from the neighborhood of “Tres Esquinas,”
An old bastion of the arrabal,
Where they bloom like wisterias
The pretty factory girls in uniform.
Where in the night, warm and calm,
The geranium casts its old fashioned aroma
And under a full moon sky
Sleep the horse carriages of the warehouse.
I’m from that neighborhood of humble rank,
I’m the sentimental tango,
I’m from that neighborhood that drinks mate,
Under the shadows cast by the vine arbor.
In its angled corners I blustered as a young man,
I pulled the knife for a crazy love,
And I saw in the eyes of a fiery woman
the burning stoking of my passion.
There’s nothing more beautiful or proud
That my murmuring suburb,
With the gossip from the godmothers
And the compliments of the flirting boy…
Old neighborhood that was a banner
Of the bravery of my youth,
I am from the neighborhood who lives apart
In this age of Neo-Lux
Copyright (c) Planet Tango 1998-2012 All Rights Reserved
Sing along with Angel Vargas with the Angel D’Agostino Orchestra
Comments
CASTELLANO
ENGLISH
Mañanita arrabalera
Sin taitas por las veredas
Ni minas en el balcón
Tus faroles apagados
Y los machos retobados
En tu viejo callejónYo te canto envenenao
Engrupido y amargao
Hoy me separo de vos
Adiós arrabal porteño
Yo fui tu esclavo y tu dueño
Y te doy mi último adiós.Madrecita yo fui un reo
Y en tus brazos hoy me veo
Lleno de felicidad
Dime mi buena viejita
Dónde esta mi noviecita
Que no la puedo olvidar
Hoy ya vuelvo arrepentido
Hecho más hombre y más bueno
A la vida del hogar
Perdoname que tu hijo
Tiene un pensamiento fijo
Y nadie lo hará cambiar
RECITADO
El baile “Rodríguez Peña”
El Mocho y el Cachafaz
De la milonga porteña
Que nunca más volverá
Carnavales de mi vida
Broncas, tiros y al final
Los “espiantes” de las minas
En aquel viejo arrabal
Little morning of the suburbs
With no brave and bold men on the sidewalks
Or young girls on the balcony
Your streetlights turned off
And the angry macho men
In your old back alleyI sing to you pessimistic
Conceited and bitter
Today I separate from you
Good-bye suburb of Buenos Aires
I was your slave and your master
And I bid you my final farewellMommy I was a deadbeat
And in your arms I see myself today
full of happiness
Tell me my little old lady
Where is my little sweetheart
The one I can’t forget
Today I return repentant
More of a man, and a better one
To the home life
Forgive me that your son
Has a fixed thought
And nobody will make him change.
RECITED
The dance hall “Rodriguez Peña”
Mocho and Cachafaz
Of the milonga of Buenos Aires
That will never return
Carnivals of my life
Brave nights and at the end
Being stood up by the women
In that old Buenos Aires suburb.
Copyright (c) Planet Tango 1998-2010 All Rights Reserved
TANGO LYRICS IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH 