Farol (1943)

Streetlamp
lyrics by Homero Expósito

A humble neighborhood with houses
that reflect its tin sorrow.
A human neighborhood
singing its legends out as tangos
while a distant clock chimes
twice in the depths of night.
A workers’ neighborhood,
a corner filled with memories
and a streetlamp…

Oh, streetlamp!
the things you must see these days!
Oh, streetlamp!
yesterday has gone away…
the shadows
that escape your gaze tonight
leave me in the middle of this little alley,
sadder than ever before.

Your light
has the tango in its pocket
(smells like old cigarettes)
and it has lost its shine and glimmer
and has become a cross…

Orquesta Aníbal Troilo, singer Francisco Fiorentino

Note: In the two most popular versions of this tango, an entire line is different. Fiorentino sings “has the tango in its pocket” and Chanel “smells like old cigarettes” which rhyme in the original Spanish. I’ve uploaded both versions for you to listen to here.

You can also read Rick McGarrey’s translation, with comments and annotations.

(Spanish original after the jump)

Farol

Un arrabal con casas
que reflejan su dolor de lata.
Un arrabal humano
con leyendas que se cantan como tangos
y allá un reloj que lejos da
las dos de la mañana.
Un arrabal obrero,
una esquina de recuerdos y un farol…

Farol,
¡las cosas que ahora se ven!
Farol,
ya no es lo mismo que ayer…
la sombra
hoy se escapa a tu mirada,
y me deja más tristona
la mitad de mi cortada.
Tu luz,
con el tango en el bolsillo
(con olor a cigarrillo)
fue perdiendo luz y brillo
y es una cruz…