I Abandoned Her and I Didn’t Know…
lyrics by José Canet
Kneaded between the silver and gold
of serenades
and wild dance parties,
cradled by the sounds
of bandoneons,
this tango was born.
It was born to watch me suffer
in this horrific life
as my luck takes its dying gasps.
When I hear it sound out,
when I begin to dance to it,
I feel death come a bit closer.
And that is why tonight
I feel the rebuke
of my heart.
I abandoned her and I didn’t know
that I still loved her
and ever since she left
I feel cut off from my faith–
it is dying, dying…
I abandoned her and I didn’t know
that my heart was deceiving me
and now that I’ve come back to look for her
I can’t find her anymore…
without her love, where should I go?
Orquesta Ricardo Tanturi, singer Enrique Campos
Orquesta Miguel Caló, singer Raúl Berón
Orquesta Osvaldo Pugliese, singer Roberto Chanel
(Spanish original after the jump)
La abandoné y no sabía
Amasado entre oro y plata
de serenatas
y de fandango,
acunado entre los sones
de bandoneones
nació este tango.
Nació por verme sufrir
en este horrible vivir
donde agoniza mi suerte.
Cuando lo escucho al sonar,
cuando lo salgo a bailar
siento más cerca la muerte.
Y es por eso que esta noche
siento el reproche
del corazón.
La abandoné y no sabía
de que la estaba queriendo
y desde que ella se fue
siento truncada mi fe
que va muriendo, muriendo…
La abandoné y no sabía
que el corazón me engañaba
y hoy que la vengo a buscar
ya no la puedo encontrar…
¿adónde iré sin su amor?
Poesía de gotán: The Poetry of the Tango 
For the Anglo-Saxon speaking world, your translation of tango poetry is superb. For dose that dance the music, the lyrics now have added meaning. Well done.
Posted by Del | 07.12.2011, 10:28 AMThank you so much! I am glad I’ve helped another person appreciate and understand the words of the Golden Age music :).
Posted by poesiadegotan | 07.12.2011, 4:51 PMJust to echo Del’s comment. Three years later, and this is still so valuable.
Posted by Iain | 06.12.2014, 11:47 PM