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La bruja (1938)

The Witch
lyrics by Francisco Gorrindo
music by Juan Polito

Drowning this scream
that rises up from my chest
and arrives on my lips full of malice,
I return to your side, with my hands tied,
but only to tell you that it’s over,
that I don’t care anymore
about your laughs or your tears,
that by a feat of courage
I conquered my heart,
and today more than ever,
taking a closer look at you,
I can see you for who you truly are:

The witch
who yesterday was queen
of my whole being,
now that the spell is broken
is nothing more than a woman.

The witch,
a pile of crazy whims
that enslaved me
is today a landscape covered with horror.

I commit myself to a simple, moral life
I commit myself to a noble, loyal love,
and perhaps one day, my soul will be cured
by manly strength I will build a home.

Then maybe I will have redeemed myself
and by that time you, who knows what you’ll be—
a scrap of winter, covered with ailments,
the remains of a life, a tiny little cough…


Orquesta Juan D’Arienzo, singer Alberto Echagüe
(1938)

Orquesta Juan D’Arienzo, singer Mario Bustos (1959)

Echagüe does not sing the italicized verses; Bustos does.

(Spanish original after the jump)

La bruja

Ahogando este grito
que sube del pecho,
y llega a los labios carga’o de rencor,
yo vuelvo a tu lado, atadas las manos,
pero pa’ decirte que todo acabó,

Que ya no me importa
tu risa o tu llanto,
que a fuerza de coraje
vencí al corazón,
y que hoy como nunca
mirándote cerca,
te veo realmente, así como sos:

La Bruja
que ayer fue la reina
de todo mi ser,
hoy, roto el encanto,
no es más que mujer.

La Bruja,
montón de caprichos
que me esclavizó,
hoy es un paisaje cubierto de horror.

Me entrego a la vida sencilla y honrada,
me entrego a un cariño que es noble y leal,
y puede que un día, curada mi alma,
a fuerza de hombría levante un hogar.

Entonces, acaso, me habré redimido,
y vos, para entonces, quién sabe si sos,
un cacho de invierno cubierto de males,
un resto de vida, un poco de tos.

About Derrick Del Pilar

Born and raised in Chicago, I came to the tango while studying at the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires in 2006. In 2008 I earned my B.A. with majors in Creative Writing and Spanish & Portuguese from the University of Arizona, and in 2009 I earned an M.A. in Latin American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. My specialty is the history & literature of early 20th century Argentina.

Discussion

2 thoughts on “La bruja (1938)

  1. Thanks Derrick! This song is going to be on my next playlist!

    Posted by Allen Klus | 09.22.2009, 5:00 AM

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  1. Pingback: A transformation | Tango Addiction - 08.20.2012

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