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Tenía que suceder (1955)

It Had to Happen
lyrics by Julio Camilloni
music by Arturo Gallucci

Don’t tell my fortune, gypsy woman—
What for?
Just let my life take me where it will,
suddenly, surprisingly, like it did yesterday.
I am a man set on his path,
who accepts his destiny as it comes,
if I don’t shed tears over what’s done,
I can’t lose more than what’s already lost.

I did nothing more than love,
and I defended my love.
As it was written,
so it had to happen.
I didn’t want to shed any blood
but I couldn’t avoid it…
You shouldn’t read my palms
I can’t show them to you now…

I told him, “I don’t want my shadow
to fall across your window grate.”
But my words were wind,
a note that hangs in the air and fades away.
Because last night the shadow fell
and the man fell down dead.
Don’t tell my fortune—
my future luck doesn’t matter at all.

I did nothing except love,
and I defended my love.
As it was written,
so it had to happen.
I didn’t want to shed any blood
but I couldn’t avoid it…
You shouldn’t read my palms
I can’t show them to you now…

Orquesta Carlos Di Sarli, singer Mario Pomar (1955)

Orquesta Alfredo De Angelis, singer Carlos Dante (1955)

(Spanish original after the jump)

Tenía que suceder

No me digas la buenaventura, gitana—
¿pa’ qué?
Dejame que la vida me lleve
de golpe, a sorpresas, como la de ayer.
Yo soy hombre que está en el camino,
que acepta el destino como quiera ser,
si no lloro lo ya sucedido,
más de lo perdido, no puedo perder.

Yo no hice más que querer,
y mi querer defendí.
Tenía que suceder
porque estaba escrito así.
Sangre no quise verter,
mas no lo pude evitar.
Mis manos no has de leer
ya no las puedo mostrar…

Yo le dije: “No quiero en tu reja
mi sombra arribar.”
Pero fue mi palabra en el viento,
la nota en el aire que vibra y se va.
Porque anoche rondaba la sombra
y al hombre rondaba, la fatalidad.
No me digas la buenaventura—
mi suerte futura, lo mismo me da.

Yo no hice más que querer,
y mi querer defendí.
Tenía que suceder
porque estaba escrito así.
Sangre no quise verter,
mas no lo pude evitar.
Mis manos no has de leer
ya no las puedo mostrar…

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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.

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