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Tormenta (1939)

Storm
music & lyrics by Enrique Santos Discépolo

Howling amidst lightning,
lost in the storm
of this endless night,
oh Lord! I seek your name…
I don’t want your bolts
to blind me to these horrors,
because I need light
in order to go on…
What I learned at your hand—
shouldn’t it help me lead my life?
I feel that my faith is wavering,
that evil people lead,
oh Lord! better lives than me…

If life itself is Hell
and good men live in tears,
what good does he
who fights in your name,
clean and pure—what for?
If today infamy leads the way
and love kills in your name,
oh Lord! everything you kiss…
Then to follow you is to give ground
and to love you, to succumb to evil.

As for me, I don’t want to abandon you
just show me one single time
when a traitor does not go unpunished,
oh Lord! Then I’ll kiss you…

Show me a single flower
that has blossomed
out of effort to follow you,
oh Lord! so that I do not hate
this world that spurns me
because I refuse to become a thief…
And then, on my knees,
bloodied on the cobblestones,
I will die for you, joyous God!

Orquesta Francisco Canaro, singer Ernesto Famá (1939)

Orquesta Francisco Lomuto, singer Jorge Omar (1939)

Orquesta Carlos Di Sarli, singer Mario Pomar (1954)

(Spanish original after the jump)

Tormenta

¡Aullando entre relámpagos,
perdido en la tormenta
de mi noche interminable,
¡Dios! busco tu nombre…
No quiero que tu rayo
me enceguezca entre el horror,
porque preciso luz
para seguir…
¿Lo que aprendí de tu mano
no sirve para vivir?
Yo siento que mi fe se tambalea,
que la gente mala, vive
¡Dios! mejor que yo…

Si la vida es el infierno
y el honra’o vive entre lágrimas,
¿cuál es el bien…
del que lucha en nombre tuyo,
limpio, puro?… ¿para qué?…
Si hoy la infamia da el sendero
y el amor mata en tu nombre,
¡Dios!, lo que has besao…
El seguirte es dar ventaja
y el amarte sucumbir al mal.

No quiero abandonarte, yo—
demuestra una vez sola
que el traidor no vive impune,
¡Dios! para besarte…

Enséñame una flor
que haya nacido
del esfuerzo de seguirte,
¡Dios! Para no odiar:
al mundo que me desprecia,
porque no aprendo a robar…
Y entonces de rodillas,
hecho sangre en los guijarros
moriré con vos, ¡feliz Señor!

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

5 thoughts on “Tormenta (1939)

  1. Es uno de los grandes tangos de Discepolin!, igual que casi todos. Este tango tambien habla de Dios, como casi todos los los de Discepolo!. Es lindo escucharlo, bailarlo, ahora un poco mas dificil esntenderlo aun para los propios que lo bailan, ya que no es muy optimista!. Me imagino la gente que no habla la lengua!!, no entienden nada. Por eso es muy lindo e importante tu apoyo y traduccion de las poesias del tango, ya que son casi perfectas, fiel reflejo de lo que quiere decir los poetas. Asi mucha gente que no entiende ni le gusta la poesia, a traves de estas traducciones, estoy seguro les va a gustar y apreciarlas. Salu, Derrick.

    Posted by Miguel | 01.20.2017, 7:29 AM
  2. THANNNK YOU for translating this song. One of my favorites!!!! Totally using this to teach a future class. Thank you again!

    Posted by Nicholas Tapia | 02.11.2017, 4:53 PM
  3. Hi, Derrick, I just (discovered) another Discepolo tango that isn’t in your repertoire, under the word, M. I’d like if could make the translation!, you’ll be stun by the meaning so deep and happy to hear the Tango. Cheers and thank you in advance if you have the time.

    Posted by Miguel | 03.26.2017, 7:30 AM

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