Tango Lyrics in Spanish and
English
|
|||
COMO DOS EXTRAÑOS
|
|||
Like two strangers (1940)
|
|||
Music by: Pedro Laurenz | |||
Lyrics by: Jose Maria Contursi | |||
Translated by: Alejandro Ridilenir | |||
Return to Table of Contents | |||
Last update on: 1/19/08 | |||
The poetry of Jose
Maria Contursi can be an acquired
taste for the tango connoisseur because of the one-dimensional scope of
his
themes. A review of his prolific body of work indicates the use of a
refined
language that helped raised the average quality of the tango lyrics.
This
is quite an accomplishment considering that he is the son of Pascual
Contursi,
author of Mi noche triste (My sad night)
credited
with having launched the popularity of lyrics to be sung to tango music. The recurring theme in the majority of Jose Maria Contursi is the poetic and sensitive story of Gricel, perhaps his most popular tango. There is passionate love affair, then a break up and painful regrets from having done it. The character then spends the rest of his life moping and looking for the lost love. In Como dos extraños (Like two strangers) Contursi allegedly got his inspiration from hearing a waiter at a café relating the story of how he decided to go looking for a lost love. Encouraged by his co-workers, he travels to the province of Cordoba (where all the women of Contursi tangos seem to go after their frustrated love affairs) only to find his former flame working as a clerk at a convenience store, a shadow of her former self. The shock of her sight sends the heroe back to his buddies where he then relates his experience. |
|||
Version en castellano | English translation | ||
Me acobardó la soledad
y el miedo enorme de morir lejos de ti... ¡Qué ganas tuve de llorar sintiendo junto a mí la burla de la realidad! Y el corazón me suplicó que te buscara y que le diera tu querer... Me lo pedía el corazón y entonces te busqué creyéndote mi salvación... Y ahora que estoy frente a ti parecemos, ya ves, dos extraños... Lección que por fin aprendí: ¡cómo cambian las cosas los años! Angustia de saber muertas ya la ilusión y la fe... Perdón si me ves lagrimear... ¡Los recuerdos me han hecho mal! Palideció la luz del sol al escucharte fríamente conversar... Fue tan distinto nuestro amor y duele comprobar que todo, todo terminó. ¡Qué gran error volverte a ver para llevarme destrozado el corazón! Son mil fantasmas, al volver burlándose de mí, las horas de ese muerto ayer... |
Loneliness intimidated me
and the enormous fear of dying far from you... Great was my desire of crying feeling close to me the jeer of reality! And the heart begged me to look for you and give it your love... My heart was asking for it and then I looked for you believing you were my salvation... And now that I am in front of you we seem,as you can see,two strangers... The lesson that I have finally learned: Is how years make things change! Anguish of knowing illusion and faith were already dead... I´m sorry if you see me weeping... Memories have done me wrong! The light of the sun turned pale when it listened to your cold conversation... Our love was so different and it hurts to realize that everything, everything ended. What a great mistake to see you again to take away my shattered heart! They are thousand ghosts, returning to mock me the hours of that dead past... |
||
CONTACT US |
|||