Coplas de penas
Years ago, I asked "Geraldo" for help with a translation. It was almost certainly a Rodriguez track. I remember him shocked but laughing at the man who took bitterness so far that he imagined himself in his coffin, still with the woman in mind who had set him on the path to self-ruin, at least that is how I understood what he said. I remember the song included flowers and and coffin and was indeed particularly bitter, even for a tango, so it is likely it was that it was La Gayola, translation with excellent notes by the late "sleepmeister", TangoDecoder, Michael Krugman. Now that my Spanish is much improved that isn't quite how I read that tango but it was what I was remembered when I heard the last lines of these coplas:
Diez años después de muerta
la tierra me preguntó
si ya te había olvidado
y le contesté que no.
They have less of the angry rencor of the tangos written by men, sung by men and more a profound sadness.
Cada vez que lo recuerdo
Each time I remember it
Each time I remember it
no me quisiera acordar
I wish I didn't have to remember
I wish I didn't have to remember
que los gustos son del cuerpo
that pleasures belong to the body
that pleasures belong to the body
y el alma lo ha 'i de pagar.
and the soul will have to pay.
Allá va mi corazón
There goes my heart
and the soul will have to pay.
Allá va mi corazón
There goes my heart
dirigido en un papel
written on a piece of paper
llorando gotas de sangre
crying drops of blood
crying drops of blood
por un ingrato querer.
for an ungrateful love.
Los pajaritos y yo
The little birds and I
for an ungrateful love.
Los pajaritos y yo
The little birds and I
nos levantamos a un tiempo
get up at the same time
get up at the same time
ellos a cantar el alba
they to sing at dawn
they to sing at dawn
yo a llorar mis sentimientos.
I to weep over my feelings.
Canta y divierte tus males
Sing and enjoy your sorrows
I to weep over my feelings.
Canta y divierte tus males
Sing and enjoy your sorrows
no des a entender tus penas
don't let your sorrows show,
don't let your sorrows show,
que aquel que te quiere bien
for the one who truly loves you
for the one who truly loves you
y en verte triste se alegra.
rejoices in seeing you sad.
Diez años después de muerta
Ten years after my death
rejoices in seeing you sad.
Diez años después de muerta
Ten years after my death
la tierra me preguntó
the earth asked
the earth asked
si ya te había olvidado
if I had forgotten you
if I had forgotten you
y le contesté que no.
and I replied that, no.
and I replied that, no.
Music and lyrics by Mariana Carrizo.
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