El adiós

Maruja Pacheco Huergo is said to have composed the melody that became El adiós to capture the mood of a curtain moving lightly in the breeze. Virgilio San Clemente's lyrics would unite the lyrical and the dramatic in one of the great tangos in the Argentine repertory. It was the perfect piece to close out the year at Milonga Falucho/Brooklyn at Café Argentina. The Tango Duo of Machiko Ozawa (violin) and Pablo Cafici (piano) celebrated the occasion with live music.

El adiós (1937) Letra de Virgilio San Clemente Música de Maruja Pacheco Huergo	The Farewell (1937) Lyrics by Virgilio San Clemente, trans. J. Osburn Music by Maruja Pacheco Huergo
En la tarde que en sombras se moría, Buenamente nos dimos el adiós; Mi tristeza profunda no veías Y al marcharte sonreíamos los dos. Y la desolación, mirándote partir, Quebraba de emoción mi pobre voz... El sueño más feliz, moría en el adiós Y el cielo para mí se obscureció.	The afternoon died in encroaching shadow And we bid each other a fond farewell, Your eyes not seeing my deepening woe, And before you left we exchanged a smile. And in the desolate act of watching you go My impoverished voice cracked with emotion… The happiest dream had perished with our goodbye And the clouds moved over me and obscured the sky.
En vano el alma Con voz velada Volcó en la noche la pena... Sólo un silencio Profundo y grave Lloraba en mi corazón.	The inutile spirit Inarticulate Turned over painfully in the night... Nothing less than a silence Serious and profound Convulsed my heart with unheard sobs.
Sobre el tiempo transcurrido Vives siempre en mí, Y estos campos que nos vieron Juntos sonreír Me preguntan si el olvido Me curó de ti. Y entre los vientos Se van mis quejas Muriendo en ecos, Buscándote... Mientras que lejos Otros brazos y otros besos Te aprisionan y me dicen Que ya nunca has de volver.	Since then, in every changing season, You’ve always lived in me. The acres that saw the two of us Smile together Ask me why forgetfulness hasn’t been The balm that’s cured me. And my sad plaints echo In the bitter winds And die out as they go In search of you... Meanwhile far away Other embraces hold you in sway Kisses that imprison you and tell me You’ll never need to come back now.
Cuando vuelva a lucir la primavera, Y los campos se pinten de color, Otra vez el dolor y los recuerdos De nostalgias llenarán mi corazón. Las aves poblarán de trinos el lugar Y el cielo volcará su claridad... Pero mi corazón en sombras vivirá Y el ala del dolor te llamará.	When spring reawakens with its resplendent brush And dabbles the countryside with color, Once more the memoir of a dolorous past Will fill my baneful heart with cruel nostalgia. Birds will flock again to the wheatfields And the lofty sky regain its clarity… Yet my piteous heart remain in obscurity And the wings of my pain call out for you.
En vano el alma Dirá a la luna Con voz velada la pena... Y habrá un silencio Profundo y grave Llorando en mi corazón.	The soul will cry in vain To the comforting moon, Its injured voice muffled by pain... And there will be a silence Serious and profound Sobbing quietly in my heart.

Listen to the dramatic Pugliese-Jorge Maciel version here:

Notes

Which stanzas and even in what order they are sung varies wildly between the many available versions of this popular, highly danceable tango. In some cases the chorus is not sung at all; in at least one other, it is placed at the beginning. It is also a little surprising to realize that so much of the imagery is of the countryside, given the urbane sophistication of the music. There is also a submerged theme of seasonal change; spring is not yet come, and there are winds (which I have taken the liberty of making bitter) in which the singer's complaint is lost. The masterful music contains, just barely at times, an emotional pulse of great but never melodramatic intensity.

—John Osburn