Tango Lyrics in Spanish and English
 

EL CHOCLO

The ear of corn (1903)

Music by: Angel Villoldo
Lyrics by: Angel Villoldo (1903)
Enrique Santos Discepolo and Juan Carlos Marambio Catan (1947)
Translated by: Alberto Paz
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Last Updated: 6/10/00

A Tango by another name...

On November 3, 1905, the upper class clientele of the exclusive Restaurante Americano gathered as ususal listen to pianist Jose Luis Roncallo and his classical orchestra play. A few days earlier, Angel Villoldo had shown to Roncallo the melody of a Tango he had just composed. It was by far the best Villoldo had written but Roncallo fretted at the idea of playing a Tango for the "creme-de-la creme" of Buenos Aires society dining at the Restaurante Americano.
Yet, the sound of the unnamed tune was so compelling that Roncallo decided to sneak it by disguised as a "danza criolla", a Creole dance. And so, he did on that balmy evening of November 3, 1905. The name had been decided by Villoldo, who named it El choclo, the ear of corn, because "I loved it from the very first note, and for me the ear of corn is the tastiest ingredient of the 'puchero', a meat and vegetables stew ..." The "puchero" reference reflected Villoldo's hope that the success of the Tango would bring food to his table. To earn a living was commonly referred to as earning the "puchero."
An appropriate name for an undercover Tango being premiere at a restaurant.
 

Version en castellano

English version

Version de Villoldo (1903)

Vieja milonga 
que en mi horas de tristeza, 
traes a mi mente 
tu recuerdo cariñoso 
y encadenandome a tus notas 
dulcemente, 
siento que el alma 
se me encoje poco a poco. 

Hoy que los años 
han blanqueado ya mis sienes,
tango querido, 
viejo tango que me embarga, 
con la cadencia 
de su musica sentida, 
recuerdo aquella epoca, 
tan linda que se fue.

Version de Discepolo/Marambio Catan (1947)

Con este tango que es burlon y compadrito 
se ato dos alas la ambicion de mi suburbio; 
con este tango nacio el tango y como un grito 
salio del sordido barrial buscando el cielo; 
conjuro extraño de un amor hecho cadencia 
que abrio caminos sin mas luz que la esperanza, 
mezcla de rabia de dolor, de fe, de ausencia 
llorando en la inocencia de un ritmo jugueton. 

Por tu milagro de notas agoreras, 
nacieron sin pensarlo, las paicas y las grelas,
luna en los charcos, canyengue en las caderas, 
y un ansia fiera en la manera de querer... 
Al evocarte...
tango querido.
siento que tiemblan las baldosas de un bailongo
y oigo el rezongo de mi pasado ... 
Hoy que no tengo...
mas a mi madre...
siento que llega en punta'e pie para besarme 
cuando tu canto nace al son de un bandoneon.

Carancanfunfa se hizo al mar con tu bandera 
y en un 'perno'' mezclo a Paris con Puente Alsina.
Fuiste compadre del gavion y de la mina
y hasta comadre del bacan y la pebeta
Por vos shusheta, cana, reo y mishiadura
se hicieron voces al nacer con tu destino,
misa de faldas, querosen, tajo y cuchillo, 
que ardio en los conventillos y ardio en mi corazon! 

Al evocarte...
tango querido.
siento que tiemblan las baldosas de un bailongo
y oigo el rezongo de mi pasado...

Villoldo's version (1903)

Old milonga
that on my hours of sadness
brings to my mind
an affectionate reminiscence
and chaining me to your notes
sweetly,
I feel my soul
shrinking little by little.

Now that the years
have whitened my temples,
dear tango,
old tango that overpowers me
with the cadence
of its felt music,
I remember that period,
so wonderful that it's gone.
 

Discepolo/Marambio Caran's version (1947)

With this tango, mocking and show off,
tied two wings the ambition of my slum;
with this tango tango was born and like a shout
left the sordid bog looking for heaven;
strange spell of a love turned cadence
that opened paths with no more light than hope,
mixture of rage, pain, faith, absence
crying in the inocence of playful rhythm.

From the miracle of your ominous notes,
were born without a thought, the paicas and the grelas,
moon on the puddles, canyengue on the hips
and a fiery desire in the way to love...
Evoking you...
tango beloved.....
I feel the shaking of the tiles of a bailongo
and I hear the grumbling of my past...
Now that I don't have...
my mother anymore...
I feel her coming in tiptoes to kiss me
when your chant is born to the sound of a bandoneon.

Carancanfunfa crossed the sea with your flag
and in a Pernod mixed Paris and Puente Alsina.
You were buddy of the gavion and the mina
and even crony of the bacan and the pebeta.
Because of you, shusheta, cana, reo and mishiadura
became voices to be born with your destiny,
mass of skirts, kerosen, slash and knife,
that burned in the tenements and it burned in my heart!

Evoking you...
tango beloved.....
I feel the shaking of the tiles of a bailongo
and I hear the grumbling of my past...


Bailongo: lunfardo for a place where people dance, i.e. a milonga
Bacan: lunfardo for a wealthy man or one who pretends to be wealthy. A man who keeps a woman. A pimp who owns a woman. A concubine of a prostitute.
Cana: lunfardo for the police, a policeman or the jail.
Canyengue: lunfardo word with several meanings. It refers to somebody or something from the slums, i.e. low class. It also describes a gathering where people from the slums dance. It is also a certain way to perform or dance the tango with a slum attitude. Finally, it is a rhytmic effect created by Leopoldo Thompson by hitting the string of the contrabass with the hand or the arch of the bow.
Carancanfunfa: in the lingo of the compadritos, the dance of tango with interruptions (cortes) and also those who dance it that way in a very skillful manner.
Gavion: lunfardo for a libertine man who seduces women. A Don Juan that charms the women. A seducer, a mocker.
Grelas: lunfardo for woman.
Mishiadura: lunfardo for poverty.
Mina: lunfardo for woman.
Paicas: a lunfardo word for girl.
Pebeta: lunfardo for young woman or girl.
Reo: lunfardo for hobo, unemployed, given to partying and reticent to work. Typical of people of lower class status. Also, it is used as humble, poor.
Shusheta: lunfardo for a person who takes excessive care of his posture and attire. Also it is used to describe a police informant, a person who accuses in secret, a snitch. A fop, a dandy.
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