Isla de Flores

Island of Flowers

Isla de Flores

Island of Flowers, so narrowIsla de Flores, tan angostita
My little street by the seaMi callecita costa del mar
In your shacks were bornEn tus casuchas nacieron todos
The most generous of the suburbLos más coperos del arrabal
And how many nights to my earsY cuantas noches a mis oídos
Sounds of guitar playing arrivedLlegaron ruidos del guitarrear
And in the wounds of the tenementY en las heridas del conventillo
They made me tough to dance tangoMe hicieron taura para tanguear

Street, of my first principlesCalle, de mis primeros principios
You were where I began to encounterFuiste donde comencé a topar
Street, because of you I became a tango dancerCalle, por ti me hice milonguero
I got drunk with your hustle and bustleMe embriagué con tu bullicio
And tango has been my viceY el tango ha sido mi vicio
In my life of the suburbEn mi vida de arrabal

And although I have suffered in this absenceY aunque he sufrido en esta ausencia
The consequences of a whimLas consecuencias de un berretín
For you I lost my old ladyPor ti he perdido a mi viejecita
My 20 springs, I lost everythingMis 20 abriles, todo perdí
And the memories still haven't erasedY los recuerdos aun no han borrado
My cruel torment, my horrible painMi cruel tormento, mi horrible mal
I forgive you, I don't blameYo te perdono, nada reprocho
My little street, by the seaMi callecita, costa del mar

Street, of my first principlesCalle, de mis primeros principios
You were where I began to encounterFuiste donde comencé a topar
Street, because of you I became a tango dancerCalle, por ti me hice milonguero
I got drunk with your hustle and bustleMe embriagué con tu bullicio
And tango has been my viceY el tango ha sido mi vicio
In my life of the suburbEn mi vida de arrabal