Apologia Tanguera

Tanguera Apology

Apologia Tanguera

Tango rante that you haveTango rante que tenés
the soul of a slap,el alma de un cachetazo,
that you are carrying a hatchetque vas llevando un hachazo
on your forehead and you hide it;en la frente y lo escondés;
from head to toe,de la cabeza a los pies,
dressed in full mourning,vestido de luto entero,
you are a sugarcane symbolsos un símbolo canero
that goes strong tapping;que va taconeando fuerte;
you are Laughter and you are Death,sos la Risa y sos la Muerte,
dressed as a tango dancer.vestidas de milonguero.

You are among the trickerySos entre el camandulaje
a piece of bad luck;un cacho de mala suerte;
you are the death masksos el barbijo de muerte
that seals the deal;que rubrica el sabalaje;
you are the soul of gossipsos el alma del chusmaje
stuck in a bandoneon;metida en un bandoneón;
you are the fork, the betrayalsos la furca, la traición
and you are a weed flower,y sos una flor de yuyo,
the compliment and the sweet talkel piropo y el chamuyo
that perfumes the heart.que perfuma el corazón.

You are the sad lament,Sos el lamento tristón,
that, entangling senses,que, amarrocando sentidos,
you enter through the earste metés por los oídos
and dig into the heart.y escarbás el corazón.
You are the compadron requiem,Sos el réquiem compadrón,
the one who moaned in Paris;el que gimió allá en París;
with your swagger, do you hear me?,con tu canyengue, me oís?,
you were the fierce nailvos fuiste el fiero remache
that made the Apache tremblequi hizo temblar al apache
and made the Mimís cry.y llorar a las Mimís.

Beautiful tango that stretchesTango lindo que se estira
in a swaggering bandolaen un bandola atorrante
and comes out dyingy que sale agonizante
while it is danced and inhaled...mientras se baila y se aspira...
Tango! You are like a stripTango! Sos como una tira
of arrogance and evil;de prepotencia y de mal;
you are tears and apron,sos lágrima y delantal,
you are wake and cocaine,sos velorio y cocaína,
and you are a woman's sadnessy sos tristeza de mina
that pierces like a daggerque se clava en un puñal