La porteñita

The girl from Buenos Aires

La porteñita

The girl from Buenos Aires, the boys called you,La porteñita te llamaban los muchachos,
because you were all body and soul for tango,porque eras todo cuerpo y alma para el tango,
with your skirt, your percale blouse,con tu pollera, tu blusita de percal,
you were a bit of the suburb, in the tango halls.eras un poco de arrabal, en los salones milongueando.
When the hoarse bandoneons enveloped you,Cuando los roncos bandoneones te envolvían,
like a flame the milonga ignited you,como una llama la milonga te encendía,
with your style, your cadence and your rhythm,por tu canyengue, tu cadencia y tu compás,
they formed a circle in the hall, to watch you dance the milonga.formaban rueda en el salón, para mirarte milonguear.

Swirling your flowery percale,Al revolear tu florido percal,
little butterfly of the suburb's light,mariposita de luz de arrabal,
who didn't stay sighing,quién no quedó suspirando,
following your turns, dreaming, dreaming.siguiendo tus vueltas, soñando, soñando.
You must have heard words of love,Si habrás oído palabras de amor,
neighborhood milonguera,milonguerita de barrio,
but your love was tango,pero tu amor era el tango,
and tango lived in your heart.y el tango vivía en tu corazón.

You were famous from Palermo to Corrales,Fuiste famosa de Palermo hasta Corrales,
you were the queen of the suburb dances,fuiste la reina de los bailes de arrabales,
your tap danced on the floor,rallaba el piso tu taquito compadrón,
marking a figure eight in the hall,marcando un ocho en el salón,
amidst the swaying of your percales.entre el vaivén de tus percales.
You were born for tango and tango was your life,Naciste para el tango y el tango fue tu vida,
in my memory my nostalgia doesn't forget you,en mi recuerdo mi nostalgia no te olvida,
this milonga, compadrita, is for you,esta milonga, compadrita, es para vos,
that my emotion gives you, like a flower from the heart.que te regala mi emoción, como una flor del corazón.