Embedded Files
Post date: Dec 31, 2014 1:49:56 AM
Posting this video and lyrics* of Balada Para Un Loco as a tribute to the great Uruguyan lyricist Horacio Ferrer who passed away on December 21 at the age of 81. You can read more about Ferrer here.
In the video Ferrer is reciting with great emotion the lyrics of his beautiful poem which Astor Piazzola put to music. This is one of my favourite Piazzola songs. He is accompanied by the Orqestra Typical Alfredo Marcucci. The location is Turin, Italy. The year is 2007 - Ferrer would have been 74 year at that time.
Here's the lyrics* in English and Spanish:
The afternoons in Buenos Aires have this… well, you know.
You leave your house down Arenales Avenue.
The usual : on the street and in me…
Then suddenly, from behind a tree,
he shows up.
Las tardecitas de Buenos Aires tienen ese que se yo, viste?
Salis de tu casa por Arenales.
Lo de siempre: en la calle y en mi…
Cuando de repente, detras de un arbol,
se aparece él.
Rare mix of the next to last tramp
and the first stowaway on a trip to Venus:
a half melon on the head,
a striped shirt painted on the skin,
two leather soles nailed to the feet,
and a taxi-for-hire flag up in each hand.
Mezcla rara de penultimo linyera
y de primer polizonte en el viaje a Venus:
medio melon en la cabeza,
las rayas de la camisa pintadas en la piel,
dos medias suelas clavadas en los pies
y una banderita de taxi libre levantada en cada mano.
Ha ha! But only I can see him:
because he moves among the people
and the mannequins wink at him,
the traffic lights flash him three lights sky-blue
and the oranges at the corner grocery stand
cast their blossoms at him.
And that this way, half dancing, half flying,
He removes the melon to greet me.
He gives me a little flag and he tells me…
¡Ja, ja! Parece que sólo yo lo veo.
Porque él pasa entre la gente,
y los maniquíes le guiñan;
los semáforos le dan tres luces celestes,
y las naranjas del frutero de la esquina
le tiran azahares.
Y así, medio bailando y medio volando,
se saca el melón, me saluda,
me regala una banderita, y me dice…
l know I’m crazy, crazy, crazy…
don’t you see the moon rolling through Callao;
a second line of astronauts and children
waltzing around me… Dance! Come! Fly!
Ya se que estoy piantao, piantao, piantao…
No ves que va la Luna rodando por Callao;
que un corso de astronautas y niños, con un vals,
me baila alrededor… Baila! Veni! Vola!
Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!
As darkness sets in your porteña loneliness,
by the shores of your bedsheet I’ll come
with a poem and a trombone
to keep your heart sleepless.
Loco! Loco! Loco!
Cuando anochezca en tu porteña soledad,
por la ribera de tu sabana vendre
con un poema y un trombon
a desvelarte el corazon.
I know I’m crazy, I’m crazy, I’m crazy…
I see Buenos Aires from a sparrow’s nest;
and I saw you so sad… Come! Fly! Feel!…
the crazy desire I have for you:
Yo se que estoy piantao, piantao, piantao…
Yo miro a Buenos Aires del nido de un gorrion;
y a vos te vi tan triste… Veni! Vola! Senti!…
el loco berretin que tengo para vos:
Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!
Like a demented acrobat I’ll dive,
into the abyss of your cleavage ’till I feel
I drove your heart crazy with freedom.
You’ll see!
Loco! Loco! Loco!
Como un acrobata demente saltare,
sobre el abismo de tu escote hasta sentir
que enloqueci tu corazon de libertad…
Ya vas a ver!
And so saying, the crazy invites me
to ride on his super sport illusion,
and we’re going to run over the cornices
with a swallow in the engine.
From Vieytes they applaud: “Hooray! Hooray!”,
the nuts who invented Love,
and an angel, a soldier and a girl
give us a dancing waltz.
Y, así diciendo, El loco me convida
A andar en su ilusión super-sport,
y vamos a correr por las cornisas
¡con una golondrina en el motor!
De Vieytes nos aplauden: “Viva! Viva!”,
los locos que inventaron el Amor;
y un angel y un soldado y una niña
nos dan un valsecito bailador.
The beautiful people come out to say hello.
And the crazy, my crazy, I don’t know!;
he causes a stridency of bells with his laugh,
and finally, he looks at you, and sings softly
Nos sale a saludar la gente linda…
Y El loco, loco mío, ¡qué sé yo!,
provoca campanarios con su risa,
y al fin, me mira, y canta a media voz:
Love me this way I am, crazy, crazy, crazy…
climb up into my insane tenderness,
don a wig of larks on your head and fly!
Fly with me now! Come! Fly! Come!
Quereme asi, piantao, piantao, piantao…
Trepate a esa ternura de locos que hay en mi,
ponete esa peluca de alondras, y vola!
Vola conmigo ya! Veni, vola, veni!
Love me the way I am, crazy, crazy, crazy…
open up your love, we are going to attempt
the crazy magic of reviving…
Come , fly , come! Trai-lai-lai-larara!
Quereme asi, piantao, piantao, piantao…
Abrite los amores que vamos a intentar
la magica locura total de revivir…
Veni, vola, veni! Trai-lai-lai-larara!
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Crazy him and crazy me…
Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!
Crazy him and crazy me.
¡Viva! ¡Viva! ¡Viva!
¡Loco él y loca yo!
¡Locos! ¡Locos! ¡Locos!
¡Loco él y loca yo!
Vale Horacio Ferrer
You may enjoy a related post: Farewell to Horacio Ferrer
* lyrics translated by Letras de Tango
Report abuse