"If only I could love again without fear, then your eyes that cry out your affection, I might silence with my kisses...."—Uno
There are several worthy English-language versions of this great 1943 lyric by Enrique Santos Discépolo, and each One of them reveals something Unique, which is the individual translator's heartfelt response to the lyrics as they ring out across the decades. But this and other songs by Discepolo are so rich in signification, in poetic depth, that there's plenty of room for further attempts to decode them. As One who particularly appreciates Discépolo's lyrics, I felt compelled to take a closer look at this song, and to discover its message for myself. So here's Tango Decoder's very personal and of course Unique version of Enrique Discépolo's UNO (One).
Song data at tango.info
"Uno" at Tango Translations Database
Uno (One) 1943
Lyrics: Enrique Santos Discépolo
Music: Mariano Mores
One seeks, full of hope,
the path to his desires
that was promised by dreams.
He knows that the struggle is long
and cruel, but he struggles and bleeds
because his faith demands it.
One drags himself through thorns
and, in his eagerness to give his love,
he suffers and is torn to shreds
until at last he understands
that One has been left without a heart...
The penalty one pays
for a kiss that never comes
and an unfaithful love...
...Empty now from loving and from bemoaning
so much betrayal...
If only, like yesterday, I had the heart,
(the heart I gave!)
If only I could love again without fear,
then your eyes
that cry out your affection
I might silence with my kisses...
Without thinking they were like
those other eyes, the wicked ones,
the ones that ruined my life...
If I only had the heart,
(the one I lost...!)
If I could forget her who broke it yesterday,
and...if I had the strength to love you,
I would cling to the dream of you
to beg for your love.
But God suited you to my destiny without thinking
that it’s already very late and I won’t know how to love you...
Let me weep like one who suffers in life
the torture of begging for his own death.
Pure as you are, you might have saved my hope with your love...
One is so alone in one’s pain...
One is so blind in one’s sorrow...
But a cruel coldness that’s worse than hate
—the soul’s deadlock—dreadful tomb of my love,
Forever cursed, it robbed me...of all hope!
Uno busca lleno de esperanzas
el camino que los sueños
prometieron a sus ansias.
Sabe que la lucha es cruel
y es mucha, pero lucha y se desangra
por la fe que lo empecina.
Uno va arrastrándose entre espinas
y en su afán de dar su amor,
sufre y se destroza hasta entender
que uno se ha quedao sin corazón.
Precio de castigo que uno entrega,
por un beso que no llega
y un amor que lo engañó....
¡Vacío ya de amar y de llorar
tanta traición!
Si yo tuviera el corazón,
(El corazón que di...!)
Si yo pudiera como ayer
querer sin presentir...
Es posible que a tus ojos
que me gritan tu cariño
los cerrara con mis besos.....
Sin pensar que eran como esos
otros ojos, los perversos,
los que hundieron mi vivir....
Si yo tuviera el corazón,
(El mismo que perdí...!)
Si olvidara a la que ayer
lo destrozó y... pudiera amarte,
me abrazaría a tu ilusión
para llorar tu amor.
Pero, Dios, te trajo a mi destino sin pensar
que ya es muy tarde y no sabré cómo quererte…
Déjame que llore como aquel que sufre
en vida la tortura de llorar su propia muerte…
Pura como sos, habrías salvado mi esperanza con tu amor…
Uno está tan solo en su dolor… Uno está tan ciego en su penar….
Pero un frío cruel que es peor que el odio
—punto muerto de las almas—tumba horrenda de mi amor,
¡maldijo para siempre y me robó… toda ilusión!…
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