Sing little bird! Help me soothe my anguish!

CANTA, PAJARITO
("Sing, little bird")
Music: Oscar Rubens
Lyrics: Juan José Guichandut

Tango Decoder's English-language version is dedicated to Lauranne Thompson.

Some months ago I was dancing at one of Juancito Lencina and Daniel Rezk's milongas at Club Gricel, and during their charmingly kooky intervalo act they announced that the next tanda would be made up entirely of songs with music or lyrics by Juan José Guichandut (1909-1979). I thought that would be pretty cool, since Guichandut's LLUEVE OTRA VEZ ("It's Raining Again") is one of my favorite tangos and since he also co-wrote (with Oscar Rubens) the words and music to TARAREANDO ("Humming"). Both songs had the great distinction of being recorded by Di Sarli (the former with Podestá and the latter with Rufino), and both songs have also been featured here on Tango Decoder, thus adding greatly to their luster! (/snark)
    Those two songs were heard in the subsequent tanda along with the one decoded here, CANTA PAJARITO, which was also recorded by Di Sarli with Rufino, as well as by Demare with Berón. I can't for the life of me remember exactly which versions of those three fine songs were included in the tanda, because I got flummoxed by the fourth, YO ("I") performed by Di Sarli with Jorge Durán. To me, it didn't mesh at all with the other songs in the tanda.
    In any event, we now have a nice Guichandut trilogy here on Tango Decoder: LLUEVE OTRA VEZ, TARAREANDO, and CANTA, PAJARITO. Maybe we'll even look at YO some time. Here's Tango Decoder's version of CANTA PAJARITO.

To view our subtitled videos of this song in Spanish and English, you may click below:

• CANTA, PAJARITO by Orquesta Típica Carlos Di Sarli with vocal by Roberto Rufino
• CANTA, PAJARITO by Orquesta Típica Lucio Demare with vocal by Raúl Beron

En la soledad sufriendo está mi corazón. Y qué triste estoy desde esta noche cruel que el cielo la llevó. La casa entera enmudeció, su risa se apagó... ¡Sus pasos y su voz extraño! Se ha marchitado aquel rosal, testigo familiar de nuestro amor de tantos años. ¡Todo ha cambiado desde que se ha ido! ¡Todo está triste desde que no está! Y el pajarito tan cantor, unido a mi dolor ahora ya no canta más. Canta, canta, pajarito... Canta, canta tu canción... ¡Ayúdame a calmar mi angustia y mi dolor, ayúdame a soñar que está a mi lado! Canta, canta, pajarito... Canta, canta, tu canción... Ya no alumbra el sol con su fulgor mi triste hogar. Ya no besaré ni nunca gustaré sus labios de coral. Ya nunca más he de escuchar su voz angelical, ni el timbre de su risa franca, ni he de sentirme acariciar con esa suavidad de aquellas sus dos manos blancas. ¡Todo ha cambiado desde que se ha ido! ¡Todo está triste desde que no está! Y el pajarito tan cantor, que sufre como yo ahora ya no canta más.

In solitude my heart is suffering. And how sad I am since that cruel night when heaven took her away. The whole house fell silent, her laughter was extinguished... I miss the sound of her footsteps, her voice! That rose bush has withered, familiar witness of our love of so many years. Everything’s changed since she has gone! Everything’s sad since she's not here! And the little bird, such a singer, joining in my sorrow, now sings no more. Sing, sing, little bird... Sing, sing your song... Help me soothe my anguish and my pain,* help me dream that she’s by my side! Sing, sing, little bird... Sing, sing your song... The sun no longer shines with its brilliance on my sad home. Now I won't kiss, won't ever taste her coral-colored lips. Never again will I hear her angelic voice nor the sound of her uninhibited laughter, nor feel myself caressed by the softness of those two fair hands. Everything’s changed since she's gone! Everything’s sad since she’s not here! And the little bird, such a singer, who is suffering like me, now sings no more.

 * my anguish and my pain: The sheet music gives the line as mi angustia y mi dolor, and Berón sings it as given. Rufino sings mi pena y mi dolor ("my sorrow and my pain").