Las vueltas de la vida · Francisco Rotundo · 1952

Español · Underlined words are lunfardo: tap one for its meaning.

Parao en la vereda, bajo la lluvia que me empapaba, la vi pasar. El auto limousine, como un estuche, de mí la aislaba con su cristal. Frenó, me dio dos mangos y en la mirada de indiferencia que echó al seguir, noté que para ella yo era un mendigo sin importancia... y me reí. ¡Gran perra! ¡Las vueltas que tiene la vida! Ayer yo era rico, su amor disfruté, de sedas y encajes la tuve vestida, y alhajas y coches sin par le compré. La timba más tarde me tuvo apurado, el juego es más perro que toda mujer. Sin plata muy pronto me vi abandonado y hoy mango de a un peso si quiero comer. ¡Qué cambio! Yo he sido un bacán afincado y hoy pasa a mi lado, casi sin mirar, y me tira limosna al pasar. Parao en la vereda, bajo la lluvia que me empapaba, hoy recordé los besos tan sinceros que ella me daba cuando yo era un gran mishé. ¡Mujer, pa' ser falluta! dije, amargado, y sus billetes despedacé. Después, silbando un tango, galgueando de hambre, pa' mi cotorro me encaminé.

English · machine translation

Standing on the sidewalk, under the rain that was soaking me, I watched her go by. The limousine car, like a case, isolated her from me with its glass. She braked, gave me two handles and in the look of indifference she gave me, and in the look of indifference I noticed that for her I was an unimportant beggar... and I laughed. Great bitch! The twists and turns of life! Yesterday I was rich, her love I enjoyed, with silks and lace I had her dressed, and I bought her jewels and cars like no other. Later I was in a hurry for gambling, gambling is more dog than any woman. Without money I soon found myself abandoned and today I handle one peso at a time if I want to eat. What a change! I've been a goody two shoes and today it passes by my side, almost without looking, and throws me alms as he passes. Standing on the sidewalk under the rain that soaked me, today I remembered the kisses so sincere she used to give me when I was a big mishé. Woman, to be a failure! I said, bitter, and I tore up her bills. Then, whistling a tango, I was whistling a tango, galloping with hunger, I went back to my cotorro.