Bailarín compadrito · Francisco Canaro · 1929

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

Vestido como dandy, peinao a la gomina y dueño de una mina más linda que una flor, bailás en la milonga con aire de importancia, luciendo la elegancia y haciendo exhibición. Cualquiera iba a decirte, che, reo de otros tiempos, que un día llegarías a rey de cabaret, que pa' enseñar tu corte pondrías academia... Al taura siempre premia la suerte que es mujer. Bailarín compadrito, que floriaste tu corte primero, en el viejo bailongo orillero de Barracas al sur. Bailarín compadrito, que quisiste probar otra vida, y al lucir tu famosa corrida te viniste al Maipú. Araca, cuando a veces oís La Cumparsita yo sé cómo palpita tu cuore al recordar que un día lo bailaste de lengue y sin un mango y ahora el mismo tango bailás hecho un bacán. Pero algo vos darías por ser sólo un ratito el mismo compadrito del tiempo que se fue, pues cansa tanta gloria y un poco triste y viejo te ves en el espejo del viejo cabaret.

English · machine translation

Dressed like a dandy, combing his hair with hair gel and owner of a girl prettier than a flower, you dance at the milonga with an air of importance, showing off your elegance and making an exhibition. Anybody would have told you, hey there, you, a prisoner of other times! that one day you would become a cabaret king, that to show your court you'd set up an academy... To the taura always rewards the luck that is woman. Compadrito dancer, that you first flourished your court, in the old bailongo orillero of Barracas to the south. Dancer compadrito, who wanted to try another life, you wanted to try another life, and to show off your famous corrida you came to Maipú. Araca, when sometimes you listen to La Cumparsita I know how your heart palpitates when you remember that one day you danced it with a tongue and without a mango and now you're dancing the same tango like a bacán. But you would give anything to be just for a little while the same compadrito of the time that is gone, because so much glory is tiring and a little sad and old you see yourself in the mirror of the old cabaret.