Fin de fiesta

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

Exhalaron notas tristes los gangosos bandoneones y giraron las parejas gravemente en el salón; el ambiente encanallado trasuntaba tentaciones y aquel tango que gemía era un requiem compadrón. Esa noche había llegado el muchacho calavera más enfermo a la milonga, más vencido por su mal; y en el culto a la garufa que él rendía a su manera se escondía un gran cansancio tras un trágico final. Ríe y baila, muchachito calavera, confiando en el cartón que da la suerte; mas no ves que atrás está la muerte reservándote el final... Ríe y baila, sin pensar que ese candombe redobla con dolor por tu llegada y que ya antes de la madrugada se acaba tu carnaval. Sus amigas, las milongas, no sospechan por lo visto del responso melodioso, y le obligan a tomar; no comprenden que en la mueca de su risa ya está listo... que lo espera aquella Dama que no sabe perdonar. Levantando fina copa de champañe burbujante, el vencido calavera tristemente la brindó... y en los últimos acordes de un gotán agonizante abrazado a dos borrachas para siempre se durmió.

English · machine translation

The nasal bandoneóns breathed out their sorrowful notes and the couples turned gravely in the ballroom; the corrupted air gave off temptations and that tango that moaned was a swaggering requiem. That night the young libertine had arrived at the milonga sicker than ever, more beaten by his illness; and in the cult of revelry that he practised in his own way there hid a great weariness behind a tragic ending. Laugh and dance, young libertine, trusting in the card that luck deals out; but you don't see that death is behind you keeping the ending for you... Laugh and dance, never thinking that this candombe rolls its drums with sorrow at your arrival and that already, before the small hours, your carnival is over. His friends, the milonga women, evidently don't suspect the melodious funeral prayer, and press him to drink; they don't understand that in the grimace of his laugh he's ready... that the Lady who doesn't know how to pardon is waiting for him. Raising a fine glass of bubbling champagne, the defeated libertine sorrowfully drank her health... and in the last chords of a dying tango embracing two drunk women he fell asleep forever.