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Cruz de palo

Cruz de palo is a Tango written by Guillermo Barbieri and recorded by Alfredo De Angelis in 1944. The Tango Cruz de palo is written by Guillermo Barbieri, Alfredo De Angelis has recorded Cruz de palo with the singer Carlos Dante.
The piece “Cruz de palo,” or “Wooden Cross,” evokes a deep sense of resilience and memory. This haunting melody speaks to the strength found in simplicity, where the wooden cross stands as a symbol of enduring hope amidst life’s trials. In its notes, one hears whispers of stories untold, etched into the wood by time itself.

Tango

Style

Alfredo De Angelis

Orchestra

Carlos Dante

Singer

Enrique Cadícamo

Author

Guillermo Barbieri

Composer

1944/11/23

Date

Carlos Dante
Carlos Dante
Alfredo De Angelis
Alfredo De Angelis

Discover Other Orchestras

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Horacio Salgán – Pimienta – 1971/1/1
Horacio Salgán – Tierra querida – 1963/1/1
Horacio Salgán – Don Goyo – 1953/9/2
Horacio Salgán – A una mujer – 1962/1/1
Julio De Caro – Mi tormento – 1930/1/1
Julio De Caro – Ojos negros – 1952/11/27
Julio De Caro – Pobre cantor – 1928/1/1
Julio De Caro – Nunca (2) – 1935/5/17
Julio De Caro – 1937 – 1938/3/10
Lucio Demare – Luna – 1957/1/1
Lucio Demare – Florcita – 1945/1/12
Lucio Demare – Carnavalito – 1943/1/9
Lucio Demare – Y siempre igual – 1943/9/13
Lucio Demare – El baile de los domingos – 1943/7/13
Ricardo Tanturi – Viviane de París – 1946/7/5
Ricardo Tanturi – Seis días – 1946/1/3
Ricardo Tanturi – Espera de esquina – 1946/5/16
Ricardo Tanturi – La abandoné y no sabía – 1944/4/27
Ricardo Tanturi – Calor de hogar – 1945/11/9

Recommended

These Tangos, Valses, and Milongas were recorded around the same time. Take a look to discover what else this orchestra—or others—may have recorded during the same week or even on the exact same day.

1944/11/23 – Naranjo en flor – Anibal Troilo
1944/11/23 – Palomita blanca – Anibal Troilo
1944/11/23 – Parece un cuento – Alfredo De Angelis
1944/11/24 – Amurado – Osvaldo Pugliese
1944/11/24 – Nada mas que un corazon – Osvaldo Pugliese

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Cruz de palo

This is the translation of the Tango “Cruz de palo” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Tango “Cruz de palo” have been done with AI.

Letra del Tango Cruz de palo

Juntito al arroyo, besao por los sauces
y poblao de flores, de esmalte y de luz,
sin letras, crespones ni nombres tallados
se alzan junto a un sauce dos palos en cruz.
Una sepultura que ‘entuavía’ el cardo
no pudo cercarla, y en donde el ‘chus-chus’
de alguna lechuza se escucha, agorera,
sobre la cimera de esa vieja cruz.

El sauce le llora un Ave María;
el boyero, en cada chiflido que da,
acaso le quiere rezar un bendito
junto con las quejas que entona el sabia…
Dicen los más viejos, haciéndose cruces,
que al pasar de noche por ese lugar
oyen que se quejan los ñacurutuces
de un modo tan fiero que hasta hace temblar…

(recitado)
Y en las noches malas, cuando enrieda el viento
su vago lamento en el saucedal,
por la cruz de palo una luz camina,
que corre y que vuela por el pastizal.

Pa’ un ‘Día de Dijuntos’ de hace varios años
se llegó una moza juntito a la cruz;
la cabeza envuelta en negro rebozo,
los ojos llorosos, tristes y sin luz.
¡Qué frío, canejo, sentirán los muertos…!
Pues la moza aquella se le arrodilló,
lloró cuanto quiso, besuqueó la tumba,
le dijo ‘hasta pronto’, pero no volvió.

English lyrics of the Tango "Cruz de palo"

Beside the stream, kissed by the willows
and filled with flowers, enamel, and light,
without letters, black bands, or carved names
rise next to a willow, two crossed sticks.
A grave which the thistle
could not surround yet, where the ‘chus-chus’
of some owl is heard, ominous,
over the crown of that old cross.

The willow weeps an Ave Maria;
the cowherd, with each whistle he blows,
may want to pray a blessing
along with the complaints sung by the thrush…
The old folks say, making the sign of the cross,
that when passing by at night through that place
they hear the owl’s cries
so fiercely that it makes tremble…

(spoken)
And on stormy nights, when the wind entwines
its vague lament in the willow grove,
over the wooden cross a light wanders,
that runs and flies through the grass.

For a ‘Day of the Dead’ several years ago
a girl came close to the cross;
her head wrapped in a black shawl,
her eyes teary, sad and dull.
How cold the dead must feel…!
For that girl knelt down,
cried as much as she wanted, kissed the grave,
said ‘see you soon’, but never returned.

Cruz de palo by Enrique Cadícamo

Cruz de palo is a Tango written by Enrique Cadícamo and composed by Guillermo Barbieri.


Story behind the Tango Cruz de palo

The lyrics of “Cruz de palo” vividly narrate the scene around a humble wooden cross standing near a stream, under a willow, surrounded by light and flowers. This tranquil resting place, untouched yet by thistles, harbors a sense of reverence and melancholy. An old woman’s visit to this grave, her emotions, and the raw natural elements interacting with this site shape the narrative, creating a poignant reflection on memory, grief, and the passing of time.


Symbolism of Cruz de palo

The wooden cross (“Cruz de palo”) in the title symbolizes simplicity and perhaps forsakenness, reflecting the modest means of the deceased or the solitary nature of the burial. The imagery of the willow weeping an “Ave María” and the nightbird’s eerie call encapsulates the sorrow and otherworldly essence of the site. The recurrent theme of light navigating the landscape in stormy, dark nights also suggests supernatural elements, possibly the soul’s journey or spiritual manifestations in Argentine folklore.


Cruz de palo in historic Context

Created in Argentina in 1944, “Cruz de palo” emerges during a period of global turmoil and reflects a return to themes of solace and human struggle. This era in Argentina was marked by political change and cultural renaissance, which perhaps influenced Cadícamo to delve into themes of existential reflection, elegy, and the intimate connection with the environment as metaphors for broader human experiences and national identity.


Enrique Cadícamo

Enrique Cadícamo was a prominent Argentine lyricist and poet, known for his significant contributions to the Tango genre.