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Doble castigo

Doble castigo is a Tango written by Elías Randal and recorded by Horacio Salgán in 1953. The Tango Doble castigo is written by Elías Randal, Horacio Salgán has recorded Doble castigo with the singer Angel Diaz.
“Doble Castigo,” meaning “Double Punishment” in English, resonates with a haunting intensity. This tango, steeped in melancholy, tells of love’s dual torment—first inflicting wounds of longing, then deepening them with relentless memory. Each note weaves a dance of regret and desire, echoing the heart’s unavoidable lament.

Tango

Style

Horacio Salgán

Orchestra

Angel Diaz

Singer

Carlos Bahr

Author

Elías Randal

Composer

1953/9/2

Date

Angel Diaz
Angel Diaz
Horacio Salgán
Horacio Salgán

Discover Other Orchestras

Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La última curda – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Nocturno a mi barrio – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Milonguero triste – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – A Pedro Maffia – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Del barrio de las latas – 1968/8/5
Osmar Maderna – Divina – 1949/12/14
Osmar Maderna – Escalas en azul – 1950/5/17
Osmar Maderna – Volviendo – 1947/5/30
Osmar Maderna – Gracias – 1946/10/31
Osmar Maderna – La cautiva – 1950/11/8
Armando Pontier – Fuegos artificiales – 1956/7/31
Armando Pontier – No te apures Carablanca – 1960/6/28
Armando Pontier – Padrino pelao – 1955/10/27
Armando Pontier – Derecho viejo – 1957/8/7
Armando Pontier – Zurdo – 1968/10/20
Carlos di Sarli – Pena mulata – 1941/2/18
Carlos di Sarli – Porteño y bailarín – 1953/10/30
Carlos di Sarli – Pobre buzón – 1956/12/12
Carlos di Sarli – La estancia – 1930/11/4
Carlos di Sarli – La capilla blanca – 1944/7/11

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.

1953/9/2 – Don Goyo – Horacio Salgan
1953/9/2 – El marne – Horacio Salgan
1953/9/2 – Siga el corso – Horacio Salgan
1953/9/3 – El cocherito – Angel d-Agostino
1953/9/3 – Muchacho – Angel d-Agostino

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Doble castigo

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

Letra del Tango Doble castigo

Desfile obsesionante de recuerdos

que al pasar me agobian, en mi noche infame.

Las manos que se abrieron suplicantes

y el triste llanto de mi pobre madre.

Rodé en la vida, sin saber porqué,

pagué mis culpas con mi libertad.

Y hoy, un remordimiento que me acosa

se une al cruel tormento de mi soledad.



Ya van diez años, nada más.

Diez años largos de esperar,

tras esas rejas implacables

que agobian todo afán de libertad.



¡Ya no me importa nada más!

No hay quien espere mi regreso.

¡Oh! Yo que para el mundo soy un muerto

porque la que me esperaba ya no vive más.



Las cartas que mi madre me mandaba cada mes,

dejaron de llegar un día.

Las mías retornaban sin respuesta,

yo ya no tuve mas valor ni vida.

Lloré en la celda por primera vez,

besé el retrato amado con fervor.

Entonces, un presidio del que nunca más saldré,

se abrió para mi corazón.

English lyrics of the Tango "Doble castigo"

Obsessive parade of memories
that overwhelm me as they pass, in my infamous night.
The hands that opened pleadingly
and the sad tears of my poor mother.

I rolled through life, not knowing why,
I paid my dues with my freedom.
And now, a remorse that haunts me
joins the cruel torment of my solitude.

It’s been ten years, nothing more.
Ten long years of waiting,
behind these relentless bars
that smother all desire for freedom.

I no longer care about anything else!
There’s no one waiting for my return.
Oh! To the world, I am a dead man
for she who waited for me lives no more.

The letters that my mother sent me every month,
stopped coming one day.
Mine returned unanswered,
I no longer had any courage or life.

I cried in the cell for the first time,
I kissed the beloved portrait fervently.
Then, a prison from which I’ll never leave,
opened up for my heart.

Doble castigo by Carlos Bahr

Doble castigo is a Tango written by Carlos Bahr and composed by Elías Randal.

Story behind the Tango Doble castigo

“Doble castigo” translates to “Double Punishment” in English, which itself hints at the themes of suffering and consequence elaborated upon in the lyrics. The lyrics tell the poignant story of a person reflecting on their life from within the confines of a prison. The narrator recounts the cascade of troubling memories, the pain of their mother’s tears, and the personal losses endured over a decade of incarceration. Notably, the song conveys deep feelings of regret, mourning, and an irrevocable sense of solitude accentuated by the death of the one who was waiting for their return, presumed to be the narrator’s mother, whose letters stopped coming, leaving them utterly despondent.

Symbolism of Doble castigo

The tango is rich with deep emotional symbolism, using recurrent images of darkness, solitude, and confinement to enhance the tragedy of the narrative. “Las manos que se abrieron suplicantes” (The hands that opened pleading) symbolizes the desperation and helplessness experienced by the narrator and perhaps his mother. The “implacable bars” signify not just the physical barrier of prison but also the metaphorical barriers to freedom and redemption. The stopped letters symbolize the cessation of hope and connection with the world outside, and the unreturned letters intensify the isolation.

Doble castigo in historic Context

Created in 1953 in Argentina, “Doble castigo” was born in an era marked by political instability and strong social themes in Argentine culture. This period saw the rise and fall of influential political figures, and the common man’s struggles were often at the heart of cultural expressions. Through this tango, Carlos Bahr not only captures a personal story of pain and loss but also mirrors the sentiments of confinement and despair that many may have felt in a metaphorical sense under the oppressive societal structures of the time.

Carlos Bahr

Carlos Bahr was a prominent Argentine lyricist known for his profound and emotive contributions to the tango genre, often weaving complex human emotions and societal reflections into his compositions.