Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

El ciruja

El ciruja is a Tango written by Ernesto de la Cruz and recorded by Carlos di Sarli in 1951. Carlos di Sarli has recorded El ciruja as an instrumental Tango.
“El Ciruja,” translating to “The Ragman” in English, is a poignant tango that weaves the tale of a street-smart wanderer. This piece captures the raw spirit of survival, painting a vivid portrait of a life on the margins. It evokes the rhythm of footsteps on cobblestone streets, carrying whispers of stories only a ragman could tell.

Tango

Style

Carlos di Sarli

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Alfredo Marino

Author

Ernesto de la Cruz

Composer

1951/12/6

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Carlos di Sarli
Carlos di Sarli

Discover Other Orchestras

Osvaldo Pugliese – Emancipación – 1955/9/2
Osvaldo Pugliese – Y mientes todavía – 1950/7/26
Osvaldo Pugliese – Lágrimas – 1970/6/1
Osvaldo Pugliese – Después – 1981/7/8
Osvaldo Pugliese – Cómo te parecés a mi guitarra – 1981/7/17
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Milonguita (Esthercita) – 1959/9/14
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Yo no sé por qué te quiero – 1959/9/14
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Nunca tuvo novio – 1959/9/14
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Rosicler – 1959/9/14
José Garcia – Aguantalo si podés (De corte antiguo) – 1944/4/7
José Garcia – El once (A divertirse) – 1943/1/13
José Garcia – Esta noche de luna – 1943/8/13
José Garcia – A lo mejor quién te dice – 1942/10/27
José Garcia – Nocturno de tango – 1943/2/20
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – A Pedro Maffia – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La cumparsita – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Toda mi vida – 1968/8/5
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La tablada – 1968/8/5
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La trampera – 1969/7/30

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.

El ciruja recorded by other Orchestras

El ciruja recorded by other Orchestras

1951/12/6 – Don Juan – Carlos di Sarli
1951/12/6 – El Cabure – Carlos di Sarli
1951/12/6 – El pollito – Carlos di Sarli
1951/12/6 – Que nunca me falte – Osvaldo Pugliese
1951/12/7 – La tablada – Horacio Salgan
El ciruja – 1951/12/6 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
El ciruja – 1949/6/2 – Alfredo De Angelis – Julio Martel
El ciruja – 1967/1/1 – Jose Basso – Alfredo Belusi
El ciruja – 1950/3/7 – Francini-Pontier – Julio Sosa

Letra del Tango El ciruja

Como con bronca, y junando
de rabo de ojo a un costado,
sus pasos ha encaminado
derecho pa’l arrabal.
Lo lleva el presentimiento
de que, en aquel potrerito,
no existe ya el bulincito
que fue su único ideal.

Recordaba aquellas horas de garufa
cuando minga de laburo se pasaba,
meta punguia, al codillo escolaseaba
y en los burros se ligaba un metejón;
cuando no era tan junao por los tiras,
la lanceaba sin tener el manyamiento,
una mina le solfeaba todo el vento
y jugó con su pasión.

Era un mosaico diquero
que yugaba de quemera,
hija de una curandera,
mechera de profesión;
pero vivía engrupida
de un cafiolo vidalita
y le pasaba la guita
que le shacaba al matón.

Frente a frente, dando muestras de coraje,
los dos guapos se trenzaron en el bajo,
y el ciruja, que era listo para el tajo,
al cafiolo le cobró caro su amor.

Hoy, ya libre’e la gayola y sin la mina,
campaneando un cacho’e sol en la vedera,
piensa un rato en el amor de su quemera
y solloza en su dolor.

English lyrics of the Tango "El ciruja"

With a grudge, and glancing
from the corner of his eye to the side,
he started his steps
straight towards the slum.
He’s led by the premonition
that in that little wasteland,
the little room no longer exists
that was his only ideal.

He remembered those hours of mischief
when he passed without work,
constantly picking pockets, playing cards,
and getting a crush at the racetrack;
when he wasn’t so well known by the cops,
he swindled without being caught,
a girl swiped all his cash
and played with his passion.

She was a chic girl
working as a torch-bearer,
daughter of a healer,
pickpocket by profession;
but she was deceived
by a stylish pimp,
and she passed him the money
she took from the thug.

Face to face, showing courage,
the two tough guys tangled in the underworld,
and the vagabond, who was swift with the blade,
charged the pimp dearly for his love.

Today, free from the prison and without the girl,
watching a bit of sun on the sidewalk,
he thinks for a moment of his torch-bearer’s love
and weeps in his pain.

El ciruja by

El ciruja is a Tango written by and composed by Ernesto de la Cruz.

Story behind the Tango El ciruja

“El ciruja” narrates the story of a man—once a pickpocket and gambler—returning to his roots in the neighborhood he grew up in. It reflects on the passage of time and change, both personal and external, as he grapples with memories of youth, crime, and love. The protagonist reminisces about his past filled with reckless abandon, street smarts, and an ill-fated romance with a woman who was also entangled in a life of petty crime. The tango conjures a narrative rich in nostalgia and regret, wrapped up in a gritty urban environment.

Symbolism of El ciruja

Symbolically, “El ciruja” weaves together imagery of Buenos Aires’ lowlife with the tango’s characteristic melancholy. The “ciruja,” or streetwise hustler, becomes a vessel through which themes of love, betrayal, and redemption are explored. The term “bulincito” evokes nostalgia for a simpler, better time now lost. The characters personify the tango’s romanticism and fatalism, particularly the “mosaico diquero” and “cafíolo vidalita,” who resonate with archetypes of romantic folly and tarnished loyalty. The “gayola,” referring to jail, is a metaphor for personal entrapment and eventual release.

El ciruja in historic Context

Composed in 1951, “El ciruja” captures an era in Buenos Aires when tango was both a popular art form and a reflection of societal realities. During this time, the city’s vibrant neighborhoods were places where diverse cultures and social struggles met, providing a rich backdrop for stories of survival and longing. The tango addresses the economic hardships and criminal undercurrents prevalent in neighborhoods like those found in the conventillos—dense tenements housing working-class families. This environment is crucial to understanding the protagonist’s lifestyle, dictating a narrative of loss and seeking redemption amidst change.

was a lyricist or poet associated with the tango genre, contributing significantly to its expressive and emotional repertoire.