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Fantasma

Fantasma is a Tango written by Enrique Delfino and recorded by Miguel Caló in 1944. The Tango Fantasma is written by Enrique Delfino, Miguel Caló has recorded Fantasma with the singer Raul Iriarte.
“Fantasma” translates to “Ghost” in English, evoking a spirit that lingers in the shadows of memory. It dances through the melodies, weaving between notes like whispers of forgotten tales. This spectral tune captures the essence of things unseen, haunting the heart with its ethereal presence and melancholic embrace.

Tango

Style

Miguel Caló

Orchestra

Raul Iriarte

Singer

Cátulo Castillo

Author

Enrique Delfino

Composer

1944/10/24

Date

Raul Iriarte
Raul Iriarte
Miguel Caló
Miguel Caló

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Fantasma recorded by other Orchestras

Fantasma recorded by other Orchestras

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Fantasma

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

Letra del Tango Fantasma

Regresa tu fantasma cada noche,

Tus ojos son los mismos y tu voz,

Tu voz que va rodando entre sus goznes

La vieja cantinela del adiós.

Qué pálida y qué triste resucita

Vestida de recuerdos, tu canción,

Se aferra a esta tristeza con que gritas

Llamando, en la distancia, al corazón.



Fantasma… de mi vida ya vacía

Por la gris melancolía…

Fantasma… de tu ausencia, sin remedio

En la copa de misterio…

Fantasma… de tu voz que es una sombra

Regresando sin cesar,

¡Cada noche, cada hora!

Tanta sed abrasadora…

A esta sed abrasadora… de olvidar.



Ya no tienes las pupilas bonitas

Se apagaron como una oración,

Tus manos, también ya marchitas

No guardaron mi canción.

Sombras que acompañan tu reproche

Me nublan, para siempre, el corazón…

Olvidos que se encienden en la noche

Agotan en alcohol, mi desesperación.

English lyrics of the Tango "Fantasma"

Your ghost returns every night,

Your eyes are the same, and so is your voice,

Your voice that rolls on its hinges

The old refrain of farewell.

How pale and sad it resurrects

Dressed in memories, your song,

It clings to this sadness with which you cry

Calling, in the distance, to the heart.

Ghost… of my now empty life

By the gray melancholy…

Ghost… of your irremediable absence

In the cup of mystery…

Ghost… of your voice that is a shadow

Returning incessantly,

Every night, every hour!

Such scorching thirst…

This scorching thirst… to forget.

You no longer have the beautiful eyes

They dimmed like a prayer,

Your hands, also now withered

Did not keep my song.

Shadows that accompany your reproof

Cloud my heart forever…

Forgets that light up in the night

Exhaust my despair with alcohol.

Fantasma by Cátulo Castillo

Fantasma is a Tango written by Cátulo Castillo and composed by Enrique Delfino.

Story behind the Tango Fantasma

“Fantasma,” meaning “Ghost” in English, poetically narrates the haunting presence of a past love that continues to torment the speaker nightly. The lyrics describe the unshakeable vision of a former lover whose ghostly return stirs up a mixture of melancholy and nostalgia. The apparition bears the same eyes and voice, rekindling the sorrow of their farewell. This returning specter is not just a memory but an emotional pulse reverberating with the aching permanence of loss and longing.

Symbolism of Fantasma

The central figure of the ghost in “Fantasma” symbolizes unresolved grief and the inability to move on from past relationships. The recurring use of dark and light imagery—referenced through the ghost’s dimmed eyes and the shadows that linger—emphasizes the contrast between memory and present reality. The phrases “tu voz que va rodando entre sus goznes” and “Tus manos, también ya marchitas” evoke a sense of something once vibrant now fading, much like the voice echoing sadly and the withered hands no longer able to hold the song. These images enhance the haunting tone of the lyrics and deepen the sense of loss.

Fantasma in historic Context

“Fantasma” was composed in Argentina in 1944, a period marked by political strife and social changes preceding Juan Perón’s rise to power. In this context, the tango could be seen reflecting a collective sentiment of disillusionment and nostalgia for better past times, mirroring the personal losses in the lyrics. The Ember of lingering sadness and disillusionment, as captured in the tango, may also resonate with the Argentine public’s weary sentiments about their changing societal landscape during that era.

Cátulo Castillo

Cátulo Castillo was a prolific Argentine tango lyricist and poet known for his intense and often melancholy themes.