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Frente a una copa

Frente a una copa is a Tango written by Francisco Amor and recorded by Osvaldo Pugliese in 1949. The Tango Frente a una copa is written by Francisco Amor, Osvaldo Pugliese has recorded Frente a una copa with the singer Alberto Moran.
“Frente a una copa,” which translates to “In Front of a Glass” in English, evokes a scene of quiet reflection. The solitude of a dimly lit bar, where each sip reveals stories untold and emotions unspoken, creates an intimate dance of longing and nostalgia. In this moment, the heart converses with the soul, finding solace and sorrow within the glass.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Pugliese

Orchestra

Alberto Moran

Singer

Elías Wainer

Author

Francisco Amor

Composer

1949/5/4

Date

Alberto Moran
Alberto Moran
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pugliese

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Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Del barrio de las latas – 1968/8/5
Roberto Firpo – De rincón a rincón (De rincón en rincón) – 1930/9/4
Roberto Firpo – No llores más… No llores – 1929/6/12
Roberto Firpo – Viborita – 1930/1/1
Roberto Firpo – La despedida – 1936/6/5
Roberto Firpo – La entrerriana (2) – 1931/3/10
Armando Pontier – Corazón no le hagas caso – 1960/7/1
Armando Pontier – El marne – 1958/6/12
Armando Pontier – Viejo baldío – 1968/9/17
Armando Pontier – Verdemar – 1960/7/21
Armando Pontier – Ojos negros – 1958/6/3
Osvaldo Pugliese – Contame una historia – 1985/12/26
Osvaldo Pugliese – Melodía de arrabal – 1985/11/11
Osvaldo Pugliese – A Evaristo Carriego – 1969/7/1
Osvaldo Pugliese – Adiós pampa mía – 1976/6/4
Osvaldo Pugliese – Yo te bendigo – 1947/3/27

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.

Frente a una copa recorded by other Orchestras

Frente a una copa recorded by other Orchestras

1949/5/4 – Chuzas (2) – Osvaldo Pugliese
1949/4/30 – Una lagrima – Anibal Troilo
1949/5/12 – Mi carinito – Alfredo De Angelis
1949/5/15 – Esta noche me despido – Alfredo De Angelis
1949/4/20 – Bajo Belgrano – Alfredo De Angelis
Frente a una copa – 1949/5/4 – Osvaldo Pugliese – Alberto Moran
Frente a una copa – 1965/1/1 – Domingo Federico – Ruben Sanchez

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Frente a una copa

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

Letra del Tango Frente a una copa

Bebiendo, paso la vida

de la noche a la mañana

con esa esperanza vana

de aletargar mis sentidos

y acallar mi corazón,

cansado, con sed de olvido

en una eterna agonía

quiero olvidar la sombría

visión que todos los días

me lleva a la sin razón.



Me emborracharon de luz, en mi niñez

mis pobres padres,

me emborrachó de placer, la juventud

con canto y bailes,

me emborrachó de ilusión, una mujer

que fue mi vida.

Y hoy que la siento perdida

se agranda esta herida

que nunca la olvida…

ni con alcohol…



Preguntan ¿por qué estoy triste?

la vida es linda y muy corta

si a la ingrata no le importa

de que me pierda o me salve

si no tiene corazón,

a veces, frente a una copa

veo otra vez sus ojazos

la misma risa en la boca

y al cristal lo hago pedazos

y se esfuma la ilusión.

English lyrics of the Tango "Frente a una copa"

Drinking, I pass life by
from night to dawn
with that vain hope
to numb my senses
and quiet my heart,
tired and thirsty for forgetfulness
in eternal agony,
I want to forget the gloomy
vision that every day
leads me to madness.

In my youth, my poor parents
intoxicated me with light,
youth intoxicated me with pleasure
with song and dance,
a woman, who was my life,
intoxicated me with dreams.
And now that I feel her lost
this wound grows bigger
that never forgets…
not even with alcohol…

They ask, why am I sad?
Life is beautiful and very short.
If the ungrateful one doesn’t care
whether I’m lost or saved,
if she’s heartless,
sometimes, in front of a glass
I see her big eyes again,
the same laughter on her lips,
and I smash the glass to pieces
and the illusion vanishes.

Frente a una copa by Elías Wainer

Frente a una copa is a Tango written by Elías Wainer and composed by Francisco Amor.



Story behind the Tango Frente a una copa

The tango “Frente a una copa” (In Front of a Glass) narrates the somber tale of a person who spends their life between the night and dawn, seeking solace in the depths of alcohol. The lyrics convey a profound sense of loss and an overwhelming desire to forget, driven by an unnamed agony that relentlessly brings the narrator to despair. Drinking is portrayed not simply as a choice, but as a near-essential means to dull the senses and escape from pain.



Symbolism of Frente a una copa

The metaphorical use of a glass (‘copa’) in the title and throughout the song represents both the physical vessel for alcohol and a symbolic container of the narrator’s sorrows and memories. The line, “y se esfuma la ilusión” (and the illusion vanishes) upon the shattering of the glass, poignantly suggests the ephemeral nature of relief found in alcohol. The ‘copa’ therefore becomes a significant symbol of transitory solace, echoing the fleeting moments of escape from reality.



Frente a una copa in historic Context

Recorded in 1949, “Frente a una copa” emerges in post-World War II Argentina, a period marked by social and political changes. The tango reflects a common trend in the genre—exploring themes of melancholy, nostalgia, and the darker undercurrents of urban life. The era also witnessed the rise of tango as a profoundly expressive medium for the working class of Buenos Aires, making it both a personal and communal expression of deeper societal sentiments.



Elías Wainer

Elías Wainer was an influential lyricist in the Argentinian tango scene, known for his emotive and often introspective lyrics.