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La cieguita

La cieguita is a Tango written by Keppler Lais and recorded by Osvaldo Fresedo in 1927. Osvaldo Fresedo has recorded La cieguita as an instrumental Tango.
“La Cieguita,” or “The Little Blind Girl” in English, dances through the air with a haunting melody. The name evokes a sense of innocence and vulnerability, a spirit navigating the world without sight but rich in feeling. Her gentle movements tell unspoken stories, her heart’s rhythm guiding her through the shadows with grace.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Fresedo

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Ramuncho (Ramón Bertrán Reyna)

Author

Keppler Lais

Composer

1927/5/26

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Osvaldo Fresedo
Osvaldo Fresedo

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La cieguita recorded by other Orchestras

La cieguita recorded by other Orchestras

Letra del Tango La cieguita

A pesar del mucho tiempo
desde entonces transcurrido,
aún mi pecho conmovido
se recuerda con dolor
de aquel día que en paseo
vi en un banco a la cieguita
y a su lado a la viejita
que era su guía y su amor.
Y observé que la chiquita
de ojos grandes y vacíos
escuchaba el griterío
de otras nenas al saltar,
y la oí que amargamente
en un son que era de queja
preguntábale a la vieja:
¿Por qué yo no he de jugar?

A punto fijo no sé
si el dolor que sentí
fue escuchando la voz de la nena.
O fue que cuando miré
a su vieja advertí
que lloraba en silencio su pena.
¡Ay, cieguita!
Dije yo con gran pesar,
ven conmigo, pobrecita,
le di un beso y la cieguita
tuvo ya con quien jugar.

Y fue así que diariamente,
al llegar con su viejita
me buscaba la cieguita
con tantísimo interés.
¡Qué feliz era la pobre
cuando junto a mi llegaba
y con sus mimos lograba
que jugásemos los tres!…
Pero un día, bien me acuerdo,
no fue más que la viejita
que me dijo: La cieguita
está a punto de expirar…
Fui corriendo hasta su cama,
la cieguita ya moría,
y al morirse me decía:
¿Con quén vas ahora a jugar?

Y a punto fijo no sé
si el dolor que sentí
fue escuchando el adiós de la nena.
O fue que cuando miré
a su vieja advertí
que lloraba en silencio su pena.
¡Ay, cieguita!
Yo no te podré olvidar;
pues me acuerdo de mi hijita
que también era cieguita
y no podía jugar…

English lyrics of the Tango "La cieguita"

Despite the long time
that since then has passed,
my moved chest still
remembers with pain
that day in the park
I saw on a bench the blind girl
and by her side the old woman,
who was her guide and her love.
And I noticed that the little one,
with big and empty eyes,
listened to the shouting
of other girls jumping,
and I heard her bitterly,
in a tone that was complaining,
ask the old woman:
“Why can’t I play too?”

I don’t exactly know
if the pain I felt
was hearing the girl’s voice.
Or was it that when I looked
at her old woman I saw
she silently cried her sorrow.
Oh, little blind girl!
I said with great sorrow,
come with me, little one,
I gave her a kiss and the blind girl
had someone to play with.

And so, every day,
arriving with her old woman,
the blind girl would look for me
with so much interest.
How happy was the poor girl
when she arrived beside me,
and with her caresses managed
that we all played together!
But one day, I remember well,
only the old woman came
and she told me: The blind girl
is about to pass away…
I ran to her bed,
the blind girl was dying,
and as she died, she told me:
“Who are you going to play with now?”

And I don’t exactly know
if the pain I felt
was hearing the girl’s good-bye.
Or was it that when I looked
at her old woman I saw
she silently cried her sorrow.
Oh, little blind girl!
I will not be able to forget you;
for you remind me of my little daughter
who was also blind
and could not play…

La cieguita by Ramuncho (Ramón Bertrán Reyna)

La cieguita is a Tango written by Ramuncho (Ramón Bertrán Reyna) and composed by Keppler Lais.


Story behind the Tango La cieguita

The tango “La cieguita” (“The Little Blind Girl”) poignantly narrates a story of a blind girl sitting in a park, feeling the pain of exclusion as she listens to other children play without being able to join them. The narrative voice recounts an interaction between the narrator, the blind girl, and her elderly guide—who also symbolizes a caregiver or a maternal figure—discussing the heartbreak and eventual death of the young girl, linking this to the speaker’s personal loss.


Symbolism of La cieguita

“La cieguita” is rich in symbolic elements, notably the contrast between the vibrancy of life around the blind girl and her own isolated world. The park—a place commonly associated with joy and freedom—becomes a setting of exclusion and longing. Her blindness symbolizes not just physical disability but also societal neglect or oversight. Key phrases such as “¿Por qué yo no he de jugar?” (“Why can’t I play?”) highlight her desire for normalcy and inclusion. The final revelation that the narrator’s own daughter was also blind and unable to play deepens the symbolism, adding layers of personal grief and empathy to the narrative.


La cieguita in historic Context

Created in 1927 in Argentina, “La cieguita” emerged during a period when the cultural landscape was rich with the traditional sounds of tango that often addressed themes of loss, nostalgia, and social issues. The tango thus not only reflects personal tragedy but also hints at broader societal attitudes towards disability at the time, suggesting both compassion and a poignant recognition of the social barriers that people with disabilities faced. This period in Argentina was marked by significant political and social changes, influencing artists like Ramuncho to capture the complexities of human emotion and societal discrepancies in their work.


Ramuncho (Ramón Bertrán Reyna)

Ramuncho, a notable figure in Argentine tango, is known for his deep lyrical content that often reflects societal and emotional landscapes.