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La novena

La novena is a Tango written by Miguel Bonano and recorded by Edgardo Donato in 1933. The Tango La novena is written by Miguel Bonano, Edgardo Donato has recorded La novena with the singer Félix Gutiérrez.
“La novena,” translated to English as “The Ninth,” evokes a sense of completion and profound fulfillment. This piece, perhaps a tango, dances through the finality of a journey that holds the echoes of life’s penultimate moments. Its melody weaves together anticipation and nostalgia, painting a portrait of the last steps on a path filled with rich, emotional resonance.

Tango

Style

Edgardo Donato

Orchestra

Félix Gutiérrez

Singer

Alfredo Bigeschi

Author

Miguel Bonano

Composer

1933/7/13

Date

Félix Gutiérrez
Félix Gutiérrez
Edgardo Donato
Edgardo Donato

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Osmar Maderna – Una vez – 1946/10/31
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Osmar Maderna – Quién eres tú – 1947/7/2
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – Don Enrique – 1937/5/21
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – El aeroplano – 1936/12/19
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – Pálida sombra – 1937/3/27
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – El porteñito – 1951/11/7
Cuarteto Típico Roberto Firpo – El toto – 1944/9/11
Armando Pontier – Qué me importa tu pasado – 1958/2/25
Armando Pontier – Cambalache – 1958/2/25
Armando Pontier – El encopao – 1979/5/22
Armando Pontier – Negra María – 1961/6/8
Armando Pontier – Araca la cana – 1979/6/7
Astor Piazzolla – Neotango – 1957/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – De mi bandoneon – 1947/6/23
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Astor Piazzolla – Suite Troileana 3
Whisky – 1976/1/1

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.

La novena recorded by other Orchestras

La novena recorded by other Orchestras

1933/7/13 – Veneracion – Edgardo Donato
1933/7/14 – Cacareando – Orquesta Tipica Victor
1933/7/14 – El gavilan (2) – Orquesta Tipica Victor
1933/7/25 – Cuatro palabras (2) – Adolfo Carabelli
1933/7/25 – Juntito al jaguel – Adolfo Carabelli
La novena – 1939/4/27 – Rodolfo Biagi – Teofilo Ibanez
La novena – 1933/7/13 – Edgardo Donato – Felix Gutierrez
La novena – 1953/11/5 – Alfredo De Angelis – Carlos Dante

Lyrics Translation of the Tango La novena

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

Letra del Tango La novena

La ciudad bosteza,
de pena y placer
envuelta en las sombras
del anochecer…
Campanas de bronce,
las voces de Dios,
anunciando “la Novena”,
se oyen cual deber sagrado
con su toque acompasado,
de oración.

Viejitas y muchachas, desfilan hacia el templo,
consuelo de las almas, que descansan en paz.
Hilvanan un rosario de penas y recuerdos,
de hermanos, padres, novios que ya no volverán.
Los fieles de rodillas elevan hacia el cielo
plegarias a la Virgen y súplicas a Dios,
y mientras en voz baja dicen avemarías
el padre “sermonea” desde el Altar Mayor.

En un rincón del templo, hincada y sollozando,
una viejita humilde que llora de emoción…
Son lágrimas de su alma las cuentas del rosario
y es infinita angustia la de su corazón…
Respetan esa pena los que saben la historia,
y en su dolor sagrado repite en la oración:
¡Señor…! ¡yo tuve un hijo…! pero vino la guerra…
Me lo pidió la patria… y nunca más volvió!

Lo esperó con ansias
en su soledad
y con su retrato
se ponía a llorar.
Lo esperó con ansias
pero no volvió.
Los que han vuelto le contaron
que en la guerra lo mataron
abrazado a su bandera,
con valor.

English lyrics of the Tango "La novena"

The city yawns,
of sorrow and pleasure,
wrapped in shadows
of the dusk…
Bronze bells,
the voices of God,
announcing “the Novena,”
are heard as a sacred duty
with their rhythmic tolling
of prayer.

Old women and young girls parade to the temple,
solace for souls resting in peace.
They thread a rosary of sorrows and memories,
of brothers, fathers, sweethearts who will not return.
Kneeling devotees lift to the heavens
prayers to the Virgin and pleas to God,
and while in soft voices they say Hail Marys
the priest “sermonizes” from the Main Altar.

In a corner of the temple, kneeling and sobbing,
a humble old woman cries with emotion…
The beads of her rosary are tears of her soul,
and the anguish in her heart is boundless…
Those who know her story respect her grief,
and in her sacred pain she repeats in prayer:
Lord…! I had a son…! but then came the war…
My country called for him… and he never returned!

She waited eagerly,
in her loneliness,
and with his portrait
she would start to cry.
She waited eagerly,
but he did not return.
Those who came back told her
that he was killed in the war,
embracing his flag,
with bravery.

La novena by Alfredo Bigeschi

La novena is a Tango written by Alfredo Bigeschi and composed by Miguel Bonano.



Story behind the Tango La novena

The tango “La novena” weaves a powerful narrative centered around the themes of loss, longing, and religious devotion as a source of comfort. It recounts the story of an elderly woman who mourns her son, a soldier lost to war. Set against the backdrop of a community gathering for the evening novena at their local church, this poignant tale explores the collective mourning and individual suffering within their religious practice, providing a sanctuary for those bounded by shared grief.



Symbolism of La novena

The title itself, “La novena,” refers to the religious practice of praying a novena – a prayer said over nine days or weeks requesting special divine intercession. Symbolically, the novena represents a structured period of intense spiritual reflection and yearning for divine intervention, mirroring the community’s and particularly the old woman’s desperate plea for solace and understanding in face of irreversible loss. The contrasting imagery of the city “drowsy from pleasure and pain” envelopes the entire narrative in an aura of melancholy, juxtaposed with the sacred church bells calling the faithful to prayer. The rosary, evocatively described as “a thread of sorrow and memories,” deepens the connection between personal memory and shared ritual, underscoring the communal aspect of coping with pain through faith.



La novena in historic Context

Recorded in 1933, “La novena” was created in a period of considerable social and political turbulence in Argentina, emerging out of the Infamous Decade (Década Infame). During this era, themes of loss and patriotism were particularly resonant as the country grappled with the implications of military coups and civil strife. The reference to the mother whose son “was demanded by the homeland” and “never returned” speaks volumes about the national state of bereavement and the personal sacrifices made by individuals for their country. The setting in a church underscores the role of religion as both a personal comfort and a collective gathering point in times of societal distress.



Alfredo Bigeschi

Alfredo Bigeschi was an Argentine lyricist known for his emotionally profound and culturally resonant tango lyrics.