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La pena del payador

La pena del payador is a Vals written by José Servidio y Luis Servidio and recorded by Juan D’Arienzo in 1945. The Vals La pena del payador is written by José Servidio y Luis Servidio, Juan D’Arienzo has recorded La pena del payador with the singer Armando Laborde.
“La Pena del Payador,” translated as “The Sorrow of the Minstrel,” is a poignant tango that captures the heartache and longing of the wandering troubadour. This melancholic melody tells the tale of a soul burdened by unspoken stories and unfulfilled dreams, where each note resonates with the deep emotional tides of life’s bittersweet journey. Through its haunting strains, the piece weaves a timeless narrative of love, loss, and the enduring hope for solace.

Vals

Style

Juan D'Arienzo

Orchestra

Armando Laborde

Singer

Eduardo Escaris Méndez

Author

José Servidio y Luis Servidio

Composer

1945/5/4

Date

Armando Laborde
Armando Laborde
Juan D'Arienzo
Juan D’Arienzo

Discover Other Orchestras

Aníbal Troilo – Cómo se pianta la vida – 1963/4/30
Aníbal Troilo – Pablo – (unknown date)
Aníbal Troilo – La calesita – 1958/6/6
Aníbal Troilo – La tablada – 1942/7/23
Aníbal Troilo – Mano brava – 1941/3/4
Adolfo Carabelli – Me vuelves loco – 1931/11/2
Adolfo Carabelli – El Caburé – 1932/10/28
Adolfo Carabelli – Capullito de aleli – 1933/1/1
Adolfo Carabelli – Sinverguenza alabancioso – 1931/9/7
Adolfo Carabelli – Romance – 1933/1/1
José Garcia – A lo mejor quién te dice – 1942/10/27
José Garcia – Farolito de papel – 1944/1/17
José Garcia – No pudo ser – 1942/9/17
José Garcia – Verde luna – 1942/7/27
José Garcia – Adiós adiós corazón – 1942/11/4
Carlos Gardel – El cardo azul – 1919/1/1
Carlos Gardel – La novia ausente – 1933/3/9
Carlos Gardel – Oh penas mías – 1925/1/1
Carlos Gardel – Quejas del alma – 1931/10/27
Carlos Gardel – Intimas – 1926/1/1

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.

1945/5/4 – Corrientes y Esmeralda – Juan D-Arienzo
1945/5/4 – Si supiera que la extrano – Juan D-Arienzo
1945/5/4 – Acordes portenos – Alfredo De Angelis
1945/5/4 – Ya estamos iguales – Alfredo De Angelis
1945/5/3 – Discos de Gardel – Ricardo Tanturi

Lyrics Translation of the Vals La pena del payador

This is the translation of the Vals “La pena del payador” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Vals “La pena del payador” have been done with AI.

Letra del Vals La pena del payador

La tarde en el poniente su poncho recogía
peinando entre sus flecos un copo de arrebol,
y el hilo de la noche, que en ancas se venía,
bordaba en seda negra los pétalos del sol.

Llorosos los yuyales doblábanse al pampero
y el viejo ‘e la carreta, picando al buey sobón,
atrácase a la férrea rejilla del pulpero,
haciendo para el viaje su gaucha provisión.

Balando las ovejas, se agrupa la majada,
tirando pa’ las casas en busca del corral.
Y el tero centinela, soldado de avanzada,
vigila que el indiaje no arrée un animal.

Calandrias y zorzales, de pechos escarlatas,
se ven en espesura del monte vivaquear
colgando de las ramas los palios de sus flautas,
cual músicos cansados que vienen a nochear.

De pronto, allá a lo lejos, al tranco acompasado,
se ve asomar un flete bordeando el cañadón
y en él a un gaucho triste de negro arrebujado,
con porte de hombre, nervio, audacia y corazón.

Facón de plata al cinto, trabuco amartillado,
espuelas nazarenas, sombrero echao pa’ atrás.
Allá va Santos Vega, jinete en su tostado,
pensando que la vida para él está de más.

Quién sabe qué honda pena lo abisma al peregrino,
centauro de las pampas, invicto payador.
Que, en vano, las acacias y sauces del camino
se inclinan para verlo sonreír en su dolor.

Mas dicen los que saben de amores escondidos
que al gaucho le conocen su indómito valor,
que sólo son culpables dos ojos renegridos
de aquella gran tristeza que aflige al trovador.

English lyrics of the Vals "La pena del payador"

The evening in the west was gathering its cloak,
combing through its fringes a tuft of twilight glow,
and the thread of the night, approaching on its haunches,
embroidered in black silk the petals of the sun.

Weeping, the grasses bent to the Pampas wind
and the old cartman, goading the dull ox,
clung to the iron bars of the storekeeper,
making his rustic purchases for the journey.

Bleating, the sheep gathered in flocks,
heading for the houses in search of the pen.
And the vigilant lapwing, advance guard soldier,
watches that no rogue steals an animal.

Meadowlarks and thrushes, with scarlet chests,
are seen camping in the thicket of the grove,
hanging from the branches the canopies of their flutes,
like tired musicians coming to rest for the night.

Suddenly, there in the distance, at a rhythmic pace,
a silhouette emerges skirting the gully,
and on it, a sad gaucho wrapped in black,
with the bearing of a man, nerve, audacity, and heart.

Silver dagger at his belt, cocked blunderbuss,
Nazarene spurs, hat pushed back.
There goes Santos Vega, riding his toasted steed,
thinking that life for him is overmuch.

Who knows what deep sorrow engulfs the wanderer,
centaur of the pampas, undefeated poet-singer.
In vain, the acacias and willows on the road
bend to see him smile through his pain.

But those who know of hidden loves
say they know the gaucho’s indomitable courage,
that only a pair of dark eyes are to blame
for that great sadness afflicting the troubadour.

La pena del payador by Eduardo Escaris Méndez

La pena del payador is a Tango written by Eduardo Escaris Méndez and composed by José Servidio y Luis Servidio.



Story behind the Tango La pena del payador

The lyrics of “La pena del payador” evoke imagery of a melancholic evening on the Argentine pampas, tinted with naturistic descriptions and a deep sense of solitude. The narrative closely follows the journey of a lone gaucho, depicted with traditional symbols of Argentine rural culture: poncho, gauchos, native plants, and rural scenes. This journey not only captures the physical landscape but carries a profound emotional weight, depicting the gaucho’s internal world of hidden sorrows and subdued pains—the “pena” in the title, translating as “the sorrow of the minstrel” or “the pain of the bard.”



Symbolism of La pena del payador

The symbolism in the text is rich with cultural and emotional layers. Naturistic elements like the setting sun, the blooming night, and native flora are juxtaposed with heartfelt anthropomorphic representations—the plants and animals seem to share or reflect the gaucho’s emotions. Phrases like “copo de arrebol” (wisp of reddening clouds) and “hilo de la noche” (thread of the night) convey the seamless blend of nature’s beauty with the cloak of solitude that envelopes the main character, Santos Vega. The poignant images of the landscape mourning (“llorosos los yuyales”), and the flora seeming to share in Vega’s sorrow (“acacias y sauces del camino”) underscore the synergy between Vega’s internal landscape and the physical environment around him.



La pena del payador in historical context

Written and recorded in 1945, this piece emerges in a period where Argentine tango was both a reflection of and an escape from the complexities of contemporary society. Post-World War II Argentina was undergoing significant social and economic changes, and themes of nostalgia, national identity, and personal struggle were poignant. Santos Vega, the protagonist, is a legendary folkloric figure often depicted as the quintessential payador (a kind of troubadour or minstrel). His portrayal in this tango as a tragic hero speaks to broader themes of existential struggle, loss, and resilience in the face of unyielding change—themes deeply resonating during times of national upheaval.



Eduardo Escaris Méndez

Eduardo Escaris Méndez was an influential Argentine lyricist, known for his poignant storytelling and deep emotional undertones in tango compositions.