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Penitencia

Penitencia is a Tango written by Anselmo Aieta and recorded by Roberto Firpo in 1929. The Tango Penitencia is written by Anselmo Aieta, Roberto Firpo has recorded Penitencia with the singer Teófilo Ibáñez.
“Penitencia” translates to “Penance” in English, embodying a journey of reflection and remorse. The music weaves a tale of introspection, where each note resonates with the weight of past deeds and the longing for redemption. As the melody unfolds, it captures the delicate balance between sorrow and hope, urging the heart towards absolution.

Tango

Style

Roberto Firpo

Orchestra

Teófilo Ibáñez

Singer

Francisco García Jiménez

Author

Anselmo Aieta

Composer

1929/6/8

Date

Teófilo Ibáñez
Teófilo Ibáñez
Roberto Firpo
Roberto Firpo

Discover Other Orchestras

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Rodolfo Biagi – Café de Los Angelitos – 1945/6/15
Rodolfo Biagi – Adiós pampa mía – 1946/1/31
Rodolfo Biagi – La cumparsita (Apologia del tango) – 1942/4/15
Francisco Rotundo – Por seguidora y por fiel – 1952/5/19
Francisco Rotundo – Levanta la frente – 1953/4/6
Francisco Rotundo – Una copa nada más – 1949/1/1
Francisco Rotundo – Mis delirios – 1949/9/30
Francisco Rotundo – Un infierno – 1953/12/14
Astor Piazzolla – Se fue sin decirme adiós – 1948/4/23
Astor Piazzolla – Ojos tristes (Ojos muertos) – 1947/1/2
Astor Piazzolla – Taconeando – 1957/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Milonga del ángel – 1986/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – El entrerriano – 1957/1/1
Armando PONTIER – Verdemar – 1960/7/21

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.

1929/6/8 – Mensaje de amor – Roberto Firpo
1929/6/8 – Mariquita (L-espamentosa) – Roberto Firpo
1929/6/8 – Delirio gaucho – Roberto Firpo
1929/6/8 – Perdoname (3) – Roberto Firpo
1929/6/6 – Panchito – Roberto Firpo

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Penitencia

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

Letra del Tango Penitencia

Sus ojos más negros que toda mi pena,

Su carne morena, de miel y de seda,

Su boca de rosa, su acento embrujado,

Y el fuego sagrado de su corazón.

Todo eso fue mío, lo trajo a mi vida

La imagen querida que unió a mi destino,

Y en torpes desvíos, tan crueles y vanos

Ahogué con mis manos, la noble pasión.



Y ya nada es mío

Ninguno me iguala,

La vida es muy mala

No tengo ya su amor.

Qué poco sabemos

Cuidar la ventura,

Y sólo en la amargura

Medimos su valor.



Volver del pasado, mi propia conciencia

Me da en penitencia, pagando el pecado,

De ver que no hay otra que mire como ella

Ni boca más bella, ni voz cual su voz.

Adiós: dije un día, pero hoy mi conciencia

Me da en penitencia, pensar sólo en ella,

Y ver que a esos hondos recuerdos que quedan

No hay nadie que pueda decirles: adiós.



Vulgar mariposa

Que besa y que miente,

Mi amor va en la corriente

Juguete del azar.

Amores de un día

Sin gloria y sin pena,

Castillos en la arena

Barridos por el mar.

English lyrics of the Tango "Penitencia"

Her eyes darker than all my sorrow,

Her skin, brown, of honey and silk,

Her rosebud lips, her mesmerizing accent,

And the sacred fire of her heart.

All that was mine, brought into my life

By the beloved image which bound my fate,

And in awkward detours, so cruel and vain

I drowned with my hands, the noble passion.



And now nothing is mine

None equals me,

Life is very bad

I no longer have her love.

How little we know

To cherish fortune,

And only in bitterness

Do we measure its value.



Returning from the past, my own conscience

Gives me in penance, paying for the sin,

To see that there is no other who looks like her

Nor a more beautiful mouth, nor a voice like hers.

Goodbye: I said one day, but today my conscience

Gives me in penance, to think only of her,

And to see that to those deep memories that remain

There is no one who can say to them: goodbye.



Vulgar butterfly

That kisses and lies,

My love goes in the current

A plaything of fate.

Loves of a day

Without glory and without sorrow,

Castles in the sand

Washed away by the sea.

Penitencia by Francisco García Jiménez

Penitencia is a Tango written by Francisco García Jiménez and composed by Anselmo Aieta.



Story behind the Tango Penitencia

The lyrics of “Penitencia” explore themes of love, loss, and remorse. The narrator recalls his past relationship, which was deeply passionate and enriched by his lover’s physical and emotional qualities. His reflections on squandering this relationship lead him into a state of penitence—deep remorse and longing for what he once had but carelessly lost. The song expresses a poignant sense of regret as he acknowledges that no other love could replace the intensity and purity of the one he had. “Penitencia,” thus, translates to “Penance” in English, where the protagonist repents his past actions and the subsequent emotional solitude he faces.



Symbolism of Penitencia

The use of vivid imagery and contrasts in “Penitencia” deepens the emotional resonance of the tango. Terms like “sus ojos más negros que toda mi pena” (her eyes blacker than all my pain) symbolize the depth and darkness of his current sorrow compared to the passion in her eyes. The metaphor of “castillos en la arena barridos por el mar” (castles in the sand swept away by the sea) elegantly illustrates the transience and fragility of superficial relationships compared to the substantive and deep connection he once dismissed. Each of these choices underscores the permanence of loss and the fleeting nature of less meaningful bonds.



Penitencia in Historic Context

Composed in 1929, “Penitencia” comes from a tumultuous period in Argentine history characterized by political instability and economic fluctuation. The tango, a dance of intimacy and complex emotions, mirrored the public sentiment, capturing the spirit of the times as a cultural expression. This era added a layer of collective emotional depth to the personal reflections of loss and regret expressed in the song, likely resonating strongly with its contemporary audience.



Francisco García Jiménez

Francisco García Jiménez was a renowned Argentine lyricist and poet. His contributions to the genre of Tango have been celebrated for their emotional depth and poetic eloquence.