Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

Sentencia

Sentencia is a Tango written by Pedro Maffia and recorded by Osvaldo Pugliese in 1959. The Tango Sentencia is written by Pedro Maffia, Osvaldo Pugliese has recorded Sentencia with the singer Ricardo Medina.
“Sentencia,” translated from Spanish, means “Judgment.” In this evocative piece, each note resonates with the weight of decisions and the inevitability of time’s verdict. The music sways like a poignant tango, weaving a narrative of destiny and consequence, inviting listeners to ponder the intricate dance between choice and fate.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Pugliese

Orchestra

Ricardo Medina

Singer

Celedonio Flores

Author

Pedro Maffia

Composer

1959/7/24

Date

Ricardo Medina
Ricardo Medina
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pugliese

Discover Other Orchestras

Carlos Gardel – Mano cruel – 1928/12/15
Carlos Gardel – Senda florida – 1930/4/15
Carlos Gardel – Oro muerto (Jirón porteño) – 1926/1/1
Carlos Gardel – La cumparsita (Si supieras) – 1924/1/1
Carlos Gardel – Nena (2) – 1926/1/1
Héctor Varela – Te creía como todas – 1957/9/12
Héctor Varela – El fustazo – 1953/3/6
Héctor Varela – Milongueando en el cuarenta – 1971/4/13
Héctor Varela – Rococó – 1959/2/24
Héctor Varela – Yo te canto Buenos Aires – 1959/4/29
Pedro Laurenz – Lazos de seda – 1926/12/28
Pedro Laurenz – Corazón que me maltratas – 1944/7/18
Pedro Laurenz – Mala junta – 1968/12/1
Pedro Laurenz – Allá en el bajo – 1926/11/24
Pedro Laurenz – El criollito oriental – 1944/3/1
Ricardo Tanturi – Canción de rango (Pa’ que se callen) – 1942/12/4
Ricardo Tanturi – Puerto Nuevo – 1959/1/29
Ricardo Tanturi – Esta noche hay una fiesta – 1946/3/13
Ricardo Tanturi – Cuando llora la milonga – 1950/8/16
Ricardo Tanturi – Quejas del alma – 1947/10/31

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.

Sentencia recorded by other Orchestras

Sentencia recorded by other Orchestras

1959/7/24 – Y no le erre – Osvaldo Pugliese
1959/7/23 – El panuelito – Osvaldo Pugliese
1959/7/23 – Gallo ciego – Osvaldo Pugliese
1959/7/23 – Mamita – Osvaldo Pugliese
1959/7/23 – Quejumbroso – Osvaldo Pugliese
Sentencia – 1959/7/24 – Osvaldo Pugliese – Ricardo Medina
Sentencia – 1947/8/20 – Alfredo De Angelis – Carlos Dante
Sentencia – 1926/11/15 – Julio De Caro – Instrumental

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Sentencia

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

Letra del Tango Sentencia

La audiencia, de pronto se quedó en silencio:

de pie, como un roble,

con acento claro

hablaba el malevo.



Yo nací, señor juez, en el suburbio,

suburbio triste de la enorme pena,

en el fango social donde una noche

asentara su rancho la miseria.



De muchacho, no más, hurgué en el cieno

donde van a podrirse las grandezas…

¡Hay que ver, señor juez, cómo se vive

para saber después por qué se pena!



Un farol en una calle tristemente desolada

pone con la luz del foco su motivo de color…

El cariño de mi madre, mi viejecita adorada,

que por santa merecía, señor juez, ser venerada,

en la calle de mi vida fue como luz de farol.



Y piense si aquella noche, cuando oí que aquel malvado

escupió sobre sus canas el concepto bajo y cruel,

hombre a hombre, sin ventaja, por el cariño cegado,

por mi cariño de hijo, por mi cariño sagrado,

sin pensar, loco de rabia, como a un hombre lo maté.



Olvide usted un momento sus deberes

y deje hablar la voz de la conciencia…

Deme después, como hombre y como hijo,

los años de presidio que usted quiera…



Y si va a sentenciarme por las leyes,

aquí estoy pa’aguantarme la sentencia…

pero cuando oiga maldecir a su vieja,

¡es fácil, señor juez, que se arrepienta!



La audiencia, señores,

se ahogaba en silencio…

¡Llorando el malevo,

lloraba su pena

el alma del pueblo!

English lyrics of the Tango "Sentencia"

The audience, suddenly fell silent:
standing tall, like an oak,
with clear accent,
the tough guy spoke.

I was born, your honor, in the suburbs,
sad suburbs of immense sorrow,
in the social muck where one night
misery set up its shanty.

As a boy, I dug in the mud
where greatness rots away…
You have to see, your honor, how one lives
to then understand why one suffers!

A lantern on a desolately gloomy street
casts its colored effect with the light from its beam…
The affection of my mother, my beloved old lady,
who deserved, your honor, to be revered as a saint,
was like streetlamp light on the road of my life.

And think if that night, when I heard that scoundrel
spit upon her gray hair with low and cruel words,
man to man, without advantage, blinded by affection,
by my filial love, my sacred love,
without thinking, mad with rage, I killed him as a man.

Forget for a moment your duties
and let the voice of conscience speak…
Then give me, as a man and as a son,
the years in prison that you see fit…

And if you’re going to sentence me by the laws,
here I am to endure the sentence…
but when you hear someone curse your old mother,
it’s easy, your honor, to regret it!

The audience, gentlemen,
was choking in silence…
Weeping, the tough guy
cried out his pain:
the soul of the people!

Sentencia by Celedonio Flores

Sentencia is a Tango written by Celedonio Flores and composed by Pedro Maffia.



Story behind the Tango Sentencia

“Sentencia” paints a poignant picture of an individual’s life shaped by hardships and injustice, narrated from a court scene. The protagonist, speaking to a judge, recounts his upbringing in a deprived suburb, illustrating a journey marked by poverty and challenges. The turning point arises when his mother, his guiding light, is insulted, provoked by which he commits a crime in defense of her honor. Amidst his trial, he seeks understanding rather than mercy, embodying a tragic hero driven to extremes by loyalty and societal failures.



Symbolism of Sentencia

The recurring motif of light, symbolized by street lamps and the revered image of his mother as a guiding beacon, contrasts the surrounding darkness of his environment, illustrating the protagonist’s struggle between moral integrity and the shadow of his conditions. The “farol en una calle tristemente desolada” is not only a literal source of light but also symbolizes isolated moments of hope and morality in an otherwise bleak world. This duality enhances the emotional gravity of his plight and embodies the inner conflict faced by those marginalized by society.



Sentencia in Historic Context

Set in 1959 Argentina, “Sentencia” reflects the tumultuous social and economic conditions of the time. This era was marked by political instability and social strife, influencing the narratives in artistic expressions. The tango, deeply intertwined with Argentine culture, serves as a medium to vocalize the struggles and injustices experienced by the common people, encapsulating the pervasive despair and resilience through its melancholic melodies and profound narratives.



Celedonio Flores

Celedonio Flores was a renowned Argentine poet and tango lyricist, celebrated for his ability to capture the essence of the Buenos Aires lower classes and their societal struggles.