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Volver

Volver is a Tango written by Carlos Gardel and recorded by Osvaldo Pugliese in 1981. The Tango Volver is written by Carlos Gardel, Osvaldo Pugliese has recorded Volver with the singer Adrián Guida.
“Volver,” meaning “To Return” in English, is a haunting dance between nostalgia and longing. It evokes the bittersweet journey of revisiting the past, where every note whispers stories of lost love and elusive time. This piece invites the heart to retrace its steps, embracing the sorrow and joy that come with each remembered moment.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Pugliese

Orchestra

Adrián Guida

Singer

Alfredo Le Pera

Author

Carlos Gardel

Composer

1981/12/23

Date

Adrián Guida
Adrián Guida
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pugliese

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Volver recorded by other Orchestras

Volver recorded by other Orchestras

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Volver

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

Letra del Tango Volver

Yo adivino el parpadeo
de las luces que a lo lejos,
van marcando mi retorno.
Son las mismas que alumbraron,
con sus pálidos reflejos,
hondas horas de dolor.
Y aunque no quise el regreso,
siempre se vuelve al primer amor.
La quieta calle donde el eco dijo:
‘Tuya es su vida, tuyo es su querer’,
bajo el burlón mirar de las estrellas
que con indiferencia hoy me ven volver.

Volver,
con la frente marchita,
las nieves del tiempo
platearon mi sien.
Sentir, que es un soplo la vida,
que veinte años no es nada,
que febril la mirada
errante en las sombras
te busca y te nombra.
Vivir,
con el alma aferrada
a un dulce recuerdo,
que lloro otra vez.

Tengo miedo del encuentro
con el pasado que vuelve
a enfrentarse con mi vida.
Tengo miedo de las noches
que, pobladas de recuerdos,
encadenen mi soñar.
Pero el viajero que huye,
tarde o temprano detiene su andar.
Y aunque el olvido que todo destruye,
haya matado mi vieja ilusión,
guarda escondida una esperanza humilde,
que es toda la fortuna de mi corazón.

English lyrics of the Tango "Volver"

I can guess the flicker
of the lights in the distance,
marking my return.
They are the same that illuminated,
with their pale reflections,
deep hours of pain.
And although I didn’t want to come back,
one always returns to their first love.
The quiet street where the echo said:
‘His life is yours, his love is yours too,’
under the mocking gaze of the stars
that indifferently see me return today.

To return,
with a wilted forehead,
the snows of time
silvered my temples.
To feel that life is a breath,
that twenty years is nothing,
that feverish, the gaze,
wandering in the shadows,
searches for you and names you.
To live,
with the soul clung
to a sweet memory,
that I cry again.

I am afraid of the encounter
with the past that returns
to face my life.
I am afraid of the nights
filled with memories,
that chain my dreams.
But the traveler who flees,
sooner or later stops his walk.
And though forgetfulness, which destroys everything,
has killed my old illusion,
keeps hidden a humble hope,
that is all the fortune of my heart.

Volver by Alfredo Le Pera

Volver is a Tango written by Alfredo Le Pera and composed by Carlos Gardel.



Story behind the Tango Volver

The tango “Volver” articulates a deep sense of nostalgia and the inevitable pull to return to one’s origins and past loves. The lyrics poignantly reflect on the pain and melancholy of returning, intertwining personal loss and the passage of time with a landscape of familiar lights and streets that have witnessed the narrator’s earlier life. The central sentiment is encapsulated in the phrase, “Y aunque no quise el regreso, siempre se vuelve al primer amor,” which translates to “And although I did not want to return, one always returns to their first love.” This line underscores the unavoidable human condition of returning to foundational experiences, despite changes wrought by time and circumstance.



Symbolism of Volver

The title “Volver,” which means “to return” in English, holds significant weight in understanding the tango’s themes. Symbolically, it represents the inescapable return to the past or the roots that define an individual’s core. The phrasing “con la frente marchita,” translating to “with a withered brow,” symbolizes aging and the physical markers of life’s hardships. The metaphor “las nieves del tiempo platearon mi sien,” meaning “the snows of time have silvered my temples,” beautifully portrays aging as an accumulation of wisdom and life experiences, akin to the gradual layering of snow. Furthermore, the notion of life as a mere breath and the haunting of memories at night reflects the ephemeral, transient nature of human existence.



Volver in historic Context

The release of “Volver” in 1981 came during a period of significant cultural, social, and political shifts in Argentina. The song’s reflective and somber tone can be seen as a metaphor for the country’s collective introspection and longing for a return to better times amid the chaos of a nation grappling with its identity and future. This historical backdrop enhances the song’s emotional depth, situating personal heartache within broader societal struggles, arguably making it a resonant piece for many who faced similar disparities in their lives at the time.



Alfredo Le Pera

Alfredo Le Pera was an Argentine lyricist and journalist, known for his fruitful collaboration with Carlos Gardel, which produced several classics of the tango genre.