Tango Stories #2 - POEMA

TANGO STORIES #2 - POEMA

Poema (Poem): music by Mario Melfi, lyrics by Eduardo Bianco, 1932.  

Somewhat surprisingly, the birthplace of this popular tango was neither in Buenos Aires nor in Uruguay, but on a train in Europe, somewhere between Rome and Berlin while Bianco’s band was on tour.

Eduardo Bianco was born in 1892 and as a child studied violin in his home town of Santa Fe. Later, he tried his luck in Buenos Aires and by 1924, Bianco played the first violin in the orchestra of the famous Teatro Apolo on Avenida Corrientes.  But, by his own admission he did not have much success there, and so, he decided to move to Paris. At this time the tango dance was already very popular throughout Europe and Bianco joined the many other Argentinian musicians who were already working there.  Bianco was a prolific composer and there are about 50 tangos attributed to him including: Ausencia, Adoración, Incertidumbre, Invierno, Plegaria and Poema

However, what is rarely mentioned is that Bianco’s lyrics for Poema tell his personal story from his final year in Buenos Aires. Bianco learned that his wife cheated on him with the pianist of the Apolo orchestra, and he shot his rival to death in a fit of jealousy.  Although acquitted of murder, he had to leave Argentina and went to Europe. He remained in Europe for 20 years before returning to Argentina in 1943.

Bianco’s verses tell us how a dream of sweet love ended up awakening the heart’s monsters, the chimeras which can never be fully grasped.  It has been suggested that “intenso mal”, translated here as “intense affliction” may be better interpreted as “overpowering evil”.

Verses 2 and 3 (of 4)

Derrick Del Pilar’s translation

Vanas quimeras que el corazón

No logrará descifrar jamás,

Y de tanto dar

Fue mi sueño de amor

Y adoración...

Vain chimeras that my heart

will never be able to decipher again.

Our fleeting little nest

was a dream of love,

of adoration!

Cuando las flores de tu rosal

Vuelvan más bellas a florecer,

Recordarás mi querer

Y has de saber

Todo mi intenso mal.

When the flowers of your rosebush

return, to bloom more beautifully

you shall remember my affection

and then you must surely know

my intense affliction…

Given the popularity of this tango, it is surprising that the only major orchestra to record Poema was Francisco Canaro in 1935, with Roberto Maida. The version of Poema we recommend is from the album Canta Roberto Maida Vol. 2 - Francisco Canaro - Reliquias (235393), although other excellent versions are available.

Sources: Riowang - Blog,  Todotango website, Poesía de gotán - Blog