Flor de Montserrat
/For her sky colored eyes
and her ability to love
They called her the little Virgin
in the neighborhood of Monserrat.
Everyone, everyone loved her
and there wasn’t a gaucho troubadour
who wouldn’t sing for her,
in the neighborhood of the Drum.***
They fought over her love
They all wanted her honor,
But the Virgin of the neighborhood
Dreamed of another love.
How many times at the bars on her window,
perfumed with jasmine,
would the serenades arrive,
from one corner or another
The jasmines faded.
And now the song isn’t heard,
on those moon-lit nights
next to the foot of her balcony.
All the neighborhood knows
that the Flower of Monserrat
has given her love
to a Convent of Piety.
Por sus ojos color cielo Y sus dones de bondad, La llamaban Virgencita En el barrio Monserrat.
Todos, todos la querían Y no hubo payador, Que no cantara por ella, En el barrio del Tambor.
Disputaban su cariño Todos querían su honor, Pero la Virgen del barrio Soñaba con otro amor...
Cuántas veces a sus rejas Perfumadas de jazmín, Llegaron las serenatas De uno y otro confín...
Marchitaron los jazmines Ya no se oye la canción, En esas noches de luna Junto al pie de su balcón.
En todo el barrio se sabe, Que la flor de Monserrat, Ha entregado sus amores A un Convento de Piedad...
***They say “In the barrio (neighborhood) of Tambor.” I don’t think there is any neighborhood called Tambor in Buenos Aires. What I think they refer to is the drums, which were present in the Canyengue music that was a precursor to milonga and tango. Monserrat is in the south, where tango was first born, so I think this refers to the neighborhood where this kind of music is played.
I think this will always be one of my favorite milongas, due to this performance by Geraldine Rojas and Javier Rodriguez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25-5dLLkVzA
Tango themes: piety, religion
