Madreselva -Honeysuckle

Madreselva means honeysuckle in Spanish. It’s always neat to see and hear actual recordings and footage from the Golden Age of Tango. It’s also always exciting to hear female tango singers; as many of the tango songs are sung from the man’s perspective.

I love this clip; Libertad does such a good job acting, you can see her pretend everything is fine through the pain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ngeRBC8PVA

Old wall in the neighborhood
your shadow was my companion.
Of my childhood without splendor
My friend was you, honeysuckle.

When my first love trembled,
with its hope, kissing my soul
I, happy and pure next to you,
Sung my first confession.

Honeysuckles in bloom that saw me born
and on the old wall surprised my love.
Your humble caress is like the emotion
First and beloved that I felt for him.

Honeysuckles in bloom that go climbing,
is your arm sweet and strong like that one?
If if every year your flowers are reborn,
Make that my first love doesn’t die.
The years passed and so did my disappointments
I come to tell you everything, my old wall…

And so I learned that you have to pretend,
to live decently
and that love and faith are lies
and that people laugh at pain…
Now, that life has punished me,
and has shown me its bitter creed,
My old wall, fervently
I come to you and talk to you just like yesterday.

If every year your flowers are reborn,
Why doesn’t my first love return?

Vieja pared del arrabal,
tu sombra fue mi compañera.
De mi niñez sin esplendor
la amiga fue tu madreselva.

Cuando temblando mi amor primero,
con su esperanza besa mi alma,
yo junto a vos,pura y feliz,
cantaba asi mi primera confesion.

Madreselvas en flor que me vieron nacer
y en la vieja pared sorprendieron mi amor.
Tu humilde caricia es como el cariño
primero y querido que siento por el.

Madreselvas en flor que trepandose van,
es tu brazo tenaz y dulzon como aquel.
Si todos los años tus flores renacen
hace que no muera mi primer amor.
Pasaron los años y mis desengaños
yo vengo a contarte mi vieja pared...

Asi aprendi que hay que fingir
para vivir decentemente,
que amor y fe mentiras son
y del dolor se rie la gente...
Hoy que la vida me ha castigado
y me ha enseñado su credo amargo,
vieja pared, con emocion
me acerco a vos y te digo como ayer.

Si todos los años
tus flores renacen,
por que ya no vuelve
mi primer amor..?

Allison is a tango dancer in New York.