Mi Noche Triste
My melancholy (sad) Night
Gardel's first tango - 1917

Lyrics: Pascual Contursi
Music: Samuel Castriota

Gardel first recorded this song with the guitar of Jose Ricardo (acoustic system), on an Odeon label (1917). Gardel re-recorded it with Odeon in April 1930.

Here are the three versions of MI NOCHE TRISTE that Gardel recorded:
1917: Master a 89, 18010
April 24, 1930: Master e 5449, Master e 5449-1 record 18812 

Tango Lyrics in Spanish and English MI NOCHE TRISTE My sad night (1917) Music by: Samuel Castriota Lyrics by: Pascual Contursi Translated by: Alberto Paz See English lyrics for singing

The birth of the sentimental Tango

The turn of the century found the city of Buenos Aires in a profound metamorphosis resulting from the massive wave of immigrants that had swollen the population of the great city. Tango music provided a background to the solitude of the mostly male inhabitants of the port district. These were the patrons at the many brothels that sold love by the hour.
By 1917, the majority of the blood flowing through the veins of the porteños was foreign. For these new Argentinos, the music of the compadritos, the Tango of the outskirts, was no longer palatable. They longed for sentimental songs that would connect them with a faraway past.
With Mi Noche Triste, Pascual Contursi, the bard of the arrabal, hit a nerve. Its melodramatic verses expressed feelings that drove people to tears. Tango would never be happy, gay and playful again. The Tango with a story line had arrived. It was the birth of the sentimental Tango. Nostalgic, melodramatic, sad, the new lyrics and the music that was created for them, became a reflection of a city and its people. Contursi had managed to draw a comic strip telling the story of a pimp dumped by his percanta, but he did it in a melancholic setting that any dejected lover could identify with.
Pascual Contursi wrote Mi Noche Triste in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1915. It was common at the time to write lyrics for existing music. The music of Mi Noche Triste belongs to a Tango named Lita written by Samuel Castriota. Carlos Gardel first sang this Tango among friends in Uruguay. Then, putting at risk his artistic career, he performed it for the first time on stage at the Teatro Esmeralda (today it’s named Maipo) in 1917.

Los Angeles artist Pepe Crow submitted lyrics written by him for an upcoming movie on the life of Carlos Gardel. Rather than a translation, the lyrics are meant to be sung to the music of Mi noche triste, in English.
 

Version en castellano	English version	Singing version
Percanta que me amuraste en lo mejor de mi vida dejandome el alma herida y splin en el corazon, sabiendo que te queria, que vos eras mi alegria y mi sueño abrasador... Para mi ya no hay consuelo y por eso me encurdelo pa' olvidarme de tu amor. Cuando voy a mi cotorro lo veo desarreglado, todo triste, abandonado, me dan ganas de llorar, y me paso largo rato campaneando tu retrato pa' poderme consolar. De noche cuando me acuesto no puedo cerrar la puerta porque dejandola abierta me hago ilusion que volves. Siempre traigo bizcochitos pa' tomar con matecito como cuando estabas vos... Y si vieras la catrera como se pone cabrera cuando no nos ve a los dos. Ya no hay en el bulin aquellos lindos frasquitos adornados con moñitos todos de un mismo color, y el espejo esta empañado, si parece que ha llorado por la ausencia de tu amor. La guitarra en el ropero todavia esta colgada; nadie en ella canta nada ni hace sus cuerdas vibrar... Y la lampara del cuarto tambien tu ausencia ha sentido porque su luz no ha querido mi noche triste alumbrar.	Woman, you dumped me at the prime of my life leaving my soul wounded and dullness in my heart, knowing that I loved you, that you were my joy and my burning dream... There is no solace for me, that is why I’m getting drunk to forget about you love. When I return to my room I find it all messed up, very sad, abandoned, I feel like crying, and I spend long hours staring at your portrait to find solace. At night when I go to bed I can't close the door because leaving it open I make believe that you're back. I always bring cookies to accompany the mate like if you were still here. And if could see the bed how upsets it gets when it does not see us both. There are no longer in the room those pretty little bottles decorated with ribbons, all of the same color, and the mirror looks foggy, it seems that it has cried for the absence of your love. The guitar in the closet is still hanging nobody ever sings anything or makes its strings vibrate... And the lamp in the room also has felt your absence because its light has not wanted to light up my sorrowful night.	The moment I did surrender my heart to you, I remember with love and kisses so tender, you promised you never lied, knowing that my heart was lonely and your promises were only, an excuse to get my love... and since then my life is broken and I find myself just walking never knowing where to go. In the room where we were lovers, on the floor pillows and covers, sweet "momentos" of our passion, memories which make me cry. On the table there's your picture that reminds me of our future which has now become a lie... Half awake I hear your footsteps, I always leave my door open assuming your heart is broken and you'll come back to my side... I keep buying from the corner every cake you used to order, pie and "mate" to enjoy... I can feel our bed complainig it misses you every morning 'cause she used to watch our joy. I dont' see over your dresser that feminine touch of beauty, parfume bottles tied with ribbons, only a woman can display and the mirror... faithful witness, of your beauty and my sickness is missing you night and day. I remember in the evenings all the poems and your singing. The guitar now's in the closet, no one else will sing or play... even the light on the ceiling seems to be losing its power, every moment... every hour... it's a torture... I must say...

Glossary:

Arrabal: slums in the outskirts of the city.
Percanta: how the ruffian called his lover
Porteños: those from the port; name given to those born in the capital city of Buenos Aires.

(En Français)

Enlaces/Links:

• Secretos de las Letras de Tango por Oscar R

  • Mi Noche Triste 
    La versión que se escucha, cantada por Carlos Gardel,  está editada por Altaya, 
    en la Colección Todo Gardel - Cd No. 3 - 1917/1918/1919 - Track 5
    Matriz 89 - N° de Catálogo Original: 18010 - Grabado en 1917

  • Mi Noche Triste
    La versión que se escucha, cantada por Carlos Gardel,  está editada por Altaya, 
    en la Colección Todo Gardel - Cd No. 39 - 1930 - Track 8
    Matriz E 5449 - N° de Catálogo Original: 18812 - Grabado el 24 de Abril de 1930

• The last tango that Gardel sang, "Tomo y obligo": June 23, 1935, Bogotá, Colombia

• POR UNA CABEZA. Un Tango de Carlos Gardel y Alfredo Le Pera, 1935.
  Introducción: Juan C. Orofino 21 de mayo de 2004:
  Es uno de los favoritos en la voz de Gardel. Por mi experiencia con la audiencia radial puedo asegurar que la melodía y la letra de este tango “burrero” por excelencia cautivan incluso a los “no gardelianos”. Es uno de los temas más solicitados de la discografía del zorzal y conserva una tremenda vigencia. Porque, ¿quién no asocia “un final palpitante cabeza a cabeza” con esta extraordinaria interpretación de Gardel?

• Carlos Gardel Cheating Muchachita - discovered and published by EMI in 1983

• La partitura de la canción El Rosal firmada por Carlos Gardel

• Old music sheet of Carlos Gardel's song MAÑANITA DE SOL

• Carlos Gardel - his music (Gardel y su musica)