Frente al Mar

Facing the Sea

"Frente al Mar"

Orquesta Anibal Troilo c. Roberto Rufino

Recorded on 1963-04-23

Music: Mariano Mores

Lyrics: Rodolfo Taboada

Note that many tango lyrics published on the internet are the officially submitted lyrics and not what was actually sung at the time of recording. These vary from recording to recording.

These are my own transcriptions and translations.

TangoTweets Index

"Frente al Mar"

Frente al mar,

Frente a Dios

empapada de noche y de pena mi voz

se estremece en el último adiós

Frente al mar,

frente a Dios,

yo te ruego que, al menos,

me digas por qué me castigas

Frente a Dios,

frente al mar,

yo pregunto si acaso el delito fue dar,

siempre dar, sin pedir más que amar

Yo no sé, qué pasó,

yo no sé por qué fue

que la luz del amor se apagó

Sólo sé que te vas

y que el viento, en tu nombre,

parece gritar:

¡Nunca más!

Yo no sé, qué pasó,

yo no sé por qué fue

que la luz del amor se apagó

Sólo sé que te vas

y que el viento, en tu nombre,

parece decir:

¡Nunca más!

"Facing the Sea" [Literal Translation]

Facing the sea,

In front of God

drenched by the night my pitiful voice

shudders in the last goodbye

Facing the sea,

In front of God

I beg you, at least,

tell me why you punish me so

In front of God

Facing the sea,

I ask if my crime was to give,

always give, without asking for more than to love

I don't know, what happened,

I don't know why it was

that the light of love was extinguished

I only know that you're going

and the wind, in your name,

seems to bellow:

Never more!

I don't know, what happened,

I don't know why it was

that the light of love was extinguished

I only know that you're going

and the wind, in your name,

seems to bellow:

Never more!

Notes

This is late Troilo.

From time to time a song makes a profoundly emotional impact on me. That happened to me on Saturday when I danced to Troilo-Rufino "Frente al Mar" with a wonderful tanguera. Sheer bliss when there is a perfect song, perfect connection and perfect tanguera. I hammed up the song all the way through and had to have a sit down afterwards.

Well soon after getting home I transcribed and translated "Frente al Mar".

This is it. Very emotional.

There are other versions that make it too sweet and sickly or way over dramatic with too elaborate orchestration. This hits the right sweet spot of gravitas and emotion. Really exhausting to interpret every word in the song.

Frente al Mar

Roberto Goyeneche with El Trió Stazo

For me as a trio it is too small a band and an over dramatic singer. But good. The gravitas is there.

Argentino Ledesma

A good baritone voice. Good. But lacks depth.

Juan D'arienzo c. Jorge Valdez - 1963

This is very disappointing. I normally love D'Arienzo with Valdez singing. But this has a far too urgent driving beat and Valdez is just too shouty.

Mariano Mores c. Suzy Leiva 1963

Wonderful voice. Dramatic but not shouty. But I dislike the frilly orchestration by the composer and the heavy pronounced beat. The heavenly choir near the end is not for me. Original isn't always best.

Marianito Mores "Frente al mar"

This is the composer's son. I don't like the orchestration. Overdone.

Claudia Mores.

Overacted. I don't like the orchestration. Overdone.

Frente Al Mar Mariano Mores c. Antonio Prieto

Good voice. Not too over dramatic. But the Mariano Mores is over the top as it was with Suzy Leiva.