Veredas de Buenos Aires
De este texto nació un tango,
Con música de Edgardo Cantón
De pibes la llamamos la vedera
y a ella le gustó que las quisiéramos.
En su lomo sufrido dibujamos
tantas rayuelas.
Después, ya más compadres, taconeando.
dimos vueltas manzana con la barra,
silbando fuerte para que la rubia
del almacén saliera a la ventana.
A mí me tocó un día irme muy lejos
pero no me olvidé de las vederas.
Aquí o allà las siento en los tamangos
como la fiel caricia de mi tierra.
Translations of this Poem
Sidewalks of Buenos Aires
When we were little we called it the walkside
and it liked the way we loved it.
On its suffering back we drew
so many hopscotch squares.
Later, full of ourselves, bootheels rapping,
the gang of us would strut around the block
whistling as loud as we could so the blonde
at work would come to the window of her shop.
One day my turn came to go far away
but I never forgot the walksides.
Here or there I feel them in my boots
like the faithful touch of my land.
About this poem
This poem, representing Argentina, is part of The Written World – our collaboration with BBC radio to broadcast a poem from every single nation competing in London 2012.
