Esquinas Porteñas

“Esquinas Porteñas” by Angel D'Agostino is a poignant tango that delves into themes of nostalgia, lost love, and the passage of time. The song paints a vivid picture of the streets of Buenos Aires, where the artist reminisces about past moments shared with a loved one. The lyrics evoke a sense of melancholy as the singer reflects on the corners and streets that once witnessed their love story, now only a memory colored by the moon and the sun.

The song's imagery is rich with metaphors, such as the “Luna de invierno” (winter moon) and “acuarelas de mi evocación” (watercolors of my evocation), which symbolize the cold, distant memories and the faded, yet beautiful, recollections of the past. The mention of “treinta tardes” (thirty afternoons) and “cien callecitas” (a hundred little streets) emphasizes the passage of time and the numerous moments that have slipped away, leaving behind a sense of longing and sorrow.

The streets themselves become characters in the narrative, representing the life that once was. The “calles donde la vida mansa” (streets where the gentle life) and “callecita sombreada de poesía” (shaded little street of poetry) highlight the contrast between the past's vibrant, poetic moments and the present's desolate reality. The singer's search for the lost love, knocking on every door, symbolizes the futile quest to reclaim what is irretrievably gone. The final lines, “Se fue la tarde aquella, Camino de Dios” (That afternoon left, on the path to God), suggest a sense of finality and acceptance, as the loved one has moved on to a different realm, leaving the singer to grapple with the memories.