Perfidia

Because daily blogging will kill my Mafia Wars leveling, I am blogging intermittently. As for today, being Sunday, I am going to write about a song I am totally in love with - Perfidia. The song was published in 1939 and was written by Alberto Dominguez. I found limited information on Alberto - he was born in the state of Chiapas in Mexico in 1911 and he died in 1975.

Perfidia is Spanish for perfidy. Literally, the word means treachery or state of being faithless or disloyal. So, you can well imagine the focus of the song - love and betrayal.

The Spanish lyrics are:

Nadie comprende lo que sufro yo
Canto pues ya no puedo sollozar
Solo temblando de ansiedad estoy
Todos me miran y se van

Mujer, si puedes tu con Dios hablar
Preguntale si yo alguna vez
Te he dejado de adorar

Y el mar espejo de mi corazon
Las veces que me ha visto llorar
La perfidia de tu amor

Te he buscado por doquiera que yo voy
Y no te puedo hallar
Para que quiero otros besos
Si tus labios no me quieren ya besar

Y tu quien sabe por donde andaras
Quien sabe que aventura tendras
Que lejos estas de mi
**********

IMHO, the English lyrics - by Milton Leeds - don't do the song justice. Rather, the translation loses some of its depth. It sounds a little too cutesy especially the 'gods of love' line.

The English lyrics:

To you
My heart cries out "Perfidia"
For I find you, the love of my life
In somebody else's arms

Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia"
Forgetful of the promise of love
You're sharing another's charms

With a sad lament my dreams are faded like a broken melody
While the gods of love look down and laugh
At what romantic fools we mortals be

And now
I find my love was not for you
And so I take it back with a sigh
Perfidia's won
Goodbye
**********
Blah! Wah Wah!

The literal translation of the Spanish lyrics are more like this:

No one understands how much I suffer.
I sing for I can no longer cry.
Quivering with anxiety is all I do.
Everyone that sees me leaves.

Woman, if you can speak with God,
please ask Him if I've ever stopped loving you.

The sea - reflection of my heart.
The times that it's seen me cry over your treachery.

I've looked for you everywhere I go, but I can't find you.
Why do I want another's lips when your lips won't kiss mine?

And you, who knows where you are?
Who knows what adventures you're having so far away from me.
**********

Very different, huh? Truthfully though, if someone READ those words to me, my first reaction would be, "What are you... 16?" But, slap a mariachi band behind it and add a beautiful voice or two, and it's absolute art!

The song has been widely used and covered. It has been featured in movies like Casablanca, Now, Voyager, and Mambo Kings.

It's been recorded as an instrumental by the likes of The Ventures and Glen Miller.

The English version is also performed by Princeton's oldest cappella group - the Nassoons.

English versions notwithstanding, the Spanish versions are the best. It's been covered by the great Nat King Cole. There's a cheesy 80s sounding version by Luis Miguel and a pretty good doo-wop version by Trini Lopez. My favorite version is by the Trio Los Panchos (Canciones del Corazon - available off iTunes), but the version by Los Tres Caballeros is pretty good too.

Just for fun, I am adding a link to a version by sexy Spanish wench Sara Montiel. It's a womanly take on the song that's a little Ann-Margaret in its feel, but a good song is a good song.

Enjoy!