Entre tus ropas vi una carta
casi de vieja está borrada,
y en ella decías: yo te quiero,
toda tuya, toda soy.
Entre tus ropas vi una carta
que la guardé porque esperaba,
no me engañarías y de nuevo,
a mi lado vuelves hoy.

En mi cabecera colgué
la estampilla y una flor,
que marchita la guardé;
me la diste como prueba de cariño
y llenaste mi pecho de ilusión.
Te convencerás que no fui
tan malito y que con vos
pasé el tiempo más feliz.
Yo no sé si un consejo o si tu almita
se empeñó en destrozar mi corazón.

Vieras solo, como estaba
la tristeza me mataba,
nadie pudo contentarme,
nadie pudo ahogar mi amor.
¡Ay! si vieras el que quiere.
¡Ay! si vieras como siente,
como siente al quedar solo
con sus penas y dolor.

Pronto los días fueron años
nunca sentí tal desengaño,
siempre te esperaba y no volvías
y mi vida se amargó.
Tanto pensaba en el pasado,
tanto miraba tu retrato
que me pareció ver las cenizas,
las cenizas de mi amor.

English translation

Among your clothes I saw a letter
almost as old as it is erased,
and in it you said: I love you,
all yours, I am all yours.
Among your clothes I saw a letter
I kept it because I hoped,
you wouldn't deceive me and again,
you return to my side today.

On my bedside I hung
the stamp and a flower,
which I kept wilted;
you gave it to me as a token of your affection
and you filled my chest with illusion.
You will be convinced that I was not
so bad and that with you
I spent the happiest time with you.
I don't know if it was a piece of advice or if your little soul
was determined to destroy my heart.

You should see how lonely I was
sadness was killing me,
no one could content me,
no one could drown my love.
Oh, if you could see the one who loves.
Oh! if you could only see how he feels,
how he feels when he's left alone
with his sorrows and pain.

Soon the days were years
I never felt such disappointment,
I always waited for you and you never came back
and my life became bitter.
So much I thought about the past,
so much I looked at your portrait
that I seemed to see the ashes,
the ashes of my love.