Posts tagged with "lyrics"

Tristeza não tem fim

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Jul 6 2010

Like Poly, I was very sad about Brazil’s loss in the World Cup. Que tristeza, I kept saying. But in Brazil, there’s a song for just about anything and everything, and there are plenty of songs about loss. There’s a wonderful song by Vinicius de Moraes about happiness and sadness, with some really beautiful lyrics. Check it out, and try to cheer up – there’s always 2014!

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A Felicidade – Vinicius de Moraes

Tristeza não tem fim
Felicidade sim

A felicidade é como a pluma
Que o vento vai levando pelo ar
Voa tão leve
Mas tem a vida breve
Precisa que haja vento sem parar

A felicidade do pobre parece
A grande ilusão do carnaval
A gente trabalha o ano inteiro
Por um momento de sonho
Pra fazer a fantasia
De rei ou de pirata ou jardineira
Pra tudo se acabar na quarta-feira

Tristeza não tem fim
Felicidade sim

A felicidade é como a gota
De orvalho numa pétala de flor
Brilha tranqüila
Depois de leve oscila
E cai como uma lágrima de amor

A felicidade é uma coisa boa
E tão delicada também
Tem flores e amores
De todas as cores
Tem ninhos de passarinhos
Tudo de bom ela tem
E é por ela ser assim tão delicada
Que eu trato dela sempre muito bem

Tristeza não tem fim
Felicidade sim

A minha felicidade está sonhando
Nos olhos da minha namorada
É como esta noite, passando, passando
Em busca da madrugada
Falem baixo, por favor
Pra que ela acorde alegre com o dia
Oferecendo beijos de amor

Zélia Duncan – Enquanto Durmo

Posted by polyana No Comments
May 17 2010

Saturday through Sunday was “Virada Cultural” in São Paulo, an event with all sorts of bands, singers, dancers, food, and all sorts of good stuff, for free which takes place mostly downtown, and all in the span of 24 hours.  It’s an annual event I haven’t missed since I’ve been living here.  This year I was able to see the most shows I’ve seen in such a short amount of time (trust me, my back and feet will tell you), but I must say I was pleasantly surprised with Zélia Duncan’s concert.  She was amongst some of the huge stars who participated in the “Virada,” and I thought her show would be a little boring, but went because my friend really wanted to go, and don’t regret it one bit!  She has so much enery and her voice is even more amazing live!  So I thought I’d share with your guys today one of the songs she sang.  The video has Lenine singing with her, but I think you can get an idea as to her energy and voice and just overall performance style (oh yeah, and picture standing outside on a gorgeous night with this building as the backdrop to the stage – unbelievable).  The second video is the same song, but clearer so you can hear the words better.

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Muitas perguntas
Que afundas de respostas
Não afastam minhas dúvidas
Me afogo longe de mim
Não me salvo
Porque não me acho
Não me acalmo
Porque não me vejo
Percebo até
Mas desaconselho…

Espero a chuva cair
Na minha casa, no meu rosto
Nas minhas costas largas
Eh! Eh! Eh!
Espero a chuva cair
Nas minhas costas largas
Que afagas enquanto durmo
Enquanto durmo
Enquanto durmo…

De longe parece mais fácil
Frágil é se aproximar
Mas eu chego, eu cobro
Eu dobro teus conselhos
Não me salvo
Porque não me acho
Não me acalmo
Porque não me vejo
Percebo até
Mas desaconselho…

This song doesn’t merit a direct translation (it’s way too metaphorical and would ruin the song if done so), so I’ll just highlight some keywords!

afundar – to sink

afogar – to drown

afastar – to push away

se aproximar – to become close to/to come close to

perceber - realize (not perceive!)

desaconselhar – admonish

Reproduced Songs: David Bowie Meets Seu Jorge

Posted by polyana 2 Comments
Apr 12 2010

The other day, my friend and I were talking about songs Brazilian artists translate from another language (mostly from English) to Portuguese and whether we like them or not.  We came to the conclusion that some artists have some translations and remakes that are a little tasteless (i.e., Preta Gil singing “Hoje Estou Solteira,” a tribute to Beyonce’s Single Ladies), but some end up being even more beautiful than the original.  One of my favorite examples of these remakes is the entire Life Aquatic Studio Sessions album from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,  which consists of David Bowie remakes by Seu Jorge.  Some of the songs are pretty much directly translated from the original David Bowie lyrics, while others just kind of have the same idea, such as the song below.  Changes is one of my favorite David Bowie and Seu Jorge songs.  Can you think of any Portuguese remakes of songs originally in another language that you like?

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Não vou lamentar, o que passou passou I won’t regret what’s been done, it’s been done
Eu vou embora, meu tempo acabou I’m leaving, my time has expired
Tenho muita coisa para descobrir I have a lot to discover
Eu sinto muito, mas tenho que ir I’m sorry, but I must leave
Vou pro mundo porque nada mais me prende aqui I’m going to see the world because nothing else holds me here
É o final do show It’s the end of the show
E não fique magoado porque vou partir And don’t be sad that I’m going to leave
É só o jeito que eu sou It’s just the way that I am
Changes lá vem meu trem Changes, there comes my train
Vem meu trem Come, my train
To saindo fora porque eu vou me dar bem I’m out of here because I need to do well
Changes lá vem meu trem Changes, there comes my train
Vem meu trem Come, my train
Sei que tá na hora e eu vou me dar bem I know it’s time and I’m going to do well
Sempre em frente, nunca pra trás Always [moving] forward, never [looking] back
Não é por nada não mas vou me divertir It’s not for anything, but I’m going to enjoy myself
Enquanto a vida assim permitir While life will so allow
Só procurar fazer amigos do bem, se precisar ajudar também Just look to make good friends,* and if needed, help out as well
E agora a liberdade e o horizonte And now liberty and the horizon
Só você não sacou You’re the only one who hasn’t gotten it
Nova York, Ipanema ou Hong Kong New York, Ipanema, Hong Kong
É nessa aí que eu tô That’s the vibe I’m on
Changes lá vem meu trem Changes, there comes my train
Vem meu trem Come, my train
Tô saindo fora porque eu sei que vou me dar bem I’m out of here because I need to do well
Changes lá vem meu trem Changes, there comes my train
Vem meu trem Come, my train
Sei que tá na hora e eu vou me dar bem I know it’s time and I’m going to do well
Sempre em frente, nunca pra trás Always [moving] forward, never [looking] back
Livre eu me sinto, sublime Free, I feel sublime
Gente mais gente People and more people
O mar e o céu azul The sea and the blue sky
Changes lá vem meu trem Changes, there comes my train
Vem meu trem Come, my train
Tô saindo fora e eu sei que vou me dar bem I’m out of here because I need to do well
Changes lá vem meu trem Changes, there comes my train
Vem meu trem Come, my train
Tô saindo fora e eu sei que vou me dar bem I know it’s time and I’m going to do well
Sempre em frente, nunca pra trás Always [moving] forward, never [looking] back
Sempre em frente, nunca pra trás Always [moving] forward, never [looking] back

Side by Side Lyrics Translation: Maria Rita

Posted by Rachel 2 Comments
Apr 6 2010

Today we’re going to listen to a Maria Rita song with an adjacent translation in English! In this song, the singer compares her life to a busy train station. She uses fairly simple language, so hopefully it won’t be too difficult to follow along with the English to help.

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Lyrics – Encontros e despedidas

Mande notícias do mundo de lá Send news from the other world
Diz quem fica Says the one who stays
Me dê um abraço Give me a hug
Venha me apertar Come and hold me tightly
“Tô” (estou) chegando I’m nearly there [literally: I am arriving]
Coisa que gosto é poder partir What I like is to be able to leave
Sem ter planos Without having plans
Melhor ainda é poder voltar Better still is to be able to return
Quando quero When I want to
Todos os dias é um vai-e-vem Every day is come-and-go
A vida se repete na estação Life repeats itself at the station
Tem gente que chega pra ficar There are people who come to stay
Tem gente que vai pra nunca mais There are people who go and never again (return)
Tem gente que vem e quer voltar There are people who come and want to return
Tem gente que vai e quer ficar There are people who go and want to stay
Tem gente que veio só olhar There are people who came just to take a look
Tem gente a sorrir e a chorar There are people who smile and cry
E assim, chegar e partir And so, arriving and leaving
São só dois lados There are only two sides
Da mesma viagem Of the same trip
O trem que chega The train that arrives
É o mesmo trem da partida Is the same train that leaves
A hora do encontro The moment the meeting [takes place]
É também despedida Is also the time of to say goodbye
A plataforma dessa estação The platform of this station
É a vida desse meu lugar Is the life of my place
É a vida desse meu lugar Is the life of my place
É a vida It’s life

Lyrics Translation: The Girl From Ipanema

Posted by Rachel 2 Comments
Mar 23 2010

One of the most internationally famous bossa nova songs of all time, The Girl from Ipanema is a classic with easy to follow lyrics. It’s useful to see a side by side translation, especially since the song is also sung in English (the most famous recording by Frank Sinatra), but with slightly different lyrics. Here, we have the literal translation of the original Portuguese lyrics sung by Tom Jobim, along with a video with subtitles.

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A Garota de Ipanema / The Girl from Ipanema

Olha, que coisa mais linda,
Mais cheia de graça,
É ela, menina, que vem e que passa,
Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar.

Moça do corpo dourado,
Do sol de Ipanema,
O seu balançado
É mais que um poema
É a coisa mais linda
Que eu já vi passar

Ah, por que estou tão sozinho?
Ah, por que tudo é tão triste?
Ah, a beleza que existe
A beleza que não é só minha,
Que também passa sozinha.

Ah, se ela soubesse
Que quando ela passa,
O mundo sorrindo
Se enche de graça
E fica mais lindo
Por causa do amor.

Look, such a sight, so beautiful,
So filled with grace,
It;s her, this girl who comes and who passes,
With a sweet swing, on her way to the sea.

Girl with body of gold
From the sun of Ipamena,
Her swing
Is more than a poem,
Is a sight more beautiful
Than I have ever seen pass by.

Ah, why am I so alone?
Why is there so much sadness?
This beauty that exists,
This beauty that is not only mine,
That also passes by alone.

Ah, if she but knew,
That when she passes by,
The world smiles,
Is filled with grace,
And becomes more beautiful,
Because of love.

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