Another translation post. I’m in a translatey mood, I guess. This one is by Orelha Negra with A Garota Não (again!) on guest vocals. Like yesterday’s, it has a strong feminist theme, but whereas that was just calmly wishing for more representation, this one is about domestic violence so it’s pretty raw: far moreso than I would have guessed from the general vibe of the music. Batida can mean beat in the musical sense as well as “beaten” or “beating” in the violent sense, so I think I had an idea that it was jsut a song about making music until I started trying to translate it line by line.
To be honest, it comes across as pretty bleak, but I don’t think it’s *just * that: there seems to be sense of wanting to move beyond the situation and reassert dignity. For a start, you have the dialogue at the beginning and the end of the song in english, talking about being ready for something. Then there’s the woman who does the live painting in the video (below). She’s called Mázinha and she’s obviously got a positive sense of the song being about forgiveness and redemption (quote here) so she’s painted a really upbeat image, indicative of a new start – presumably after leaving the dude. There isn’t much of that in the song lyrics though, as far as I can see!
E tu tás pronto, honey? / And you – are you ready honey?
Estarás pronto para ver / You’ll be ready to see
Como é que a cor da batida fica na mulher / How the colour of a bruise looks on your woman
Ela não é santa / She isn’t holy
Só um santo para o ser / Only a saint for being it
Como é que esses argumentos servem pra bater / How these arguments lead to beating
Cala esses demónios / Silence those demons
Já te podes perdoar / You could forgive yourself
Não levantes essa mão se não for pra lutar / Don’t raise that hand unless it’s to fight
Por um dia mais claro / For a brighter day
Por um tempo mais doce / For a sweeter time
Não trocava um abraço p’la jóia que fosse / She didn’t exchange an embrace for any jewel
O tamanho da mini saia / The size of a mini skirt
É inverso a essa cobardia / Is the inverse of that cowardice
Se não aguentas a mulher que tens / If you can’t stand the woman you have
É porque te fica em demasia / It’s because she’s too much for you
O tamanho do sorriso dela / The size of her smile
Não precisa de autorização / Doesn’t need permission
A liberdade é um barco à vеla / Freedom is a sailboat
E o amor não é uma prisão / And love is not a prison
Liberta logo esse ciúmе amargo / Just let go of that bitter jealousy
Porque o ciúme deixa o Homem bruto / Because jealousy makes a man brutal
Já nem sequer vês o mundo direito / You don’t even see the world clearly
Mas tu és o teu próprio instituto / But you’re your own boss
Quantos deuses / How many gods
É que o medo cria / Does fear create
Semear a morte / To sow seeds of death
Sangue à terra fria / Blood in the cold ground
Desce mais um corpo / Another body falls
A história é igual / The story is the same
Quando os cintos dançam / When the belts dance
Chora a catedral / The cathedral cries
Quantos deuses / How many gods
É que o medo cria / Does fear create
Semear a morte / To sow seeds of death
Sangue à terra fria / Blood in the cold ground
Desce mais um corpo / Another body falls
A história é igual / The story is the same
Quando os cintos dançam / When the belts dance
Chora a catedral / The cathedral cries
Luso 