I haven’t done a translation for a while. This one is by Capicua, although it has a guest verse by Gisela João, who I think is also the woman in the video, because it sure as heck doesn’t look like Capicua! I’m not quite sure what she’s driving at with this (Actually having been corrected on a couple of things, it’s coming a bit clearer) but she does a good job of building up a sort of menacing atmosphere!
| Português | Inglês |
|---|---|
| A seca baixou as águas do Danúbio E à tona emergem barcos afundados A perda sustenta as mágoas e o repúdio E à porta batem monstros do passado | The drought lowered the Danube And all the sunk boats surfaced The loss sustained the hurt and rejection And monsters of the past beat at the door* |
| Não há quem não sinta (Chegar) Um cheiro a anos trinta (No ar) Não há quem não sinta (Chegar) Um cheiro a anos trinta (No ar) | There’s nobody who doesn’t feel (arrive) The smell of the 1930s** (in the air) There’s nobody who doesn’t feel (arrive) The smell of thirty years (in the air) |
| É o bafo do passado que arfa no pescoço Espetros no encalço, o passo apressa em esforço É bomba-relógio o ódio pelo outro O sopro da história ensinou-nos pouco Nuvens ameaçadoras É sombra da velha senhora Fetiche por homens de farda A guarda está na retaguarda | And the breath of the past that pants in your neck Ghosts on your trail, pace quickening with the effort It’s a timebomb, the hatred for another The winds of history doesn’t teach much Threatening clouds It’s the shadow of the old woman Fetish for uniformed men The old guard is at the back |
| Como quem conta um segredo Que se perdeu no passado Volta a frota do Mar Negro Os navios afundados Com pólvora e dinamite Prestes a cumprir a ordem Embrulhámos o presente Nas folhas do jornal de ontem | Like someone who tells a secret That gets lost in the past The black sea fleet returns The shipwrecks With gunpowder and dynamite Ready to follow the order We wrap the present In the pages of yesterday’s newspaper |
| Não há quem não sinta (Chegar) Um cheiro a anos trinta (No ar) Não há quem não sinta (Chegar) Um cheiro a anos trinta (No ar) | There’s nobody who doesn’t feel (arrive) The smell of the 1930s (in the air) There’s nobody who doesn’t feel (arrive) The smell of thirty years (in the air) |
| É tão à direita o centro que isto tomba De ressentimento é feita a bomba Na ferrugem das carcaças Descoberta pela seca Vemos novas ameaças Caixa de Pandora aberta Eis o cais, eis o caos, sente O passado todo pela frente | This falls so far to the right of centre The bomb is made of resentment In the rust of the bones Discovered by the drought We see new threats Pandora’s box, open Here’s the quay, here’s the chaos, feel it The past is all ahead of you |
| Como quem conta um segredo Que se perdeu no passado Volta a frota do Mar Negro Os navios afundados Com pólvora e dinamite Prestes a cumprir a ordem Embrulhámos o presente Nas folhas do jornal de ontem | Like someone who tells a secret That gets lost in the past The black sea fleet returns The shipwrecks With gunpowder and dynamite Ready to follow the order We wrap the present In the pages of yesterday’s newspaper |
| Eis o cais, eis o caos, sente O passado todo pela frente | Here’s the quay, here’s the chaos, feel it The past is all ahead of you |
*I originally translated this as “thirty years” because i am an idiot. The change really makes the rest of the song come into focus, from a general sense of menace and unrest to a more specific reference to ghosts of Europe’s middle decades…
**I’m aware this usually means “knock at the door” but I translated it this way because… well, they’re monsters. Os monstros não usam delicadamente um batente de latão como se fossem vendedores de enciclopédias. Têm garras e tentáculos e braços compridos e escamosos. Fazem mais barulho!
Thanks to Cristina for correcting a few errors (including my use of english, which was a bit embarrassing) and also to Margarette in the comments section who was first to highlight my silly mistake over “thirty years” and “the 1930s”
Luso 
Hi Colin!
Hope you’re doing well. I found your blog through a comic book or graphic novel review you did a while ago (not sure which one it is now…) and I’ve very much enjoyed all your emails, either in English, or in Portuguese. A while ago, you sent us one about an uncertain translation of a very Portuguese saying (which, I also don’t remember what it was…sorry, memória de elefante), but at the time I felt really compelled to respond, just because, that’s my nature: when someone has a problem, I instinctively try and present a solution. That has gotten me into a lot of trouble; but that, could be a story for another day. As you can already tell, I’m someone who fala pelos cotovelos, so, sorry about that!
I find it really interesting that the nuances of the Portuguese language are so difficult to catch for those like you who have learnt it as a second language. Your translations are, by all official rules, correct; but in some sentences, they’re lacking the feeling, that the words are really trying to convey. Like, when they say “Um cheiro a anos trinta”, you translated it as “The smell of thirty years”; but it should be more like “The smell of the thirty’s”, like in, 1930’s, the decade.
Now I understand , why they say, Portuguese is hard to learn. I’m sure my English is also lacking some pizazz, and I’d be really interested to know what image am I giving out with this conversation. I’m an artist, so I’m very much a visual person. But I very much enjoy writing too.
I hope this starts a fun conversation about languages (I’m feeling such a nerd saying that, but oh well), or whatever curiosities we have about each others language and culture.
Have a great Friday,
Margarida Pires
Artista Visual, Educadora, FBAUL – Mestrado de Educação Artística (E) Formadora CCP F670844/20, CCP-E FEe-f759798/2024
http://www.aMargarettePires.com Sent with Spark
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Muito obrigado pelo comentário. Já corrigi o meu erro imperdoável na tradução de “anos trinta” e dei-te um “shoutout” (como dizem os jovens!) no último parágrafo junto com a Cristina que sublinhou mais uns errozinhos no texto. Hum… Oh! Dito isso, acabo de perceber que a tua assinatura “margarida” não é igual ao nome de utilizadora no WordPress “Margarette”. Hum… Tens uma ligação familial á França ou outro país francófono? Conta-me a história!
Os desenhos no teu site são incríveis. Quem me dera que eu soubesse desenhar assim. Que sorte ter um talento tão giro que também paga as favas!
Para ser sincero, acho que a minha falta de fluência com a língua portuguesa não é cem por cento por causa da sua dificuldade: a minha memória em geral é fraca. Esqueço-me dos nomes dos vizinhos e de famosos, portanto não me admira nada que também perco os pormenores do vocabulário!
I hope you don’t mind but I deleted your phone number from your comment because it looked like it had been added automatically by your phone app and i didn’t think you’d want it online where bots could harvest it.
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