I tend to follow mostly Booktube channels when I want to watch a video in portuguese but I’m training for a half marathon at the moment, so I’ve started watching this guy’s videos. He’s quite good on how to prepare and train. I don’t have as much free time as him I think, so I won’t be following his tips religiously, but it’s a good way of getting both training tips and listening practice at the same time. It’s quite a hard listen but I can manage, only dropping the occasional word.
Not interested in running? No worries, I definitely recommend looking for portuguese words related to something you are interested in, because it’s easier to focus on something you like, using visual clues to work out what they mean, rather than listen to something that’s aimed at learners but the subject matter is dull as ditch water. Throw in something specifically portuguese so as to avoid the Brazilian channels. So, in my case, “Meia maratona Lisboa” scored some decent hits and gave me plenty of channels to choose from.
I’ve had a bit of a crisis of confidence recently, but it’s been quite useful in prompting me to reexamine my routine and make some changes.
I’ve been feeling for a while that, as much as I was enjoying the portuguese writing subreddit, I wasn’t really challenging myself very much. I tend to write the same kinds of things and yet I was making a lot of the same mistakes. Not only that, but the fact that it takes an hour or so each day means that I didn’t really have time for much else. Recently, some of the teachers have taken a well-earned break from correcting. There aren’t really enough to keep up with the number of students and so it seemed like a good time for me to withdraw, let some newer learners benefit from the experience, rather than hog it all for myself. Maybe I’ll go back to it later but for now, I think it’s time for a pause.
In the meantime, what I’ve decided to do is focus much more on book learning. I’ve been doing a couple of hours of grammar exercises in “Qual é a Dúvida” per day, just trying to get the nuts and bolts of the language right and firm up some of the things I’m still crap at.
I also – and I know I’ve said this a thousand times before – need to spend more time talking. It remains the achilles heel of my language learning. I’m an introvert anyway, so my smalltalk game is pathetic, even in English. When I try to speak Portuguese it’s even more stilted and unnatural. Actual, proper lessons are called for!
I’d like to do the DAPLE exam (that’s the C1, advanced diploma) in about 5 weeks but the experience on the podcast a few days ago has really shaken my confidence.
I came across this fairly baffling sentence in an exercise. What on earth can it mean? Googled it to see if I could find anyone using it and apparently, yes, it’s an expression, the gist of which is that, if you follow your parents’ guidance you won’t go far wrong in life. There’s an example here, referring to sporty kids following in the footsteps of their sporty parents.
I saw this in the same compilation as yesterday’s. The style is a bit lighter. The singers are Fernando Maurício (left) and Francisco Martinho (right). For me, the best thing is the staring match between the guy on the portuguese guitar and the guy on the vanilla guitar. Neither of those lads is backing down.
The song seems to date from the thirties or forties, when a song with a similar name – A Casa da Mariquinhas – was written by João Silva Tavares and sung by Alfredo Marceneiro. It tells the story of a house with shutters on the windows, which we are meant to understand is a brothel, and it was so popular it inspired a whole lot of similar songs about whorehouses. This is one, and it talks about the auction held after the closure of the house. Oh no! So I’ve listened to the sequel without hearing the original!
There’s a lot more background on this page if you want to know more.
Portuguese
English
Ninguém sabe dizer nada Da formosa Mariquinhas* A casa foi leiloada Venderam-lhe as tabuinhas
Nobody knew how to say anything About the beautiful Mariquinhas The house was auctioned They even sold the shutters
Ainda fresca e com gajé Encontrei na Mouraria A antiga Rosa Maria E o Chico do Cachené Fui-lhes falar, já se vê E perguntei-lhes de entrada Pela Mariquinhas, coitada
Still cool and with swagger I met in the Mouraria Old lady Rosa Maria And Chico do Cachené I went to speak to them, as you see And asked them right away About poor Mariquinhas
Respondeu-me o Chico: E vê-la? Tenho querido saber dela Ninguém sabe dizer nada As outras suas amigas A Clotilde, a Júlia, a Alda A Inês, a Berta, a Mafalda E as outras mais raparigas Aprendiam-lhe as cantigas As mais ternas, coitadinhas Formosas como andorinhas Olhos e peitos em brasa Que pena tenho da casa Da formosa Mariquinhas!
And Chico replied: And to see her? I was wanting to know about her Nobody knew how to say anything Her other friends Clotilde, Júlia, Alda Inês, Berta, Mafalda And some other girls They learned her songs The most tender ones, poor things Beautiful as swallows Eyes like black coals I feel such pity for the house Of beautiful Mariquinhas
Então o Chico apertado Com perguntas, explicou-se A vizinhança zangou-se Fez um abaixo-assinado Diziam que havia fado Ali, até madrugada E a pobre foi intimada A sair; foi posta fora E por mor duma penhora A casa foi leiloada
Then Chico, eager To ask questions, explained The neighbourhood got angry And started a petition They said there was fado There until the small hours And the poor woman was summoned To leave; she was put out And for the sake of a foreclosure The house was auctioned
O Chico fora ao leilão Arrematou a guitarra O espelho, a colcha com barra O cofre-forte e o fogão
Chico, outside the auction Bid for the guitar The mirror, the striped duvet The safe and the stove
Como não houve cambão Porque eram coisas mesquinhas Trouxe um par de chinelinhas O alvará e as bambinelas E até das próprias janelas Venderam-lhe as tabuinhas
Since there was no change because they’re trivial things He took a pair of slippers The license and the awning And from the windows themselves They sold him the shutters
Mariquinhas seems to be a woman’s name here, but generally speaking mariquinhas is a diminutive of maricas, meaning sissy or effeminate, so probably to be used with care.
I saw this one in a compilation video and I’d never heard of the fadista but I thought it would make a good transation. And holy shit it’s heavy! Not the music, obviously, but the sentiment is raw and real. I don’t think it would even make sense sung by anyone younger than she is. It’s emo music for the older generation.
Portuguese
English
Volta atrás vida vivida Para eu tornar a ver Aquela vida perdida Que nunca soube viver
Come back, life lived So I’ll see again That lost life I never knew how to live
Voltar de novo quem dera A tal tempo, que saudade Volta sempre a primavera Só não volta a mocidade
If only I could go back again, to such a time, what sadness Spring always returns Just not youth
A vida começa cedo Mas assim que ela começa Começamos por ter medo Que ela se acabe depressa
Life starts early But as soon as it starts We start fearing That it will end soon
O tempo vai-se passando E a gente vai-se iludindo Ora rindo ora chorando Ora chorando ora rindo
Time keeps passing People keep deceiving themselves Either laughing or crying Either crying or laughing
Meu deus, como o tempo passa Dizemos de quando em quando Afinal, o tempo fica A gente é que vai passando
My god, how time passes We say, from time to time But really, time stays It’s the people who pass by
I mentioned a while ago that I was going to appear on a podcast with Ângela from Learning Portuguese is Fun. She’s made it a theme of her current season that she invites on a couple of intermediate-level learners, and runs through a series of questions with them and then, after she edits it, gives her subscribers an exercise to correct the errors. She also goes through them with the learners of course. It seemed both fun and useful!
The questions are given out in advance for the students to think about but ideally should be fairly spontaneous, not just reading out prepared answers.
Unfortunately, I made a basic geographical error for which I blame Zoom: the invite said 3PM, which is fine, but I didn’t notice it also had the letters “CEST” after it. That’s “Central European Summer Time”. So although I had a chance to think about the answers on Thursday and Friday, I had planned to set aside an hour or so before the recording to get my brain and tongue warmed up, read through my notes and generally prepare myelf. But almost as soon as I sat down to do that, I got an email saying they’d already started and was I joining! Whoops! I’m more used to MS Teams and I think it would have handled the “fuso horário” better. Anyway, considering a cold start, I guess it wasn’t a total disaster, but I definitely made a lot of mistakes, talked too quickly because I was nervous, tripped over my tongue, went off on a few weird little tangents… Oh well, never mind, I’ll take all the speaking practice I can get! I might be on future episodes if she isn’t too traumatised by the amount of editing she had to do!
I was on with a Bosnian chap who I have to say, is obviously a faster learner than me because he’s alread speaking at a solid intermediate level despite being only about a year and a half into his learning journey, Impressive stuff!
The episode I’m in isn’t released yet, but if you want to hear this audio car crash yourself, you can subscribe here and snag the exercises here.
I’m in a translation mood again, and this one is a more traditional number: Lisboa, Menina e Moca by legendary fadista Carlos do Carmo. It’s pretty well known, and I hear it very often, so this is one of those songs to be aware of. The title is literally “Lisbon, Girl and Young Woman”, and he’s basically talking to the city as if it it was a girl and he was trying to – as the young folk say – rizz it up. It strikes me as a tiny bit cringe, but maybe that’s my cultural perspective. Let’s dive into the lyrics and see what it’s like. The version I’ve chosen is from an appearance on The Voice Portugal, and it’s notable because he breaks off part-way through to tell the young people in teh audience to stop clapping because it’s fado, not rock, which is a classic old dude move. That’s enough of your malarkey, Jack!
Portuguese
English
No Castelo ponho um cotovelo Em Alfama descanso o olhar E assim desfaço o novelo de azul e mar Á Ribeira encosto a cabeça Almofada da cama do Tejo Com lençóis bordados à pressa na cambraia dum** beijo
I put one of my elbows on the castle I rest my gaze on the Alfama And like that, I undo the knot* of blue and sea I lean my head on the Ribeira The pillow on the bed of the Tejo With hastily-embroidered sheets, in the cambric of a kiss
Lisboa, menina e moça***, menina Da luz que os meus olhos vêem, tão pura Teus seios são as colinas, varina**** Pregão que me traz à porta, ternura Cidade a ponto-luz, bordada Toalha á beira-mar, estendida Lisboa, menina e moça, amada Cidade mulher da minha vida
Lisboa, girl and woman, girl By the light my eyes see, so pure Your breasts are he hills, sea lady The call that brings me to the door, tenderness CIty with points of light, emroidered Towel by the seashore, stretched out Lisbon, girl and woman, loved City, woman of my life
No Terreiro eu passo por ti Mas na Graça eu vejo-te nua Quando um pombo te olha, sorri, és mulher da rua E no bairro mais alto***** do sonho Ponho um fado que soube inventar Aguardente de vida e medronho******, que me faz cantar
On the Terreiro, i pass by you But in Graça, I see you naked When a pigeon sees you, it smiles, you are a woman of the road And in the highest suburb of the dream I give you a fado that I knew how to invent Brandy made of life and fruit that makes me sing
Lisboa no meu amor, deitada Cidade por minhas mãos, despida Lisboa, menina e moça, amada Cidade mulher da minha vida
Lisboa on my love, laid City by my hands, undressed Lisbon, girl and woman, loved City, woman of my life
*Novelo usually means a ball of thread or a cotton reel, but can mean a complicated thing, so I’m thinking he’s talking about a knot that he’s undoing, rather than a cotton reel – it just seems to make more sense in the context but I could be wrong.
**I couldn’t make any sense of this and thought he was saying “dei um beijo”, but that ain’t it chief! He’s just comparing the lightness of a kiss to the lightness of the material. There’s an explanation of all this needlework metaphhor here if you want to know more.
***I’m, translating moça as woman, not young woman, because I think it sounds better. FIght me! By the way, Menina e Moca is also the name of an early portuguese novel by Bernadim Ribeiro. Maybe there’s a link?
****Eesh! How to translate this? I think he’s saying she’s a woman who lives by the side of the sea – the second meaning given on Priberam – and that woudl make a certain amount of sense.
*****Referring to the Bairro Alto neighbourhood, of course, a wretched hive of wine and fadory if ever there was one
Lena D’Agua is a singer who seems to have been around since the seventies and was a member of a truly unmemorable eurovision band back in the glory days of 1978, but what drew my attention to her is that her latest album was largely written by Pedro Da Silva Martins, who wrote a lot of Deolinda’s best stuff when they wre around. I don’t think it’s quite up to Deolinda standards, but it’s pretty good. Have a listen! The video is a bit cringe though so feel free to look somewhere else while you’re at it. I don’t go to many parties, but if that’s what they are like, I don’t think I’m missing much.
Portuguese
English
Inda* vou ganhar o Festival Com uma canção de macramé Hei de fazer capa num jornal A pavonear um jacaré**
I’m still going to win the festival With a macramé song I’ll probably make the headlines Showing off to an alligator
Espero que te caia a boca ao chão Q’eu estou pronta para a grande festa E tu de charuto e roupão Com um arpão espetado na testa
I hope your jaw hits the floor because I’m ready for the big party And you with your cigar & fancy clothes With a harpoon stuck in your forehead
Espero ainda ser um furacão Ter uma cintura de ballet A arrastar as joias pelo chão Acenar de um porsche com chofer
I still hope to be a hurricane To have a ballet waist To drag jewelry across the floor To wave from a chauffer-driven porsche
Espero que te caia a boca ao chão Q’eu estou pronta para a grande festa E tu de charuto e roupão Com um arpão espetado na testa
I hope your jaw hits the floor because I’m ready for the big party And you with your cigar & fancy clothes With a harpoon stuck in your forehead
Espero ainda ter algo carnal Na minha poltrona de chalé Matar esta fome canibal Qu’eu ando tão farta de café
I still hope to have something carnal In the armchair at my chalet To satisfy this cannibal hunger Becaue I’m so tired of coffee
Espero que te caia a boca ao chão Qu’eu estou pronta para a grande festa E tu de charuto e roupão Com um arpão espetado na testa
I hope your jaw hits the floor because I’m ready for the big party And you with your cigar & fancy clothes With a harpoon stuck in your forehead
Espero que te caia a boca ao chão Qu’eu estou pronta para a grande festa E tu de charuto e roupão Com um arpão espetado na testa Estou pronta para a grande festa
I hope your jaw hits the floor because I’m ready for the big party And you with your cigar & fancy clothes With a harpoon stuck in your forehead I’m ready for the big party
* Seems just to be a shortened form of Ainda
** OK, the translation makes no sense. There are a couple of alternative explanations according to the Dicionario Informal: I think the most likely one is that she’s talking about cigarettes, since that’s quite a strong motif in the video, so maybe she’s on the front of the newspapers posing with a fag? But there are a few alternative definitions that she could be referring to. Giving an ugly woman a makeover? Posing with a patient who’s been waiting a long time for an operation???
Luso 