Category: Portuguese

Someone or other once said that poetry isn’t a puzzle to be solved, but it annoys me to see someone clearly doing something clever and I don’t understand it so I thought I’d dig into this one and see what was going on. It’s from Atirar Para o Torto.

OK, let’s do this….

Most of the lines are in the form Antes ……….. (do) que ……. Which in english would be something like “Better a ………. than a ……..” or “I’d rather …………. than ………..” or “I’d prefer ……. to ……”.

Some lines use “do que” and some just “que” on it own, so i have one eye on this page which I usually use as a reference when I’m not sure which to use, and I’m curious to see how closely the poem follows the strict rules. Not very, I expect. Actually, not at all. If you look at the pattern, the presence or absence of the “do” depends on the number of syllables. Que sounds better with longer words, Do Que with shorter

Quite a lot of the words have multiple meanings so part of the game is working out which meaning the writer intends. In some cases the resulting sentence sounds ridiculous and I am pretty sure I have the wrong end of a few sticks, but for what it’s worth, here’s my best shot….

A ESCADA DO MAL
antes perversa que íntegra – better perverse than entire
antes malícia que perfídia – better malice than perfidy
antes volúvel que solúvel – better voluble than soluble
antes manchar que estancar – better to stain than to staunch
antes dobrar que pregar – better to fold than to pin
antes prega do que treva – better a fold than darkness
antes treva do que cega – better darkness than blind
antes trôpega que chita – better immobile than linen (um…. don’t get this one!)
antes chita do que hiena – better cheetah than hyena (second meaning of chita!)
antes gárgula que helena – better gargoyle than a hellenic
antes arqueira que argueiro – better a bowmaker than a speck
antes cravo do que trave – better a nail than a crossbar (assuming cravo is nail here, not a carnation)
antes cruz que cruzeiro – better a cross than a cruise
antes turista que anfíbia – better tourist than amphibian
antes anfíbia que estática – better amphibian than static
antes esquiva do que mansa – better a loner than domesticated
antes autista que sápida – better autistic than tasty
antes esquina do que esconso – better corner than garret
antes saloia que sonsa – better yokel than poser
antes chá do que veneno – better tea than poison
antes copo do que sopa – better a glass than soup
antes sopa que arsénico – better soup than arsenic
antes verbena que urtiga – better verbena than nettle
antes agreste que azeda – better bitter than sour
antes daninha que medrosa – better harmful than fearful
antes medrosa que maninha – better fearful than a little sister
antes maninha que rasteira – better a little sister than servile
antes gatas que de rojo – better on hands and knees than dragging
antes larva que dengosa – better maggot than brown-noser (dengoso has a lot of meanings – it could be a person with dengue fever!)
antes Malinche que Cleópatra – better Malinche than Cleopatra
antes Pompeia que esposa de César – better Pompey than Caesar’s wife
antes cadela que dono – better bitch than master
antes pega do que proba – better thief than honest person
antes rata do que esperta – better eccentric than astute
antes carcaça que bútio – better skeleton than lazybones
antes vício que agarrada – better addicted than hooked
a chave fiel – the faithful key
dourada – golden
antes pintada que certa – better painted than true
antes poseuse que anel – better poser than ring (than married?)
antes pobre que promessa – better poor than promise
antes tudo do que essa – better anything than that
sobrestimada mentecapta – overestimated brainless
palavra – word
de honra – of honour
antes arsénico – better arsenic.

And if you’re interested, here’s what Deepl has to say about it

rather perverse than upright
rather malice than perfidy
rather fickle than soluble
rather stain than stop
rather bend than preach
rather preach than darkness
rather darkness than blindness
rather stumble than cheetah
rather cheetah than hyena
before gargoyle than helena
before an archer
better carnation than beam
rather cross than cruise
before tourist than amphibian
rather amphibian than static
rather dodgy than meek

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)