I’m trying to get familiar with Carolina Deslandes’ back catalogue now that I have tickets to see her. When I reached “Dois Dedos de Testa” I was intrigued by the title, which means “two fingers of forehead”. What could it mean? I went down a few dead-ends when I researched it: the first site I found was explaining that having dois dedos de testa (ie, a forehead that’s more than two fingerwidths deep) was a sign of whether or not a fringe would suit you. But I was pretty sure the sing wasn’t about hair styling. I finally found this page which sums it up in the first line
Ter dois dedos de testa costuma ser sinónimo de gente inteligente, com boa cabeça
So I think that’s the relevant meaning: being clever, having common sense. I’m going to translate “ter dois dedos de testa” as “to be smart” in the lyrics for simplicity’s sake and because “to have two fingerwidths of forehead” would sound ridiculous.
The video also starts with “fátima futebol fado”, which was the Estado Novo’s equivalent to “bread and circuses”: the way of focusing the population’s attention away from thoughts of revolution. She changes it to one she likes better.
All in all, I really like the lyrics. Sometimes I do these translations and the lyric are baffling, sometimes they’re too easy, but I like that this had some mysteries that could be solved and led me to discover new things.
| Português | Inglês |
|---|---|
| Ser mulher aqui é ser mulher de quem? Ter um papel assinado pra ser alguém Ser decente, quem se apresenta à mãe Mesmo que o filho não valha a mulher que tem | Being a woman here means being who’s wife?* To have a role assigned to be someone To be decent, someone fit to meet your mother Even though the son isn’t worthy of the woman he has |
| Ser mulher aqui é ser submissa Rezar o terço, dizer sim e ir à missa Não ter opinião, ser bonita Ser tão nova quanto o estado e andar bem vestida | To be a woman here is to be submissive Pray the rosary**, say yes and go to mass Don’t have a opinion, be pretty Be as young as the state*** and be well-dressed |
| E eu que tenho a liberdade debaixo dos braços Tenho brasas a arder debaixo dos pés Pus uma pedra sobre o meu passado E se o que eu sou ofende quem és | And i who have freedom in my grip**** I have coals burning under my feet I put a stone on top of my past***** And if who I am offends, who you are |
| Deixa-me abanar a cabeça, põe mais vinho nesta mesa Que eu, eu quero esquecer Quero ser o centro da festa, o assunto da conversa Eu, eu quero aparecer | Let me shake my head, put more wine on this table Because me, I want to forget I want to be the centre of the party, the subject of conversation Me, I want to appear |
| Deixa-me abanar a cabeça, põe mais vinho nesta mesa Que eu, que eu hoje faço um brinde Quero ser dona da festa, tenho dois dedos de testa Sou a voz e nem sou boa ouvinte | Let me shake my head, put more wine on this table Because me, I want to make a toast I want to be the mistress of the party, be smart I’m the voice and I’m not a good listener |
| Foi deixada, abandonada É carente e mal amada Está tão triste e tão sozinha Pobrezinha | She was left, abandoned She was needy and barely loved She’s so sad and so alone Poor thing! |
| Sem apelido e sem marido E de quem será o filho? Está cansada, ela trabalha Coitadinha, coitadinha | Without a surname, without a husband And who’s child is it? She’s tired, she works Poor thing, poor thing! |
| Deixa-me abanar a cabeça, põe mais vinho nesta mesa Que eu, eu quero esquecer Quero ser o centro da festa, o assunto da conversa Eu, eu quero aparecer | Let me shake my head, put more wine on this table Because me, I want to forget I want to be the centre of the party, the subject of conversation Me, I want to appear |
| Deixa-me abanar a cabeça, põe mais vinho nesta mesa Que eu, que eu hoje faço um brinde Quero ser dona da festa, tenho dois dedos de testa Sou a voz e nem sou boa ouvinte | Let me shake my head, put more wine on this table Because me, I want to make a toast I want to be the mistress of the party, be smart I’m the voice and I’m not a good listener |
| E eu que tenho a liberdade debaixo dos braços Tenho brasas a arder debaixo dos pés Pus uma pedra sobre o meu passado E se o que eu sou ofende quem és | And I who have freedom in my grip**** I have coals burning under my feet I put a stone on top of my past***** And if who I am offends, who you are |
| Deixa-me abanar a cabeça, põe mais vinho nesta mesa Que eu, eu quero esquecer Quero ser o centro da festa, o assunto da conversa Eu, eu quero aparecer | Let me shake my head, put more wine on this table Because me, I want to forget I want to be the centre of the party, the subject of conversation Me, I want to appear |
| Deixa-me abanar a cabeça, põe mais vinho nesta mesa Que eu, que eu hoje faço um brinde (brinde) Quero ser dona da festa, tenho dois dedos de testa Sou a voz e nem sou boa ouvinte | Let me shake my head, put more wine on this table Because me, I want to make a toast I want to be the mistress of the party, be smart I’m the voice and I’m not a good listener |
* This sentence loses a lot of its cleverness in the translation, I think
**Catoliquices! Actually, strictly speaking, the Terço is just part of the rosary, I think. I hung out with a lot of catholics at uni so I more-or-less know what this is about but I’m a bit vague about the details. Here’s what o Santuário de Fátima has to say about it if you’re interested.
***Another one that loses some of its force in english – it’s another reference to the Estado Novo, if I read it correctly
****Debaixo do braço is a set phrase meaning grasped under the arm, next to the body, so I am picturing her holding liberdade like a rugby ball
*****This one smelled like an expression too. Most results return as “colocar uma pedra sobre” and “pôr” is less common but obviously scans better. You can find both on this page. I think we’re meant to imagine the stone as a paperweight you put on your work when you’ve finished writing or something. It means what we would now call “drawing a line under” the subject, basically, putting a full stop to the sentence.
Luso 