Tag: oquestrada

Posted in English, Portuguese

Eu E O Meu País

Posted on by Colin Lusk

Her’s another translation – this time “Eu e o Meu País” (me and my country) by Oquestrada. It has a weird bit of anglo-french wittering at the start and I’ll just pretend that doesn’t happen. I wish I had a video of them doing it live but every one I’ve found has been shonky fan footage.

The song itself isn’t that deep either. The bit I really like is the very beginning. Freguesia is one of my favourite words for some reason, and that second line is great, plus the sense you have of her dashing around everywhere trying to hug the whole country. So that’s the only reason for the translation. If you want an objectively better video of them playing an objectively more stompy song, check this out.

PortugueseEnglish
De distrito em distrito
de freguesia em freguesia
e quando os teus braços chegam aos meus
nós somos só um, somos um só
nós somos um só, somos só um
eu e o meu país		District by district
Parish by parish
And when your arms reach mine
We are one, we are one
We are one, we are one
Me and my country
Ouvi dizer que me amavas, adoravas, entendias
ouvi dizer que me querias, me estimavas, percebias
e se à noite me sorris
de dia pouco me falas
mas se à noite me sorris
de dia pouco me falas
de dia pouco me falas		I heard you loved me, adored me, understood me
I heard you wanted me, esteemed me, noticed me
And if at night you smile at me
By day you hardly talk to me
And if at night you smile at me
By day you hardly talk to me
By day you hardly talk to me
I wanna dancing with myself
I wanna dancing with myself
e é tanta a rotunda
que já nem sei chegar a ti
neste silêncio, neste pantanal
sou turista acidental
neste anúncio, neste postal
sou turista acidental
mas e tu, tu oh tu meu país
mas e tu, tu oh tu meu país diz-me
diz-me onde ficas tu neste postal		I wanna dancing with myself
I wanna dancing with myself
And there are so many roundabouts
I don’t even know how to get to you
In this silence, in this swamp
I’m an accidental tourist
In this advertisement, in this postcard
I’m an accidental tourist
But you, you, oh you, my country
But you, you, oh you, my country
Tell me where you are on this postcard
Posted in English, Portuguese

Se Esta Rua Fosse Minha

Posted on by Colin Lusk

Translation time! This one is by Oquestrada and it’s cool. I especially like how the ghost of Ernie, the fastest milkman in the west, shows up and starts playing a pocket trumpet.

These are lyrics. I thought she was just freestyling in the middle but then realised the lyrics I was using for the translation were totally different! It’s actually an older song, from Brasil, possibly from the 19th Century, and I’d picked up those lyrics instead of the Oquestrada version. They’re really different; in fact, even the title is slightly different. Brazilians use “essa” slightly more often than portuguese people, so the name of the song is “Se Essa Rua Fosse Minha” – Essa, not Esta. Anyway, deleted it all, started again, and here you go, with the right version.

PortugueseEnglish
Se esta rua, se esta rua
se esta rua fosse minha
eu mandava-a, eu mandava-a
eu mandava-a ladrilhar
com pedrinhas de rubi
só para o meu amor passar
Ah, se esta rua, se esta rua
se esta rua fosse minha
com pedrinhas de rubi
só para o meu amor passar		If this street, if this street
If this street were mine
I’d order it, I’d order it
I’d order it to be paved
With ruby cobblestones
Just for my lover to pass by
Ah, If this road were mine
I’d order it to be paved
With ruby cobblestones
Just for my lover to pass by
Ah, lá porque és feia tem calma
não te faltam seduções
mais vale ser linda de alma
do que linda de feições
mais vale ser linda de alma
do que linda de feições
Ai o amor, o amor
o amor é como a lua
ora cresce
ora mingua é
Ai o amor, o amor
o amor é como a lua
ora cresce
ora mingua
ah, pois é		Ah, just because you’re ugly, calm down
You don’t lack seductions
It’s better to have a beautiful soul
Than beautiful features
It’s better to have a beautiful soul
Than beautiful features
Oh love, love
Love is like the moon
Now it waxes
Now it wanes
Oh love, love
Love is like the moon
Now it waxes
Now it wanes
For sure
Que bom ser pequenino
ter pai, ter mãe, ter avós
ah, ter esperança no destino
e ter quem goste de nós
e ter quem goste de nós
e ter quem goste de nós
Ai, é tao bom ser pequenino		It’s so good to be a child
To have father, mother and grandparents
To have hope in our destiny
And to have people who like us
And to have people who like us
And to have people who like us
Oh it’s so good to be a child
Se esta rua, se esta rua
se esta rua fosse minha
eu mandava-a ladrilhar
com pedrinhas de rubi
só para o meu amor passar
Se esta rua fosse minha
eu mandava-a ladrilhar
só para o meu amor passar
só para tu e tu e tu e tu e tu
passar		If this street, if this street
If this street were mine
I’d order it, I’d order it
I’d order it to be paved
With ruby cobblestones
Just for my lover to pass by
Ah, If this road were mine
I’d order it to be paved
With ruby cobblestones
Just for my lover to pass by