Time is ticking down to the B2 exam in T minus 4 days but I fancied a break from full-on learning so here’s a translation of another song by my favourite Portuguese band, Deolinda. I was really chuffed, on listening to it the other day, to realise it has an expressão idiomática in it that I recognise from the Practice Portuguese Podcast (in this episode). The phrase is “o que tem de ser tem muita força” (marked with *** below) and it means “What has to be has a lot of force”, or more colloquially “You gotta do what you gotta do”.
It also has some fun grammar in it including the contrast between “haver de” (means “to have to” but in a vague, non-specific way as in “you have to come and visit sometime” or “I really have to fix that broken clock” and “ter de” which is much more specific, signifying inevitability or obligation: “I have to do my homework” or “You have to put clothes on, sir, you can’t come to church naked”.
There are some good subjunctives to, most obviously in the title – “Seja Agora” being expression of hope – something like “let it be now”.
Nós havemos de nos ver os dois
We have to see each other
ver no que isto dá
to see what happens
ficar um pouco mais a conversar
stay a while and talk
Ter a eternidade para nós
We have eternity to ourselves
Quem sabe, jantar
Who knows, maybe have dinner…
Se quiseres pode ser hoje
If you want, it could be today.
Tem de acontecer, porque tem de ser
It has to happen because it has to be
e o que tem de ser tem muita força***
and what has to be has a lot of force
E sei que vai ser, porque tem de ser
And I know it’s going to happen because it has to be
Se é pra acontecer, pois que seja agora
And if it’s going to happen, let it be now!
Nós havemos ambos de encontrar
We both need to find
um destino qualquer
some kind of destiny
ou um banquinho bom para sentar
or a little bench to sit on
Vai ser tão bonito descobrir
It’s going to be so beautiful to discover
que no futuro só
that in future the only thing
quem decide é a vontade
that will decide is our own will
Tem de acontecer, porque tem de ser
It has to happen because it has to be
e o que tem de ser tem muita força***
and what has to be has a lot of force
E sei que vai ser, porque tem de ser
And I know it’s going to happen because it has to be
Se é pra acontecer, pois que seja agora
And if it’s going to happen, let it be now!
x2
Que seja agora
Let it happen now
Que seja agora
Let it happen now
Se é pra acontecer
If it’s going to happen
Pois que seja agora
Well, let it happen now
x4
Luso 