translation – Page 3

Faz Faísca e Chavascal

Posted on Aug 3, 2024Aug 6, 2024 by Colin Lusk

Translation Time! I was drawn to this song because it has two words I don’t recognise in the title. They proved to be incredibly hard to translate. If you go directly from what Priberam says, the title means “It makes sparks and a barren wasteland” which obviously makes no sense. I asked around and the answers I got were

Faísca is a light effect and Chavascal a sound effect
Both are synonms for chaos and
A pointer to this page, with the suggestion that definition 5 was the relevant one.

OK, so it’s noisy, chaotic. So… an explosion? Some sort of massive freak-out or general mayhem?

Next question: What the heck tense is it in? Portugal is very sparing with its national pronoun reserves, and it’s not totally clear whether “faz” is third person present (talking about the experience she’s having?) or second person imperative (telling you, the listener what to do). In other words is she saying “It makes sparks…” or “Make sparks!” I think the second, just because some of the lines don’t make sense otherwise. It brings confetti to the garden? How?

So assuming whatever faísca and chavascal mean they’re something that a human is capable of doing, I’ve gone with “Be flashy and make a scene”. I’m sure this is debatable but this seems like it follows a trend line through the available evidence and I hope I’m not too far wrong.

The actual music is a bit odd. The arrangement has a whiplash change of mood, going from sultry club jazz to cringey pop when it hits the chorus, and some of the camera work is quite shonky too, but never mind, here we go!

Portuguese	English
aaaaaahhh acordo a tempo de chegar ensaio o espaço e volto atrás sem ver os tons a mudar ooooohh, aaaaahhh esperei sete ondas para saltar clarões em branco e lilás quem são os teus orixás? pergunto	aaaaahhh I wake up when it’s time to arrive I study the space and turn back Without seeing the tones change Ooooohh, aaaaahhh I wait seven waves before jumping Flashes of white and lilac Who are your idols*? I ask
faz faísca e chavascal got addicted, não tem mal não és tu (não és tu…) traz confettis pro quintal com pitanga é carnaval tudo cru, ooooohhh faz faísca e chavascal faz faísca e chavascal got addicted, não tem mal ooooohhhh	Be flashy and make a scene Got addicted, don’t take it badly It’s not you (it’s not you) Bring confetti to the garden With pitanga** it’s carnival All raw, ooooohhh Be flashy and make a scene Be flashy and make a scene Got addicted, don’t take it badly ooooohhh
água na boca vinho a compensar nada no ombro e nada pra falar dá sempre pra duvidar ou então largar as rosas no mar	Water in the mouth Wine to compensate Nothing on the shoulder And nothing to sat It always makes me doubt Or even leave roses in the sea
faz faísca e chavascal faz faísca e chavascal traz a fruta tropical faz o próprio carnaval	Be flashy and make a scene Be flashy and make a scene Bring the tropical fruit make your own carnival
faz faísca e chavascal got addicted, não tem mal não és tu (não és tu…) traz confettis pro quintal com pitanga é carnaval tudo cru, ooooohhh	Be flashy and make a scene Got addicted, it’s not bad It’s not you (it’s not you) Bring confetti to the garden With pitanga** it’s carnival All raw, ooooohhh
faz faísca e chavascal faz faísca e chavascal got addicted, não tem mal ooooohhhh	Be flashy and make a scene Be flashy and make a scene Got addicted, don’t take it badly ooooohhh

*Specifically, an orixá is a representation of a minor divinity in the Yoruba religion

**Pitanga isn’t really a fruit we have in the UK, and the wiki page gives a few names, but since one of them is just “pitanga”, I’ve left this alone.

English, Portuguese

Não Há Estrelas No Céu – Rui Veloso

Posted on Jul 26, 2024Jul 25, 2024 by Colin Lusk

Translation time! I quite like this one, and it has some good expressions in it. It’s about how hard it is to be young. I checked, and in case you’re wondering he released it in 1990 when he was 33, so we’ll let it pass.

Portuguaês	Inglês
Não há estrelas no céu a dourar o meu caminho Por mais amigos que tenha, sinto-me sempre sozinho De que vale ter a chave de casa para entrar? Ter uma nota no bolso p’ra cigarros e bilhar?	There are no stars in the sky gilding my path No matter how many friends I have I always feel alone What’s the point of a housekey to get in? Or a note in my pocket for cigarettes and billiards?
A primavera da vida é bonita de viver Tão depressa o sol brilha como a seguir está a chover Para mim hoje é janeiro, está um frio de rachar Parece que o mundo inteiro se uniu p’ra me tramar	It’s beautiful to live in the springtime of life As soon as the sun shines, straight away it rains For me today is January, freezing cold It seems like the whole world is conspiring against me
Passo horas no café sem saber para onde ir Tudo à volta é tão feio, só me apetece fugir Vejo-me à noite ao espelho, o corpo sempre a mudar De manhã ouço o conselho que o velho tem p’ra me dar	I spend hours in the café, not knowing where to go Everything around is so ugly I just feel like escaping I see myself in the mirror at night, my body’s always changing In the morning I hear the advice the old man has for me
A primavera da vida é bonita de viver Tão depressa o sol brilha como a seguir está a chover Para mim hoje é janeiro, está um frio de rachar Parece que o mundo inteiro se uniu p’ra me tramar	It’s beautiful to live in the springtime of life As soon as the sun shines, straight away it rains For me today is January, freezing cold It seems like the whole world is conspiring against me
Vou por aí às escondidas a espreitar às janelas Perdido nas avenidas e achado nas vielas Mãe, o meu primeiro amor foi um trapézio sem rede Sai da frente, por favor, estou entre a espada e a parede	I’m going over there, secretly, to look in at the windows Lost in the avenues and found in the alleys Mother, my first love was a trapeze with no net Get out of the way please, I’m between the sword and the wall*
Não vês como isto é duro, ser jovem não é um posto Ter de encarar o futuro com borbulhas no rosto Porque é que tudo é incerto, não pode ser sempre assim Se não fosse o Rock and Roll, o que seria de mim?	You don’t see how hard it is, being young isn’t easy** You have to face the future with a spotty face Why is everything uncertain, it can’t always be like this If it wasn’t for Rock and Roll, what wojuld become of me?
A primavera da vida é bonita de viver Tão depressa o sol brilha como a seguir está a chover Para mim hoje é janeiro, está um frio de rachar Parece que o mundo inteiro se uniu p’ra me tramar	It’s beautiful to live in the springtime of life As soon as the sun shines, straight away it rains For me today is January, freezing cold It seems like the whole world is conspiring against me
Não há estrelas no céu (não, não, não, não há) Estrelas no céu (não, não, não, não há) Estrelas no céu (não, não, não, não há) Estrelas no céu (não, não, não, não há) Estrelas no céu (não, não, não, não há) Estrelas no céu…	There are no stars in the sky (no, no, no there aren’t) Stars in the sky (no, no, no there aren’t) Stars in the sky (no, no, no there aren’t) Stars in the sky (no, no, no there aren’t) Stars in the sky (no, no, no there aren’t) Stars in the sky…

*Nice expression! Obviously an equivalent of “between a rock and a hard place”

**The translation is simplified, I think: as far as I can tell, “ser x não é um posto” is a way of saying it isn’t just an easy job that comes naturally, implying you really have to be worthy, or to work hard for it. See here for example, or here.

English

Tradução

Posted on Jul 19, 2024Aug 8, 2024 by Colin Lusk

As I’ve probably said, I’m a bit of a philistine when it comes to poetry, but the book I am reading on-and-off at the moment, “atirar para o torto” by margarida vale de gato* “dá água pela barba” and my dictionary is taking a real beating. Translating this one in full because there are so many unknowns in it that I lost track. Words outlined in orange are the ones I had to look up

This galaxy will soon be a glowing coal
Our earth sparks - I think this
In the environ** of the street, feeling faint
Words beating in my head
About the cone*** of this planet - oh
warming marble with only one iris****
Fertilising the egg of the moon, steep
curdled, wounded***** red.
I'm going
when i arrive to lock myself out, key
inside, to sleep with the beasts in the dew
and just one bottle - I ought to break it
by the neck to heal
with a ruby in my mouth and anaesthesia
the bluff or another apocalypse

Incidentally, I happened upon a thesis published online where the author cites this poem in full as evidence of “an apocalyptic tone adopted recently in portuguese poetry”

*Should be in title case, I know, but she writes it in lower case on the cover so maybe it’s deliberate, I dunno.

**This is a pretty terrible translation since enlevo is more like enchantment, rapture, that kind of thing but I can’t quite find an english word that works in context. This is why I am not a professional translator!

***Another surprising one. The umbra and penumbra of an eclipse form cones, so she might be referring to that but it’s not clear to me

****I want “iris” to mean the little squiggle of colour inside an old-school marble, but I don’t see any evidence of that online.

*****Coalho was the only word I really didn’t know but it’s hard to see what she’s getting at here. Ingreme usually means steep but can be a high point, coalho means coagulate but can also be a thistle flower of all things. So maybe she means the blood moon looks like a thistle high up in the sky…. nah… i don’t see it.

English, Portuguese

Foram Cardos, Foram Prosas

Posted on May 31, 2024May 31, 2024 by Colin Lusk

Another translation!

I got curious about this because it was covered by Amor Electro on one of the albums I listened to a few weeks back, and although I knew most of the songs they’d done, I’d never heard of this or even of the artrist who performed it originally so I sought it out. Disappointing, to be honest. It feels very dated and uninspiring. I actually liked the cover version better.

Portuguese	English
Há luz sem lume aceso Mas sem amar o calor Há flor de um fogo preso Há luz do meu claro amor	There is a light without a flame But without loving the heat There is a flower of a captive fire There is a light of my clear love
Há madressilvas aos pés E águas lavam o rosto Dedos que tens em resvés Ó meu amante deposto	There are honeysuckles at your feet And waters wash your face Fingers you have, so close Oh my former lover
Não foram poemas nem rosas Que colheste no meu colo Foram cardos, foram prosas Arrancadas do meu solo	There were no poems or roses That you picked in my lap They were thistles and prose Uprooted from my soil
Porque tu ainda me queres O amor que ainda fazemos Dá-me um sinal se puderes Sejamos amantes supremos	Because you still love Yje lobe we still have Give me a signal if you can Let’s be supreme lovers
Será sempre a subir Ao cimo de ti Só para te sentir	It wlll always be rising Above you Just to feel you
Será no alto de mim Que um corpo só Exalta o seu fim	It will be above me Because just one body Exalts at its end

English, Portuguese

Diabo na Cruz – Vida de Estrada

Posted on May 27, 2024May 28, 2024 by Colin Lusk

OK, well this is one of the bands I listened to the other day and liked enough to want to dive into their lyrics. It’s not an easy one because a lot of it is lists of things and events, like the lists in “Its the End of the World as we Know It” by REM or “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel and I am pretty sure I am missing some of the references. I’ll put links on the ones I recognise because it’s probably easier than writing 30,000 words of footnotes. Speaking of feet, there’s a really excellent live video out there and teh lead singer has a cast on his ankle, so well done him for not calling in sick that day!

🇵🇹	🇬🇧
Siga em fila vai Nove emprego cinco sai Quinto império do atalho Bomba, escola, pão, talho	Form a line, go Nine employed, five leave Fifth empire by a shortcut Bomb, school, bread, meat
Trívia e televisão Aurora do quadrilião No ar um cheiro a esturro Bom pró esperto, mau pró burro	Trivia and television Glow of the quadrillion In the air a smell of burning Good for the smart, bad for the stupid
Perto, tão perto do oásis no deserto Longe, tão longe de ir lá hoje Mora, demora O que é bom nunca é pra agora Quem me dera ir daqui pra fora	Close, so close to the oasis in the desert Far, so far from getting there today Lay, delay What is good is never for now I wish I could get out of here and away
Trânsito no Jamor A ouvir notícias do terror Troika, bolha imobiliária É cara a vida e a pensão precária	Traffic on the Jamor Hearing news of terrorism The Troika, a property bubble Life is expensive, and pensions at risk
Água, cabo, net Luz, ginásio, yoga, creche IUC, IMI, IRS Paga paga, esquece esquece	Water, cable, internet, Lighting, gym, yoga, creche, IUC,IMI,IRS Pay, pay, forget, forget
Fraco tão fraco o sol neste buraco Boa, tão boa a vida boa Mora, demora O que é bom nunca é pra agora Quem me dera ir daqui pra fora	Weak, it’s so weak, the sun in this hole Good, so good, the good life Lay Delay What is good is never for now I wish I could get out of here
Mergulhar mãos no volante e adiante Pra qualquer lugar Vidro aberto, rádio alto, no asfalto Sem me apoquentar Saborear o mar, as serras Cobrir-me de pó e geada Roer o osso desta terra Na vida de estrada	Grab the steering wheel and go To anywhere Window open, radio loud, on the asphalt Without fear To enjoy the sea, the mountains get covered in dust and frost Chew the bones of this land In life on the road
Sismo no Japão Zara, nova coleção Espionagem, guerra, muda o tema Woody Allen no cinema	Earthquake in Japan Zara, new collection Espionage, war, change the subject Woody Allen at the cinema
Zapping e jornal Série e logo futebol O vizinho num concurso A fazer figura de urso	Channel-hopping and news Series and then football The neighbour in a competition To act like an idiot
Chato, tão chato papar grupo barato Oco, tão oco o circo louco Mora, demora O que é bom nunca é pra agora Quem me dera ir daqui pra fora	Annoying, so annoying, support cheap group* Hollow, so hollow, the crazy circus Live, delay What is good is never for now I wish I could get out of here
Mergulhar mãos no volante e adiante Pra qualquer lugar Vidro aberto, rádio alto, no asfalto Sem me apoquentar Saborear o mar, as serras Cobrir-me de pó e geada Roer o osso desta terra Na vida de estrada	Grab the steering wheel and go To anywhere Window open, radio loud, on the asphalt Without fear To enjoy the sea, the mountains get covered in dust and frost Chew the bones of this land In life on the road
Onde não há prazos nem obrigações Não há debates nem euromilhões Onde o sol eleva e a frescura acata Sem consulta ao homeopata Onde a cura é sem vacina E a cardina é sem pesar Por lagoas e colinas Vê-se a lágrima a secar Dá o vento na cara E nada nos pára Nada nos pára	Where there are no deadlines or obligations No debates, no euromillions Where the sun lifts you and the coolness follows you Without an appointment with the homeopath Where the cure doesn’t take a vaccine** And the grime doesn’t weigh you down Through lakes and hills Feel the wind in your face And nothing will stop us Nothing will stop us
Perto, tão perto do oásis no deserto Longe, tão longe de ir lá hoje Mora, demora O que é bom nunca é pra agora Quem me dera ir Quem me dera ir daqui Quem me dera ir daqui pra fora	Close, so close to the oasis in the desert Far, so far from getting there today Delay, delay What is good is never for now I wish I could get out I wish I could get out of here I wish I could get out of here and away
Mergulhar mãos no volante e adiante Pra qualquer lugar Vidro aberto, rádio alto, no asfalto Sem me apoquentar Saborear o mar, as serras Cobrir-me de pó e geada Roer o osso desta terra Na vida de estrada	Grab the steering wheel and go To anywhere Window open, radio loud, on the asphalt Without fear To enjoy the sea, the mountains get covered in dust and frost Chew the bones of this land In life on the road

*best guess is that he’s saying you should support independent artsists

**They broke up in 2019, in case you were wondering if this was some sort of covid reference

English, Portuguese

Fado Português

Posted on May 11, 2024 by Colin Lusk

A tradução de hoje é “Fado Português”. Se Amália cantou alguma canção, acho que convém usar a versão dela como base duma tradução, mas não existe um vídeo dela a cantar esta, e olha, a versão de Sara Correia é ótima, então porquê é que estás a resmungar? Vi-o na app Lingoclip, que estou a usar diariamente. Para ser sincero, é frustrante. Prefiro usá-la no modo especialista porque é mais fácil digitar tuuuuudoooo do que andar de um lado para o outro entre as letras e as opções, mas é preciso ter dedos extraordinariamente rápidos! Mas um fado é mais fácil do que um rap, portanto, se gostares de experimentar, recomendo que comeces com algo deste género.

Português	Inglês
O Fado nasceu um dia Quando o vento mal bulia E o céu o mar prolongava Na amurada dum veleiro No peito dum marinheiro Que, estando triste, cantava Que, estando triste… cantava	Fado was born one day When the wind was barely stirring And the sky held back the sea On the hull of a sailing ship In the breast of a sailor Who, being sad, was singing, Who, being sad, was singing.
Ai, que lindeza tamanha Meu chão, meu monte, meu vale De folhas, flores, frutas de oiro Vê se vês terras de Espanha Areias de Portugal Olhar ceguinho de choro	Oh so much beauty My ground, my mountain, my valley With leaves, flowers and golden fruit See if you see the lands of Spain, Sands of Portugal Vision nearly blind from crying
Na boca dum marinheiro Do frágil barco veleiro Morrendo a canção magoada Diz o pungir dos desejos Do lábio a queimar de beijos Que beija o ar e mais nada Que beija o ar… e mais nada	In the mouth of a sailor Of the fragil sailing boat The tortured song, dying Tell of the torment of desires From the lip burning with kisses That kisses the air and nothing else That kisses the air and nothing else
Mãe, adeus, adeus, Maria Guarda bem no teu sentido Que aqui te faço uma jura: Que ou te levo à sacristia Ou foi Deus que foi servido Dar-me no mar sepultura	Goodbye mother, goodbye Maria Remember what you see and hear* That here I make an oath That I will either take you to the sacristy Or it was God that served me By giving me a grave in the sea
Ora eis que embora outro dia Quando o vento nem bulia E o céu o mar prolongava À proa doutro veleiro Velava outro marinheiro Que, estando triste, cantava Que, estando triste, cantava	Well so it was that the next day When the wind was hardly stirring And the sky held back the sea At the prow of another sailing ship Sailed another sailor Who, being sad, was singing, Who, being sad, was singing.
Ai, que lindeza tamanha Meu chão, meu monte, meu vale De folhas, flores, frutas de oiro Vê se vês terras de Espanha Areias de Portugal Olhar ceguinho de choro	Oh so much beauty My ground, my mountain, my valley With leaves, flowers and golden fruit See if you see the lands of Spain, Sands of Portugal Vision nearly blind from crying

*Not very literal at all but I couldnºt make it make sense if I did it word for word.

Portuguese

Free Buarquing

Posted on Apr 24, 2024 by Colin Lusk

Já publiquei uma tradução de outra canção de Chico Buarque, mas ouvi falar desta em relação às comemorações do aniversário da Revolução dos Cravos. Hum… não me sinto grande fã deste artista, mas cada vez que escuto com mais atenção uma música dele, adoro-a e aprendo muito. Acho que chegou a hora de ouvir os seus discos todos.

(Ah ah ah, discos, sim, escute os seus discos, avô, nós estamos a ouvir no Spotify)

“Tanto Mar” é uma música que ilustra certas coisas sobre a época e sobre a relação entre os dois países, Portugal e o Brasil. Existem duas versões na Internet, e eu pensei, “está bem, a segunda é uma gravação nova da mesma canção”. Mas não é! O cantor escreveu a primeira versão em 1975, um ano depois da revolução e dedicou-a ao povo português – ou melhor, à revolução em si. Naquela altura, o Brasil também estava em plena ditadura militar (um governo que permaneceu em vigor desde 1964 até 1985), portanto a revolução no país menor deu motivo para esperança no maior. As letras refletem aquela esperança mas por isso mesmo, foram censuradas pela ditadura brasileira.

A segunda versão foi lançada 3 anos depois, em 1978, mas desta vez com letra atualizada. Existe um sentimento agridoce perante a crise de 25 de Novembro, o enfraquecimento dos objetivos da revolução e a realidade que a passagem dos anos trouxe. Mas apesar de tudo, a esperança é ainda evidente.

Em baixo, traduzi as duas versões. Gosto da simplicidade da poesia. Um escritor menos talentoso teria tentado escrever algo maior, e teria enchido cada verso de sentimentalismo e cliché, mas esta letra é curta e limpa e não tem uma única palavra a mais.

Just a reminder, obviously, this is in PT-BR, so in case anyone is avoiding brazilian accents on their learning journey, allow me to sound the 📢#BRAZILIANPORTUGUESEKLAXON📢 as a warning.

Português	Inglês
Sei que estás em festa, pá Fico contente E enquanto estou ausente Guarda um cravo para mim	I know you’re having a party, man I’m glad And while I’m away Save a carnation for me
Eu queria estar na festa, pá Com a tua gente E colher pessoalmente alguma flor No teu jardim	I wanted to be at the party, man With your people And pick a flower in person in your garden
Sei que há léguas a nos separar Tanto mar, tanto mar Sei também quanto é preciso, pá Navegar, navegar	I know there are miles* between us So much sea, so much sea And I know how much we’d have to Navigate, navigate**
Lá faz primavera pá Cá estou doente Manda urgentemente Algum cheirinho de alecrim	It’s spring there, man Here, I’m sick Send, urgently, some Fleeting scent of rosemary

Português	Inglês
Foi bonita a festa, pá Fiquei contente Ainda guardo renitente Um velho cravo para mim	It was a great party, man It made me happy I still hold stubbornly An old carnation for myself
Já murcharam em tua festa, pá Mas certamente Esqueceram uma semente Em algum canto de jardim	The (flowers) withered at your party man But certainly They left a seed In some corner of the garden
Sei que há léguas a nos separar Tanto mar, tanto mar Sei também quanto é preciso, pá Navegar, navegar	I know there are miles* between us So much sea, so much sea And I know how much we’d have to Navigate, navigate**
Canta a primavera, pá Cá estou carente Manda novamente Algum cheirinho de alecrim	Sing the spring, man Here I am in need Send me again Some fleeting scent of rosemary

* =Léguas is more like leagues but it would sound confusing in english so I fudged it

**Maybe I should have fudged this one too: naveger is much more specifically about travelling in a ship, as opposed to english where it’s more like “finding your way”

English, Portuguese

Grito

Posted on Apr 21, 2024Apr 19, 2024 by Colin Lusk

I thought I’d have a go at translating this year’s eurovision entry into english. I can’t say the experience of reflecting on the lyrsics really made me like it more, I’m afraid… It’s OK, but it’s not getting me excited.

Português	Inglês
Ouvi, senti, o corpo a carregar Seguimos assim, um e outro, um e outro, um e outro Sou queda livre, aviso quando lá chegar Entrego-me aqui, pouco a pouco	I heard, I felt my body charging up We carry on like this, one and another, one and another, one and another I am freefall, I’ll tell you when I get there I deliver myself here, little by little
Passo largos, presa na partida Quero largar o que me deixou ferida Peço à estrela-mãe que faça o dia nascer de novo E entregue à coragem que ainda arde, ainda arde Bate a luz no peito e abre Sou chama que ainda arde, ainda arde, ainda arde	Big steps, caught at the departure I want to let go of what left me wounded I ask the mother star that she makes dawn come again And surrender to the courage that still burns, still burns Let the light strike my chest and open I am flame that still burns, still burns, still burns
Hoje eu quero provar a mim mesma Que posso ser o que eu quiser (que eu quiser) Juntar quem me quer bem numa mesa Perdoar quem me quis ver sofrer A mim não me enganam (não, não) Eu sou todo o tamanho (sou) Ainda lembro quando era pequena Eu sonhava primeiro	Today I want to prove to myself That I can be what I want (what I want) Bring together those who love me at a table Forgive those who want to see me suffer They won’t fool me (no, no) I am gigantic I still remember when I was small I used to dream first
Passo largos, presa na partida Hoje eu largo aquilo me deixou ferida E peço à estrela-mãe que faça o dia nascer de novo E entregue à coragem que ainda arde, ainda arde Bate a luz no peito e abre Sou chama que ainda arde, ainda arde, ainda arde	Big steps, caught at the departure I want to let go of what left me wounded I ask the mother star that she makes dawn come again And surrender to the courage that still burns, still burns Let the sun strike my chest and open I am flame that still burns, still burns, still burns
Sou chama que ainda arde, ainda arde Sou chama que ainda arde, ainda arde Arde, arde, arde Transformei cada verso de mim E entregue à coragem que ainda arde, ainda arde Bate a luz no peito e abre Sou chama que ainda arde, ainda arde, ainda arde	I am flame that still burns, still burns, still burns I am flame that still burns, still burns, still burns burns, burns, burns I transformed every one of my verses And surrender to the courage that still burns, still burns Let the light strike my chest and open I am flame that still burns, still burns, still burns

English, Portuguese

Faluas Do Tejo

Posted on Apr 13, 2024Apr 14, 2024 by Colin Lusk

It’s been a while since I did a translation. Here’s Madredeus doing “Faluas do Tejo”. I’m not even going to translate the title because Falua is a kind of cargo-boat used on the Tejo and we don’t really have a word for that and I think writing “Cargo Boat Used on the Tejo” in the lyrics would be clunky.

The name comes from the arabic word Felucca, apparently.

Português	Inglês
Faluas, Vaga lembrança Qu’eu de criança Guardei pra mim	Faluas, Vague memories That I as a child Kept for myself
Se as vejo ainda Às vezes no Tejo Revivo a alegria Do tempo em que as via no rio a passar	If I see them still At times on the Tejo I relive the happiness Of when I saw them passing on the river
Faluas do Tejo Que eu via a brincar E agora não vejo No rio a passar Faluas vadias Que andavam ali Em tardes perdidas Qu’eu nunca esqueci	Faluas of the Tejo That I used to see playing And now I don’t see Passing on the river Lost Faluas That used to go around there On lost afternoons I never forgot
E era tanta beleza Que essas velas ao sol vinham criar Belo quadro da infância Que ainda não se apagou	And there was so much beauty That those sails created Beautiful painting of infancy That still hasn’t been wiped away
E eu tenho a certeza Que as Faluas do Tejo hão-de voltar Outra vez a Lisboa	And I am sure That the Faluas of the Tejo will return Again to Lisboa

English, Portuguese

Fado da Idanha

Posted on Mar 25, 2024Mar 29, 2024 by Colin Lusk

Here’s a translation of a relatively upbeat, but very traditional Lisbon Fado written by Ricardo Borges de Sousa in the early years of the twentieth century and sung here by Maria Teresa de Noronha. It is well-enough regarded to be the subject of a whole episode of “A Trilogia do Fado” on RTP, but it isn’t the only version of the song; there seem to be lots of variants each with their own set of lyrics.

🇵🇹	🇬🇧
Quem me dera que voltasse O doce tempo de além Sentada junto à lareira A ouvir cantar minha mãe	If only you would came back The sweet, far-off time Seated together at the fireside Listening to my mother sing
Ó tempo, tempo ditoso Da vida eterno sorriso Que tornas em paraíso Um mundo tão enganoso Quando à minha mãe, choroso Após um beijo na face Lhe pedia que cantasse Uma trova de bonança Esse tempo de criança Quem me dera que voltasse	Oh time, happy time Eternal smile of life That turns in paradise Into such a deceptive world When my mother, tearful, After a kiss on the face was asked to sing A soothing song** That time of childhood If only it would come back
Tempos que não voltam mais Da nossa infância ridente Em que eu vivia contente Correndo atrás dos pardais Das paredes dos casais Que a nossa aldeia contém Branquinhas como a cecém Mudas como a gratidão E recordam com paixão O doce tempo de além	Times that will never come again Of our laughing childhood When I lived happily Chasing sparrows From the walls of couples That lived in our village White as lillies Mute with gratitude And they remember with live The sweet far-off time

*I really struggled to make sense of the first four lines when I was following the lyrics on letras.com because it has the word “ternas” in place of “tornas”, and fair enough, it does sound like that, but I couldn’t make it make sense. Why is it feminine and plural? is he talking about herself and her friends? But how does that follow on with the line before and after? It was definitely fishy but it could make sense if she was talking about that idyllic scene turning into a deceptive world, so maybe “torna-se”, but that would have the “se” in front of the verb because it’s after que. Tornasse? But why would it be subjunctive? I had a look around but most online sources seem to have screen-scraped letras.com so they had the same word. Then I found a site that used “terras”. I hate that less, but I still don’t buy it. And then finally I came across this site that uses “tornas” and I am absolutely ready to believe that!

**I wasn’t sure about this one, but when you look up trova and bonança, it makes sense. I tried the whole line in gtranslate and it said “a thunderous bonanza” which doesn’t really fit the mood.

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