Espero que estejas a gostar da semana política. Acabo de ver este génio que nem sequer sabe o nome da ponte principal de Lisboa. Sabes por que é que ele fez este erro básico? A resposta está sob o vídeo.
Propriamente dito, não é um erro mas sim uma escolha. Para quem não saiba, a Ponte 25 de Abril foi construída antes da revolução dos cravos e naquela altura foi nomeada Ponte Salazar. Insistir em usar aquele nome é um bom indicador de que o orador sente uma nostalgia para a época da ditadura. O seu nome é José Pinto Coelho e é o presidente do partido Ergue-te. Já adivinhaste onde este partido se situa no espectro político? Dou-te uma pista: não é social democrata moderado.
(Thanks again to Cristina for pointing out the errors in the first version. This was post number 1666 on this blog so in honour of the Great Fire of London I should have burned it to the ground, really, but hi ho)
O blogue de hoje é mais uma tradução. O título não segue o acordo ortográfico mas não me importa. A palavra “efe(c)tivamente” é cognata com a palavra inglesa “effectively” mas tem um valor ligeiramente diferente porque é usada muitas vezes em situações nas quais usamos “really”. Lê a segunda definição nesta página para mais informações.
Portuguese
English
Adoro o campo as árvores e as flores Jarros e perpétuos amores Que fiquem perto da esplanada de um bar Pássaros estúpidos a esvoaçar Adoro as pulgas dos cães Todos os bichos do mato O riso das crianças dos outros Cágados de pernas para o ar
I love the field, the trees, the flowers Jugs and everlasting loves That are close to the tables of a bar Stupid birds, fluttering I love the dogs’ fleas All the woodland creatures The laugh of children and others Terrapins with their legs in the air
Efectivamente escuto as conversas Importantes ou ambíguas Aparentemente sem moralizar
Effectively, I listen to important and ambiguous conversations Apparently without moralising.
Adoro as pegas e os pederastas que passam Finjo nem reparar Na atitude tão clara e tão óbvia De quem anda a enganar Adoro esses ratos de esgoto Que disfarçam ao pilar Como se fossem mafiosos convictos Habituados a controlar
I love the whores* and the pederasts who pass by I pretend not to notice In the clear, obvious attitude Of one who is being deceptive I love those sewer rats Who hide behind the pillar As if they were convicted mafiosos Used to being iin control
Efectivamente gosto de aparência Imponente ou inequívoca Aparentemente sem moralizar
Effectively I like imposing or unequivocal appearance Apparently without moralising
Efectivamente gosto de aparência Aparentemente sem moralizar Aparentemente escuto as conversas
Effectively I like appearance apparently without moralising Apparently I listen to conversation
Efectivamente sem moralizar Efectivamente, sem moralizar Aparentemente, sem moralizar Efectivamente
Effectively without moralising Effectively, wothout moralising Apparently, without moralising Effectively
*This could be translated a few different ways but I guess this is the one he means, unless the paedos were chasing a magpie!
I’m still watching videos from the occasionally excellent improv music show, Canta-me Uma História.
One of the things they often say during the live shows is “Não Mandem Bocas”. It’s used in the theme song and in the host’s t-shirt. So what does it mean? Don’t send mouths? Eh?
A boca, in this context, is a criticism. Specifically, a low-effort, smartarse remark. It’s the eleventh definition on Priberam – “comentário provocatório ou crítico”. So basically, a heckle. The audience has access to a big screen at the back of the stage and they can use it for requests and messages, so it seems they have a rule not to spoil the vibe by shit-talking the performers while they’re half way through some parody number they’ve written.
This song is actually by Maximiano de Sousa (aka “Max”) but I don’t think there’s a video of him performing it so I went with this cover by Raul Solnado instead. Max is from Funchal, and he says his wife is from Ponta do Sol, a few miles up the south coast. Another nearby town – Camacha – is mentioned too.
As you can see – or maybe you can’t – Solnado is wearing a hat that I recognise as a Maderian style, and I think the clothes are specific to the island too. The set shows a traditional house and I’m pretty sure the musical instruments the guys at the back are using are Brinquinhos*. Solnado is a mainlander from Lisbon so this is definitely cultural appropriation and he would be cancelled if he did this today. Quite right too. Throw him in jail!
I am publishing this on the 3rd of February to commemorate the birthday of another island girl – my wife. Since my birthday is on the 6th of May, she is numerically an older woman for the next 3 months. Feliz Aniversário, velha linda!
Portuguese
English
Casei c’uma velha Da ponta do sol Deitei-a na cama e o raio da velha rasgou-me o lençol Tornei-a a deitar Tornou a rasgar Perdi a cabeça e atirei co’a velha de perna p’ró ar
I married an old lady From Ponta do Sol I laid her in bed but that blasted old lady Tore my sheet** I laid her down again She ripped the sheets again I lost my head and threw the old lady and she landed upside down
A tua mãe foi às lapas O teu pai aos caranguejos Ficaste sozinha em casa, fui*** dar-te abraços e beijos Ó menina da Camacha Diz de mim o que quiseres Menos que não tenho jeito p’ra agasalhar as mulheres
Your mother went to the limpets Your dad to the crabs You stayed at home alone, I went to give you hugs and kisses Oh girl of Camacha Tell me what you want from me Unless I’m just don’t have the knack of taking care of women
*More about traditional Madeiran instruments here if you’re interested.
**I had a little trouble following the action here: When he says “rasgou-me o lençol” did she actually make a hole in the sheets or just tear them away from him? I checked on r/portuguese just to be sure and it’s the former. And then how am I supposed to understand “atirei (com a) velha“? Is he throwing himself on her? No, apparently not. “Atirar com” isn’t in my handy guide to verbs with prepositions, but “atirar-se a” is, and that means to throw yourself at someone in an attack. No, my informant told me atirei com means that he just threw, shoved or otherwise propelled the old lady away. The “com” emphasises the force and “brusquidão” of the “sova” or “arremesso” he gave her (3 new items in the word hoard!), so she ended up “de pernas para o ar” – upside down. Probably not literally, but it wasn’t a graceful landing. Hmm… I think it’s one of those songs that’s really fun to listen to but just try not too hard to think about what it is he’s actually describing.
UPDATE – Well, i was joking about the violence and really imagining it as a kind of slapstick scene, but I am told I should consider it might be much more suggestive. That the legs in the air and the ripping of sheets and the warming up of the women could all be interpreted as taking about his sexual prowess, broadcast in an age when you couldn’t really say this sort of things directly. OK, well, that gives a whole new spin on things!
***Online lyrics say “foi” but I think that’s a typo because it doesn’t make any sense. Oh wait, it says fui in the subtitles doesn’t it! Oh well, glad to know I was right about that!
Translation Time! I got interested in this song because of the audiobook I’m listening to. It’s a non-fiction book about a road-trip through Portugal. The writer pulls up in a town where there’s a big party in full swing and Tony Carreira is playing. He mentions this song being “The seventh encore” and says it is a huge favourite of emigrantes. OK, well, my curiosity is piqued.
(Edit) OK, I just finished the translation and I am sold. OK, I know it’s a bit sentimental, but I don’t care. It’s got heart, it’s got singalongability. What’s not to like?
Portuguese
English
Lembro-me de uma aldeia perdida na beira A terra que me viu nascer Lembro-me de um menino que andava sozinho Sonhava vir um dia a ser
I remember a lost village on the margin The land that saw my birth I remember a little boy who walked alone He dreamed one day he’d become
Sonhava ser cantor de cantigas de amor Com a força de Deus venceu Nessa pequena aldeia O menino era eu
He dreamed of being a singer of love songs With God’s strength, he won through In that little village I was that little boy
E hoje a cantar em cada canção Trago esse lugar no meu coração Criança que fui e homem que sou E nada mudou
And today singing each song I carry that place in my heart Child that I was, and man that I am And nothing has changed.
E hoje a cantar não posso esquecer Aquele lugar que me viu nascer Tão bom recordar aquele cantinho E os sonhos de menino
And today, singing, I can’t forget That place that saw my birth Its so good to remember that little place And the dreams of the little boy
Tenho a vida que eu quis Nem sempre feliz, mas é a vida que eu escolhi Infeliz no amor, mas, no fundo, cantor A vida deu-me o que eu pedi
I have the life that I wanted Not always happy but it’s the life I chose Unlucky in love but at heart a singer Life gave me what I asked for
Se eu pudesse voltar de novo a sonhar Faria o mesmo, podem crer E aquele menino Eu voltaria a ser
If I could go back to the dream again I’d do the same, believe me And that little boy I would be again
E hoje a cantar em cada canção Trago esse lugar no meu coração Criança que fui e homem que sou E nada mudou
And today singing each song I carry that place in my heart Child that I was, and man that I am And nothing has changed.
E hoje a cantar não posso esquecer Aquele lugar que me viu nascer Tão bom recordar aquele cantinho E os sonhos de menino
And today, singing, I can’t forget That place that saw my birth Its so good to remember that little place And the little boy dreams
E hoje a cantar em cada canção Trago esse lugar no meu coração Criança que fui e homem que sou E nada mudou
And today singing each song I carry that place in my heart Child that I was, and man that I am And nothing has changed.
E hoje a cantar não posso esquecer Aquele lugar que me viu nascer Tão bom recordar aquele cantinho E os sonhos de menino
And today, singing, I can’t forget That place that saw my birth Its so good to remember that little place And the little boy dreams
E hoje a cantar em cada canção Trago esse lugar no meu coração Criança que fui e homem que sou E nada mudou
And today singing each song I carry that place in my heart Child that I was, and man that I am And nothing has changed.
E hoje a cantar não posso esquecer Aquele lugar que me viu nascer Tão bom recordar aquele cantinho E os sonhos de menino
And today, singing, I can’t forget That place that saw my birth Its so good to remember that little place And the little boy dreams
E os sonhos de menino Meus sonhos de menino
And the little boy dreams My little boy dreams
In the first version of this I somehow confused my Carreiras and said David Carreira sang this. There is actually a singer with that name, but it’s a different guy!
Another translation – this one from Amália. It’s not one of my favourites but I’ve always been intrigued by the title: Cheira a Lisboa: It smells like Lisbon. OK, well let’s see what that smells like then. Cigarettes and roasted chestnuts mostly, I think, well, OK, there are worse smells.
It’s probably worth remembering the differerence between “cheirar a” and “cheirar de” which is discussed in this blog post from a couple of years back. I’ll translate “cheirar a” as “smells like” not “smells of”. And “Cheira bem” I will translate as “smells good” but it would be more literal to say “it smells well” because bem is an adverb, but that would sound stupid in english.
Portuguese
English
Lisboa já tem Sol mas cheira a Lua Quando nasce a madrugada sorrateira E o primeiro elétrico da rua Faz coro com as chinelas da Ribeira
Lisbon has sun but smells like the moon When the surreptitious dawn breaks And the first tram in the street Makes a chorus with the slippers of Ribeira
Se chove cheira a terra prometida Procissões têm o cheiro a rosmaninho Nas tascas da viela mais escondidas Cheira a iscas com elas e a vinho
If it rains it smells like the promised land Processions have a smell like rosemary In the most hidden backstreet bars It smells of Iscas com Elas and of wine
Um cravo numa água furtada Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa Uma rosa a florir na tapada Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa
A carnation hidden in the window It smells good, it smells like Lisbon A rose flourishing in the park It smells good, it smells like Lisbon
A fragata que se ergue na proa A varina que teima em passar Cheiram bem porque são de Lisboa Lisboa tem cheiros de flores e de mar
The frigate that rises up on the prow The fish seller who insists on passing by They smell good because they are from Lisbon Lisbon smells like flowers and the sea
Lisboa cheira aos cafés do Rossio E o fado cheira sempre a solidão Cheira a castanha assada se está frio Cheira a fruta madura quando é verão
Lisboa smells like Rossio cafés And fado always smells like solitude It smells like roasted chestnuts* when it’s cold It smells of ripe fruit when it’s summer
Nos lábios tem um cheiro de um sorriso Manjerico tem cheiro de cantigas E os rapazes perdem o juízo Quando lhes dá o cheiro a raparigas
On its lips it has the hint** of a smile Basil smells like songs And the boys lose their judgement When the smell of girls reaches*** them
Um cravo numa água furtada Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa Uma rosa a florir na tapada Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa
A carnation hidden in the window It smells good, it smells like Lisbon A rose flourishing in the park It smells good, it smells like Lisbon
A fragata que se ergue na proa A varina que teima em passar Cheiram bem porque são de Lisboa Lisboa tem cheiros de flores e de mar
The frigate that rises up on the prow The fish seller who insists on passing by They smell good because they are from Lisbon Lisbon smells like flowers and the sea
Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa
It smells good, it smells like Lisbon It smells good, it smells like Lisbon
A fragata que se ergue na proa A varina que teima em passar Cheiram bem porque são de Lisboa Lisboa tem cheiros de flores e de mar
The frigate that rises up on the prow The fish seller who insists on passing by They smell good because they are from Lisbon Lisbon smells like flowers and the sea
*Ha! I told you so! She’s got half of it, anyway! The best half!
** I assume “um cheiro” can be “a hint” in this sense.
***I think “lhes dar” is equivalent to “dar a” (eles) which can have the sense of reaching or arriving at something
Além de vermos filmes parvos* em casa hoje, vimos uns vídeos portugueses, incluindo este, gravado perto do Funchal onde existe uma tradição chamada “Missa do Parto”. Este é um ritual religioso e comunitária que comemora os nove dias antes do natal. Os cidadãos vão a pé para a igreja às… Sei lá… Talvez cinco de manhã, cantando e tocando instrumentos. Celebram uma missa, e depois ficam perto da igreja, cantando, comendo e bebendo enquanto o sol nasce e depois arrancam para o trabalho.
*Honestly, so bad. We really embraced the horrible, made for Netflix holiday romance this year.
Luso 