Lyrics Translate is a pretty good source for lovers of Brazilian music that wonder what those lyrics are all about. It offers both the original text and translations in tons of languages. From Maria Gadú to Sandy & Júnior, from Chico César to Zé Ramalho – all tastes are contemplated.
See here a few samples:
Beautiful Flower (“Bela Flor”, by Maria Gadú)
The Flower that comes to remind me
The Flower that is almost the same
The Flower that thinks a lot
The Flower that closes in the sun
Looks like the same Flower
Just changes the heart
When united they are
The Flower that inspired the song
Beautiful Flower, said little
Twin Flower, that grew in Rio (“rio” also means river)
Beautiful Flower, said little
Twin Flower, that grew in Rio
That the beautiful Flower dance, spinning around
Dreaming about love without pain, a Flower’s love
Wishing the Flower that is, in the dream the Flower that comes
To be Flower twice, charms colours and does well (or “makes you feel good, it’s good for you”)
Beautiful Flower, said little
Twin Flower, that grew in Rio
Beautiful Flower, said little
Twin Flower, that grew in Rio
Oh, Flower, if you sing this song
All my fear will go to the opening (“vão” also means vain)
Go far, far away, that I don’t want to go
But leave your trace pollen, Flower, so I can follow you
Beautiful Flower, said little
Twin Flower, that grew in Rio
Beautiful Flower, said little
Twin Flower, that grew in Rio
Madalena (big classic, sang by Elis Regina)
Madalena, my heart realized that
the sea is a mere water drop
if compared to all my weeping
Be sure of one thing: when our love arouses
the sun soon gets in despair
and goes hide behind that hill
Madalena, I don’t share my things with anyone
nor it’s allowed to exist someone to doubt of our love
Even the moon ventures to say a hunch:
Our love exists for sure
Be it strong or weak, happy or sad
Here Elis Regina sings Madalena in the Montreux Festival, in 1979.
While I’m sleeping (“Enquanto Durmo”, sang by Zélia Duncan)
So many questions, plunged by you in answers,
Can’t drive my doubts away
I let myself drown far from my body
I don’t save myself, for I can’t find myself
I can’t calm down, for I don’t see myself
I have a hint of it, but I encourage no one to look at
I wait for the rain to come down
At my house, over my face
Over my broad backs
I wait for the rain to come down
Over my broad backs
That you caress while I’m sleeping
While I’m sleeping
From a distance, it looks easier,
It lacks courage to come near, though
But I do come near, I demand what I feel like,
I ‘tame’ your advices
I don’t save myself, for I can’t find myself
I can’t calm down, for I don’t see myself
I have a hint of it, but I encourage no one to look at
I wait for the rain to come down
At my house, over my face
Over my broad backs
I wait for the rain to come down
Over my broad backs
That you caress while I’m sleeping
While I’m sleeping
Enough Of Longing (“Chega de Saudade”, the Bossa Nova classic by Tom Jobim)
Go, my sadness
And tell her that without her it can’t be
Tell her in an entreaty that she should return
(Beg her to return)
Because I can’t suffer anymore
Enough missing her, the reality
Is that without her there’s no peace, no beauty
Only sadness and melancholy
That it doesn’t leave me, it doesn’t leave me, it doesn’t
But if she returns, if she returns
What a lovely thing, what a crazy thing
Because there are less fish swimming in the sea
Then the kisses that I will give to her mouth
Within my arms the hugs
Have to be millions of hugs held tight that way
United that way, silent that way
Hugs and kisses and caresses without end
What is going to finish with this business
Of you living far from me
I don’t want anymore this business
Of you living this way
Let’s leave this business
Of you living without me