Lyrics from "Viola Enluarada" by Marcos Valle and Paulo Sérgio Valle (1968) --- Good Audio Version (Marcos Valle and Milton Nascimento) --- The hand that plays a guitar, if necessary, makes war Kills the world, wounds the earth. The voice that sings a song, if necessary, sings a hymn Exalts death. Viola on a moonlit night… Continue reading Viola Enluarada
Author: lyricalbrazil
My name is Victoria Broadus and I'm currently living in Oberlin, Ohio, where I teach Latin American History at Oberlin College. I learned Portuguese while working toward a Master's degree at Georgetown back in 2008/09, which is also when I began traveling to Brazil. I started this site in late 2011 when I was living in New York City, missing Brazil but fortunate to be surrounded by lots of great opportunities to hear Brazilian music. I wanted to share that music with friends and family and any other readers out there who wonder what the songs they're listening to are saying, and why. From 2012-2017 I lived in Brazil -- first São Paulo for a year, then Rio for nearly five -- before coming back to the United States for my PhD program at Georgetown, which I completed in June 2023.
Please let me know if there is a song you would like translated or would like to hear more about. You can leave a comment here or anywhere else on the site, or on the Facebook page.
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Tristeza
Lyrics from "Tristeza" by Haroldo Lobo and Niltinho (1966) --- Good Audio Version (Jair Rodrigues) --- (I want to sing again...) Sorrow Please, go away My soul that cries Is foreseeing my end You made my heart into your home My suffering has already gone too far I want to go back to that life… Continue reading Tristeza
A Jardineira
Lyrics from "A Jardineira" by Benedito Lacerda and Humberto Porto (1938) --- Good Audio Version (Orlando Silva) --- Oh, gardening girl, why are you so sad? Why, what has befallen you? It was the camellia that fell from the branch, gasped twice and then died... (repeat) Come, gardening girl, come, my love! Don't stay sad -- this world is all… Continue reading A Jardineira