Caetano Veloso
Cajuína lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1983
- Genre
- Bossa Nova
- Length
- 2:20
Existirmos: a que será que se destina?
To exist: what is it destined for?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
For when you gave me the little rose
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
I saw you're a lovely man, and if by chance fate
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Of the unhappy boy does not enlighten us
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Neither does the tear from the Northeast cloud over
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
Only the matter of life was so fine
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
And we were looking at each other, untouched retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
The crystal-clear cajuína in Teresina
Existirmos: a que será que se destina?
To exist: what is it destined for?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
For when you gave me the little rose
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
I saw that you are a handsome man and that if by chance the fate
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Of the unhappy boy does not shine upon us
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Nor does the northeastern tear get clouded
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
Only the matter of life was so fine
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
And we were gazing at each other, untouched retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
The crystal cajuína in Teresina
Existirmos: a que será que se destina?
To exist: what is it destined for?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
For when you gave me the little rose
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
I saw that you are a handsome man and that if by chance the fate
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Of the unhappy boy does not shine upon us
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Nor does the Northeastern tear become clouded
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
Only the matter of life was so delicate
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
And we were looking at each other, an untouched retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
The crystal cajuína in Teresina
Existirmos: a que será que se destina?
Our existence: what purpose does it serve?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
For when you gave me the little rose
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
I saw that you are a beautiful man and if perhaps fate
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Of the unhappy child does not enlighten us
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Nor does the Northeastern tear become clouded
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
Only the matter of life was so delicate
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
And we were looking at each other, an untouched retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
The crystal cajuína in Teresina
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- existirmos
- exist
- será
- will beB2
- destina
- destine
- rosa
- roseA2
- pequenina
- little girl
- vi
- saw
- homem
- manA1
- lindo
- beautifulA2
- acaso
- accidentA2
- sina
- destinyB2
Test yourself
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A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
About this song
Caetano Veloso is a Brazilian singer-songwriter associated with Tropicália and Brazilian popular music. Known for his genre-spanning career that has blended bossa nova, folk, and experimental rock, he is also recognized for his role in shaping the Tropicalist movement.