Caetano Veloso
Clarice lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1968
- Genre
- Bossa Nova
- Length
- 5:31
Há muita gente apagada pelo tempo
There are many people faded by time
Nos papéis desta lembrança
In the pages of this memory
Que tão pouca me ficou
So little has remained with me
Igrejas brancas, luas claras nas varandas
White churches, bright moons on the balconies
Jardins de sonho e cirandas
Dream gardens and round dances
Foguetes claros no ar
Bright fireworks in the air
Que mistério tem Clarice?
What mystery does Clarice have?
Que mistério tem Clarice
What mystery does Clarice have
Pra guardar-se assim tão firme
To hold herself so firmly
No coração?
In the heart?
Clarice era morena
Clarice was a brunette
Como as manhãs são morenas
Like the mornings are brunette
Era pequena no jeito
She was small in her ways
De não ser quase ninguém
Of not being almost anyone
Andou conosco, caminhos
She walked with us, paths
De frutas e passarinhos
Of fruits and little birds
Mas jamais quis se despir
But she never wanted to strip away
Entre os meninos e os peixes
Among the boys and the fishes
Entre os meninos e os peixes
Among the boys and the fishes
Entre os meninos e os peixes
Among the boys and the fishes
Do rio, do rio
From the river, from the river
Que mistério tem Clarice?
What mystery does Clarice hold?
Que mistério tem Clarice
What mystery does Clarice hold
Pra guardar-se assim tão firme
To keep herself so steadfast
No coração?
In the heart?
Tinha receio do frio
She feared the cold
Medo de assombração
Afraid of shadows
Um corpo que não mostrava
A body that would not reveal
Feito de adivinhação
Made of divination
Os botões sempre fechados
The buttons always closed
Clarice tinha o recato
Clarice had the modesty
De convento e procissão
Of a convent and procession
Eu pergunto o mistério
I ask about the mystery
Que mistério tem Clarice
What mystery does Clarice hold
Pra guardar-se assim tão firme
To keep herself so steadfast
No coração?
In her heart?
Soldado fez continência
The soldier saluted
O coronel, reverência
The colonel, a bow
O padre fez penitência
The priest did penance
Três novena e uma trezena
Three novenas and one trezena
Mas Clarice era a inocência
But Clarice was innocence
Nunca mostrou-se a ninguém
She never showed herself to anyone
Fez-se modelo das lendas
She became a model of legends
Fez-se modelo das lendas
She became a model of legends
Das lendas que nos contaram
Of the legends they told us
As avós
The grandmothers
Que mistério tem Clarice?
What mystery does Clarice hold?
Que mistério tem Clarice
What mystery does Clarice hold?
Pra guardar-se assim tão firme
To keep herself so steadfast
No coração?
In the heart?
Tem que um dia amanhecia
One day it had to dawn
E Clarice assistiu minha partida
And Clarice watched my departure
Chorando, pediu lembrança
Crying, she asked for a memory
E vendo o barco se afastar de Amaralina
And seeing the boat drift away from Amaralina
Desesperadamente linda
Desperately beautiful
Soluçando e lentamente
Sobbing and slowly
E lentamente, despiu o corpo moreno
And slowly, she undressed her brown body
E entre todos os presentes
And among everyone present
Té que seu amor sumisse
Until her love disappeared
Permaneceu, no adeus, chorando e nua
She remained, in farewell, crying and nude
Para que a tivesse toda
To have her entirely
Todo o tempo que existisse
All the time that would exist
Que mistério tem Clarice?
What mystery does Clarice hold?
Que mistério tem Clarice
What mystery does Clarice hold?
Pra guardar-se assim tão firme
To keep herself so firmly
No coração?
In the heart?
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- há
- there is
- apagada
- dimmedB1
- tempo
- timeA1
- papéis
- papers
- lembrança
- memory
- tão
- so
- ficou
- stayed
- luas
- moonsA2
- claras
- clear
- jardins
- gardensA1
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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.