Chico Buarque
Geni y el zepelín lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1982
- Genre
- Bossa Nova, Samba
- Length
- 5:20
de los rengos y los tuertos
of the limping and the one-eyed
del bajo fondo del puerto
from the dark side of the port
ella anduvo enamorada
she walked in love
su cuerpo es de los errantes
her body belongs to the wanderers
vagabundos y emigrantes,
vagabonds and emigrants,
de los que no tienen nada
of those who have nothing
se entregaba desde niña
she gave herself since she was a child
en garajes o cantinas,
in garages or taverns,
tras la pileta, en el monte
behind the pool, in the hills
reina de los prisioneros,
queen of the prisoners,
las locas, los pordioseros,
the crazies, the beggars,
los gurises del asilo
the kids from the shelter
a menudo a su cuidado
often in their care
hay viejitos deshauciados
there are elderly folks abandoned
y viudas sin porvenir
and widows without a future
es buena como son pocas
she's good, as few are
por eso la ciudad toda
that's why the whole city
repitiendo ha de seguir:
will keep on repeating:
tírenle piedra a Geni,
throw stones at Geni,
tírenle piedra a Geni
throw stones at Geni
hecha está para aguantar,
made to endure,
hecha está para escupir,
made to spit,
se entrega no importa a quién,
it surrenders, no matter who,
maldita Geni
damned Geni
un dia surgió brillante
one day she appeared, shining
entre las nubes fluctuante
between the clouds, floating
un enorme zepelín
a huge zeppelin
se paró en los edificios
stopped over the buildings
abrió unos mil orificios
opened up a thousand holes
con mil cañones así
with a thousand cannons like this
la ciudad toda espantada
the whole city was frightened
se quedó paralizada,
it became paralyzed,
casi se volvió jalea
almost turned to jelly
mas del zepelín gigante
but from the giant zeppelin
descendió el comandante
descended the commander
diciendo - cambié de idea
saying - I changed my mind
cuando vi en esta ciudad
when I saw in this city
tanto horror e iniquidad
so much horror and wickedness
resolví hacerla explotar
I resolved to make it explode
mas puedo evitar el drama
but I can avoid the drama
si es que aquella hermosa dama
if that beautiful lady
de noche se entrega a mí
gives herself to me at night
esa dama era Geni,
that lady was Geni,
mas no puede ser Geni,
but it can't be Geni,
hecha está para aguantar,
she's made to endure,
hecha está para escupir,
she's made to spit,
se entrega no importa a quién,
she gives herself to anyone,
maldita Geni
damned Geni
sin que se lo propusiera
without even intending to
de tan ingenua y sincera
so naive and sincere
cautivó al forastero
captivated the stranger
el guerrero tan vistoso,
the warrior so flashy,
tan temido y poderoso
so feared and powerful
quedó de ella prisionero
became her prisoner
ocurre que la doncella
it happens that the maiden
- y eso era secreto de ella -
and that was her secret -
tenía también sus caprichos
had her own whims too
y a darse a hombre tan nobre,
and to give herself to such a noble man,
tan oliendo a brillo y cobre,
so smelling of shine and copper,
prefería amar los bichos
she preferred to love the creatures
al oir tal herejía
upon hearing such heresy
la ciudad en romería
the city in a pilgrimage
su mano vino a besar
his hand came to kiss
el prefecto de rodillas,
the prefect on his knees,
el obispo a hurtadillas,
the bishop sneaking away,
el banquero y su millar
the banker and his thousand
anda con él, ve Geni
walk with him, go Geni
anda con él, ve Geni,
walk with him, go Geni,
la que nos puede salvar,
she who can save us,
la que nos va a redimir,
she who will redeem us,
se entrega no importa a quién,
give yourself up, it doesn't matter to whom,
bendita Geni
blessed Geni
fueron tantos los pedidos,
there were so many requests,
tan sinceros, tan sentidos,
so sincere, so heartfelt,
que ella dominó su asco
that she mastered her disgust
esa noche lancinante
that piercing night
entregóse a tal amante
she surrendered to such a lover
como quién se da al verdugu
as if she were giving herself to the executioner
tanta suciedad él hizo
he made so much filth
relamiéndose de vicio
relishing in vice
hasta quedarse saciado
until feeling fully satisfied
y no bien amanecía
and just as the dawn broke
partió en una nube fría
it departed on a cold cloud
con su zepelín prateado
with its silver zeppelin
con un suspiro aliviado
with a relieved sigh
ella se acostó de lado
she lay down on her side
y trató de sonreír
and tried to smile
mas luego al rayar el día
but then at the break of day
la ciudad en gritería
the city in a clamor
ya no la dejó dormir
did not let her sleep anymore
- tírenle piedra a Geni,
throw stones at Geni,
tírenle piedra a Geni,
throw stones at Geni,
hecha está para aguantar,
she's made to endure,
hecha está para escupir
she's made to spit
se entrega no importa a quién,
she gives herself up, no matter who,
maldita Geni
damned Geni
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- caprichos
- whimsB2
- reina
- queenB2
- temido
- fearedB2
- vagabundos
- vagabondsB2
- los
- the
- rengos
- limps
- y
- and
- tuertos
- squint-eyed
- del
- of the
- bajo
- low
Test yourself
How much of Geni y el zepelín did you catch?
A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
About this song
Chico Buarque is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, poet, novelist, and playwright associated with samba, bossa nova, and MPB. He is known for intricate harmonic work and lyrics that often engage politics and culture, including foundational recordings such as Construção and Calabar.