Chico Buarque
O velho Francisco lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1987
- Genre
- Bossa Nova, Samba
- Length
- 2:56
Já gozei de boa vida
I've enjoyed the good life
Tinha até meu bangalô
I even had my bungalow
Cobertor, comida
Blanket, food
Roupa lavada
Clean clothes
Vida veio e me levou
Life came and took me away
Fui eu mesmo alforriado
I was set free myself
Pela mão do Imperador
By the hand of the Emperor
Tive terra, arado
I had land, a plow
Cavalo e brida
Horse and bridle
Vida veio e me levou
Life came and took me away
Hoje é dia de visita
Today is a day for visits
Vem aí meu grande amor
Here comes my great love
Ela vem toda de brinco
She comes all adorned with earrings
Vem todo domingo
She comes every Sunday
Tem cheiro de flor
There's a scent of flowers
Quem me vê, vê nem bagaço
Those who see me, don't see a remnant
Do que viu quem me enfrentou
Of what those who faced me saw
Campeão do mundo
World champion
Em queda de braço
In an arm wrestling match
Vida veio e me levou
Life came and took me away
Li jornal, bula e prefácio
I read the newspaper, leaflet, and preface
Que aprendi sem professor
That I learned without a teacher
Frequentei palácio
I've frequented the palace
Sem fazer feio
Without making a fuss
Vida veio e me levou
Life came and took me away
Hoje é dia de visita
Today is a visiting day
Vem aí meu grande amor
Here comes my great love
Ela vem toda de brinco
She comes adorned with earrings
Vem todo domingo
Comes every Sunday
Tem cheiro de flor
It has the scent of flowers
Eu gerei dezoito filhas
I fathered eighteen daughters
Me tornei navegador
I became a navigator
Vice-rei das ilhas
Vice-king of the islands
Da Caraíba
Of the Caribbean
Vida veio e me levou
Life came and took me away
Fechei negócio da China
I struck a deal of a lifetime
Desbravei o interior
I explored the interior
Possuí mina
I had a mine
De prata, jazida
Of silver, a deposit
Vida veio e me levou
Life came and took me away
Hoje é dia de visita
Today is a day for a visit
Vem aí meu grande amor
Here comes my great love
Hoje não deram almoço, né
They didn't serve lunch today, huh
Acho que o moço até
I think the guy even
Nem me lavou
Didn't even wash me
Acho que fui deputado
I think I was a deputy
Acho que tudo acabou
I think everything is over
Quase que
Almost
Já não me lembro de nada
I no longer remember anything
Vida veio e me levou
Life came and took me away
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- brinco
- earringB1
- terra
- earthB1
- vida
- lifeB1
- gozei
- enjoyed
- boa
- goodA1
- bangalô
- bungalow
- cobertor
- blanketA2
- comida
- foodA1
- roupa
- clothesA2
- lavada
- washB2
Test yourself
How much of O velho Francisco 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.