
Chico Buarque
Vida lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1980
- Genre
- Bossa Nova, Samba
- Length
- 3:24
Vida, minha vida
Life, my life
Olha o que é que eu fiz
Look at what I've done
Deixei a fatia mais doce da vida
I left the sweetest slice of life
Na mesa dos homens de vida vazia
On the table of men with empty lives
Mas, vida, ali, quem sabe, eu fui feliz
But, life, there, who knows, I was happy
Vida, minha vida
Life, my life
Olha o que é que eu fiz
Look at what I've done
Verti minha vida nos cantos, na pia
I spilled my life in the corners, in the sink
Na casa dos homens de vida vadia
In the house of men with wasted lives
Mas, vida, ali, quem sabe, eu fui feliz
But, life, there, who knows, I was happy
Luz, quero luz
Light, I want light
Sei que além das cortinas são palcos azuis
I know that beyond the curtains are blue stages
E infinitas cortinas com palcos atrás
And infinite curtains with stages behind
Arranca vida, estufa veia
Take life, swell the vein
E pulsa, pulsa, pulsa, pulsa, pulsa mais
And pulse, pulse, pulse, pulse, pulse more
Mais, quero mais
More, I want more
Nem que todos os barcos
Even if all the boats
Recolham ao cais
Gather at the dock
Que os faróis da costeira
That the lighthouse beams
Me lancem sinais
Send me signals
Arranca vida, estufa vela
Pulls life, stokes the flame
Me leva, leva longe
Take me, take me far
Longe, leva mais
Far away, take me more
Vida, minha vida
Life, my life
Olha o que é que eu fiz
Look at what I've done
Toquei na ferida, nos nervos, nos fios
I touched the wound, the nerves, the threads
Nos olhos dos homens de olhos sombrios
In the eyes of men with shadowy gazes
Mas, vida, ali eu sei que fui feliz
But, life, there I know I was happy
Luz, quero luz
Light, I want light
Sei que além das cortinas são palcos azuis
I know beyond the curtains are blue stages
E infinitas cortinas com palcos atrás
And infinite curtains with stages behind
Arranca vida, estufa veia
It pulls life, inflates veins
E pulsa, pulsa, pulsa, pulsa, pulsa mais
And it pulses, pulses, pulses, pulses, pulses more
Mais, quero mais
More, I want more
Nem que todos os barcos
Even if all the boats
Recolham ao cais
Gather at the dock
Que os faróis da costeira
Let the coastal lighthouses
Me lancem sinais
Send me signals
Arranca vida, estufa vela
It pulls life, inflates sail
Me leva, leva longe, longe
Take me, take me far, far away
Longe, leva mais
Far away, it takes more
Vida, minha vida
Life, my life
Olha o que é que eu fiz
Look at what I've done
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- vida
- lifeB1
- fiz
- did
- deixei
- left
- fatia
- sliceB1
- mais
- moreA1
- doce
- sweetB1
- mesa
- tableA1
- homens
- menA2
- vazia
- empty
- ali
- thereA1
Test yourself
How much of Vida 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.