Gilberto Gil
A rua lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Beginner
- Released
- 1967
- Genre
- Bossa Nova
- Length
- 3:34
Toda rua tem seu curso
Every street has its course
Tem seu leito de água clara
It has its bed of clear water
Por onde passa a memória
Through which memory flows
Lembrando histórias de um tempo
Reminding stories from a time
Que não acaba
That never ends
De uma rua, de uma rua
Of a street, of a street
Eu lembro agora
I remember now
Que o tempo ninguém mais
That no one else anymore
Ninguém mais canta
No one sings anymore
Muito embora de cirandas
Even though of circles
Oi de cirandas
Oh from cirandas
E de meninos correndo
And from boys running
Atrás de bandas
Chasing bands
Atrás de bandas que passavam
Chasing bands that passed by
Como o rio Parnaíba
Like the river Parnaíba
O rio manso passava no fim da rua
The gentle river flowed at the end of the street
E molhava os seus lajedos
And soaked its stones
Onde a noite refletia
Where the night reflected
O brilho manso
The gentle glow
O tempo claro da lua
The clear time of the moon
Ê San João, ê Pacatuba
Oh San João, oh Pacatuba
Ê rua do Barrocão
Oh street of Barrocão
Ê Parnaíba passando
Oh Parnaíba passing by
Separando a minha rua
Separating my street
Das outras do Maranhão
From the others of Maranhão
De longe pensando nela
Thinking of her from afar
Meu coração de menino
My boyish heart
Bate forte como um sino
Beats strong like a bell
Que anuncia a procissão
That announces the procession
Ê minha rua, meu povo
Oh my street, my people
Ê gente que mal nasceu
Oh people, how poorly born
Das dores que morreu cedo
From the pains that died young
Luzia que se perdeu
Luzia who got lost
Macapreto, Zé Velhinho
Macapreto, Old Zé
Este menino crescido
This grown child
Que tem o peito ferido
With a wounded heart
Anda vivo, não morreu
Is still alive, hasn't died
Anda vivo, não morreu
Is still alive, hasn't died
Ê Pacatuba
Oh Pacatuba
Meu tempo de brincar já foi-se embora
My time to play has long gone
Ê Parnaíba
Hey Parnaíba
Passando pela rua até agora
Walking down the street still now
Agora por aqui tô com vontade
Now here I feel the urge
Eu volto pra matar esta saudade
I'm coming back to ease this longing
Ê San João, ê Pacatuba
Hey San João, hey Pacatuba
Ê rua do Barrocão
Hey street of Barrocão
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- toda
- allA2
- rua
- streetA1
- curso
- courseA1
- leito
- bedB1
- água
- waterA1
- clara
- clear
- passa
- passesA2
- memória
- memoryA2
- lembrando
- rememberingA2
- histórias
- storiesA1
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About this song
Gilberto Gil was a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter associated with Tropicália and other innovative trends in Brazilian music. He is known for expanding Brazilian musical language through late-1960s and 1970s recordings and for combining an active political career, including serving as Brazil’s minister of culture, with ongoing work as a recording artist.