Zé Ramalho
Avôhai (Ao Vivo 2005) (Clipe Oficial) lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1978
- Length
- 5:39
Um velho cruza a soleira
An old man crosses the threshold
De botas longas, de barbas longas
In long boots, with a long beard
De ouro o brilho do seu colar
The shine of his necklace is of gold
Na laje fria onde coarava
On the cold slab where it dripped
Sua camisa e seu alforje
His shirt and his pouch
De caçador
Of a hunter
Oh meu velho e invisível
Oh my old and invisible
Avôhai
Grandfather
Oh meu velho e indivisível
Oh my old and indivisible
Avôhai
Grandfather
Neblina turva e brilhante
Foggy, bright haze
Em meu cérebro, coágulos de sol
In my brain, clots of sun
Amanita matutina
Morning amanita
E que transparente cortina
And what a transparent curtain
Ao meu redor
All around me
Se eu disser
If I say
Que é mei sabido
That it's half as known
Você diz que é bem pior
You say it's much worse
E pior do que planeta
And worse than a planet
Quando perde o girassol
When it loses the sunflower
É o terço de brilhante
It's the diamond rosary
Nos dedos de minha avó
On my grandmother's fingers
E nunca mais eu tive medo
And I was never afraid again
Da porteira
Of the gate
Nem também da companheira
Nor of the companion
Que nunca dormia só
Who never slept alone
Avôhai!
Avôhai!
Avôhai!
Avôhai!
Avôhai!
Avôhai!
O brejo cruza a poeira
The swamp crosses the dust
De fato existe
Indeed it exists
Um tom mais leve
A lighter tone
Na palidez desse pessoal
In the pallor of these folks
Pares de olhos tão profundos
Pairs of eyes so deep
Que amargam as pessoas
That embitter people
Que fitar
That gaze
Mas que bebem sua vida
But they drink your life
Sua alma na altura que mandar
Your soul at the height they command
São os olhos, são as asas
They are the eyes, they are the wings
Cabelos de Avôhai
Grandpa's hair
Na pedra de turmalina
On the tourmaline stone
E no terreiro da usina
And in the yard of the mill
Eu me criei
I grew up
Voava de madrugada
I flew in the early morning
E na cratera condenada
And in the doomed crater
Eu me calei
I fell silent
E se eu calei foi de tristeza
And if I fell silent, it was out of sadness
Você cala por calar
You keep quiet for the sake of silence
Mas e calado vai ficando
But in silence, you keep fading
Só fala quando eu mandar
Only speak when I command
Rebuscando a consciência
Digging through the conscience
Com medo de viajar
Afraid to travel
Até o meio da cabeça do cometa
To the middle of the comet's head
Girando na carrapeta
Spinning on the gramophone
No jogo de improvisar
In the game of improvising
Entrecortando
Interweaving
Eu sigo dentro a linha reta
I stay within the straight line
Eu tenho a palavra certa
I have the right word
Pra doutor não reclamar
So the doctor won't complain
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Avôhai! Avôhai!
Grandfather! Grandfather!
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- avó
- grandmaA1
- bem
- goodA1
- camisa
- shirtA1
- terço
- rosaryB1
- cruza
- cross
- soleira
- threshold
- botas
- bootsB1
- barbas
- beardsA2
- brilho
- glow
- colar
- collarA2
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About this song
Zé Ramalho is a Brazilian singer-songwriter associated with Northeastern Brazilian pop and folk music. Active since the 1970s, he is known for fusing pop with Northeastern folklore and for writing and performing songs such as “Admirável Gado Novo” that draw on social themes and mystical influences.