A Canção do Elevador – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Afonso Dubraz

Lyrics & Translation

[Portuguese]

[English]

Eu moro no rés-do-chão

I live on the ground floor

Com vista para a recepção

With a view of the reception

Para ver se bate à porta a sorte de a ver chegar

To see if luck knocks at the door to see her arrive

Dona do primeiro direito

Owner of the first floor

Que me dá uma dor no peito

That gives me a pain in my chest

Com esse seu defeito de não ser do meu andar

With that flaw of hers of not being on my level

Então traço um grande plano

So I devise a grand plan

Que me esqueço ou que me engano

That I forget or deceive myself

Sempre que a vejo assim

Whenever I see her like this

Ali parada

There, standing

No meio do hall de entrada

In the middle of the entrance hall

Por não querer ir de escada

For not wanting to take the stairs

Só para me ver a mim

Just to see me

Assim começa a nossa história de amor

Thus begins our love story

Nós os dois, mais os botões deste nosso elevador

Just the two of us, plus the buttons of our elevator

O piso sobe, a roupa desce e o calor

The floor rises, the clothes go down, and the heat

Chega para aquecer a nossa vida seja em que andar ela for

Comes to warm our life, no matter what floor it is

♪

♪

Ai já devia haver vacina

Oh, there should already be a vaccine

Para curar a minha sina

To cure my fate

Que o raio da vizinha

That the neighbor's curse

Teima em amaldiçoar

Insists on cursing

De que vale estar tão perto

What good is it to be so close

Ser um amor quase certo

To be a nearly certain love

Se depois entre nós dois há sempre um tecto a atrapalhar

If there's always a ceiling between us to get in the way

Saio logo de mansinho

I quietly sneak out

Para cruzar o seu caminho

To cross her path

E poder vê-la assim

And be able to see her like this

Ali parada

There, standing

No meio do hall de entrada

In the middle of the entrance hall

Por não querer ir de escada

For not wanting to take the stairs

Só para me ver a mim

Just to see me

Assim começa a nossa história de amor

Thus begins our love story

Nós os dois, mais os botões deste nosso elevador

Just the two of us, plus the buttons of our elevator

O piso sobe, a roupa desce e o calor

The floor rises, the clothes go down, and the heat

Chega para aquecer a nossa vida seja em que andar ela for

Comes to warm our life, no matter what floor it is

♪

♪

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
morar /moˈraɾ/ B1	verb - to live in a place
vista /ˈviʃtɐ/ A2	noun - view
bater /bɐˈteɾ/ A2	verb - to hit
porta /ˈpoɾtɐ/ A2	noun - door
sorte /ˈsɔɾtɨ/ B1	noun - luck, fortune
chegar /ʃɡaˈʁaɾ/ A2	verb - to arrive
andar /ɐ̃ˈdaʁ/ A2	noun - floor, level verb - to walk
história /ɐ~ˈʃtɔɾjɐ/ B1	noun - story, history
elevador /ɛ.lɨ.vɐˈdoɾ/ B2	noun - elevator, lift
sapato /sɐˈpa.tu/ B1
vestido /vɨʃˈtidu/ B2
quente /ˈkẽt(ɨ)/ A2
amor /ɐˈmoɾ/ A2	noun - love
vida /ˈviðɐ/ A2	noun - life

Key Grammar Structures

• Com vista para a recepção

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating possession or characteristic

  ➔ The phrase uses the preposition "com" to indicate "having" or "with" a view towards the reception area.

• Para ver se bate à porta

  ➔ Infinitive construction expressing purpose

  ➔ Uses the infinitive "ver" (to see) to express the purpose of observing whether luck knocks on the door.

• Que me dá uma dor no peito

  ➔ Relative clause indicating cause or effect

  ➔ The clause "que me dá" uses the relative pronoun "que" and the verb "dá" (gives) to describe the cause of "uma dor no peito" (a pain in the chest).

• Por não querer ir de escada

  ➔ Infinitive clause of purpose with a negative form

  ➔ Uses the infinitive "querer ir" (want to go) with "não" (not) to express the reluctance or refusal to go via stairs.

• Ali parada

  ➔ Adverbial phrase indicating location and state

  ➔ Uses the adverb "ali" (there) and the participle "parada" (standing) to describe someone standing there.

• Para cruzar o seu caminho

  ➔ Infinitive phrase denoting purpose or intent

  ➔ Uses the infinitive "cruzar" (to cross) with "o seu caminho" (your way) to express the intention of crossing someone's path.

• O piso sobe, a roupa desce e o calor

  ➔ Simple present tense of intransitive verbs to describe habitual actions or states

  ➔ Uses the simple present tense "sobe" (goes up), "desce" (goes down), and "é" (is) to describe habitual or ongoing states of the elevator, clothes, and heat.