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Dorme, minha pequena 00:13
Não vale a pena despertar 00:18
Dorme, minha pequena 00:27
Não vale a pena despertar 00:32
Eu vou sair por aí afora 00:40
Atrás da aurora mais serena 00:48
Dorme, minha pequena 00:55
Não vale a pena despertar 01:00
01:07
Dorme, minha pequena 01:23
Não vale a pena despertar 01:28
01:36

Acalanto – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

💥 Jamming to "Acalanto" but don’t get the lyrics? Dive into the app for bilingual learning and level up your English!
By
Chico Buarque
Album
Construção
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Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a gentle journey into the Portuguese language with Chico Buarque's "Acalanto." This touching lullaby offers a unique opportunity to explore intimate emotions and poetic expressions in Brazilian Portuguese. Its simple yet profound lyrics, centered on themes of protection and love, make it an accessible and beautiful piece for language learners to connect with the nuances of the language through a deeply personal narrative.

[English]
Sleep, my little one
It's not worth waking up
Sleep, my little one
It's not worth waking up
I'll go out somewhere
behind the most serene dawn
Sleep, my little one
It's not worth waking up
...
Sleep, my little one
It's not worth waking up
...
[Portuguese] Show

Key Vocabulary

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Vocabulary Meanings

dormir

dor-mir

A1
  • verb
  • - to sleep

pequena

pe-que-na

A1
  • adjective
  • - small

valer

va-ler

A2
  • verb
  • - to be worth

pena

pe-na

A2
  • noun
  • - pity, sorrow

despertar

des-per-tar

A2
  • verb
  • - to wake up

sair

sa-ir

A1
  • verb
  • - to go out

afora

a-fo-ra

B1
  • adverb
  • - outward, beyond

atrás

a-trás

A1
  • preposition
  • - behind

aurora

au-ro-ra

B1
  • noun
  • - dawn

serena

se-re-na

B1
  • adjective
  • - serene

“dormir, pequena, valer” – got them all figured out?

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Key Grammar Structures

  • Dorme, minha pequena

    ➔ Imperative Mood

    ➔ The verb 'dorme' is in the imperative mood, used to give a command or instruction, here meaning 'sleep'.

  • Não vale a pena despertar

    ➔ Present Tense with 'valer a pena'

    ➔ The expression 'vale a pena' is in the present tense, indicating a general truth or opinion, here meaning 'it's not worth waking up'.

  • Eu vou sair por aí afora

    ➔ Future Tense with 'ir'

    ➔ The verb 'vou' (from 'ir') is in the future tense, expressing a future action, here meaning 'I will go out'.

  • Atrás da aurora mais serena

    ➔ Preposition 'atrás de'

    ➔ The preposition 'atrás de' is used to indicate pursuit or search, here meaning 'in search of the calmest dawn'.