Acalanto – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Chico Buarque
• Album: Construção

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]

Dorme, minha pequena

Não vale a pena despertar

Dorme, minha pequena

Não vale a pena despertar

Eu vou sair por aí afora

Atrás da aurora mais serena

Dorme, minha pequena

Não vale a pena despertar

Dorme, minha pequena

Não vale a pena despertar

Key Vocabulary

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

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'.