Agarra Em Mim – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Ana Moura, Pedro Mafama
• Album: Casa Guilhermina

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a journey of cultural discovery, and 'Agarra Em Mim' by Ana Moura and Pedro Mafama is a perfect starting point for exploring modern Portuguese. The song's blend of poetic Fado lyrics with contemporary slang offers a unique window into the language's richness and evolution. What makes this song special is its raw emotion and the interplay between two of Portugal's most innovative artists, allowing you to learn not just words, but the feeling and soul behind them.

[English]

Hold me close before I die

Hold me close before I die

...

Hold me close before I die

Before I run too far away, before I run

Take me just like this, before I change

Hand in hand on my lap, nothing fools you

If the night catches us and this dance ends

Only the knife we both used to love each other will remain

If the night catches us and this dance ends

Only the knife we both used to love each other will remain

Nothing stays for me, nothing stays for you

Except the old knife that killed us here yesterday

Nothing stays for me, nothing stays for you

Except the old knife that killed us here yesterday

...

Sorry if I didn't hold you

When you were falling

If I told you what’s happening here

You started to run away

I’ve been feeling out of breath

When you're not here

Roaming around the city

I feel like a dead man walking

I’ve been a troubled man and I know it

Running from commitments

Kissing saints at the altar

I don’t care about the rumors

I saw the knife flash and I shouted

Relax, because before that

I have a love to declare

And things to tell the tax man

It’s written on the papyrus, God won’t let me lie

I was feeling like a vampire until I was bitten by you

And when I start talking to myself, deep down the road

Keep the best of me

Nothing stays for me, nothing stays for you

Except the old knife that killed us here yesterday

Nothing stays for me, nothing stays for you

Except the old knife that killed us here yesterday

...

[Portuguese]

Agarra em mim antes que eu morra

Agarra em mim antes que eu morra

Agarra em mim antes que eu morra

Antes que eu fuja p'ra muito longe, antes que eu corra

Leva-me assim, antes que eu mude

Braço com braço no meu regaço, nada te ilude

Se a noite nos caçar e essa dança acabar

Só vai sobrar a faca que os dois usamos p'ra nos amar

Se a noite nos caçar e essa dança acabar

Só vai sobrar a faca que os dois usamos p'ra nos amar

Nada fica p'ra mim, nada fica p'ra ti

Sem ser a faca, essa velhaca que ontem nos matou aqui

Nada fica p'ra mim, nada fica p'ra ti

Sem ser a faca, essa velhaca que ontem nos matou aqui

Desculpa se eu não agarrei em ti

Quando tu 'tavas a cair

Se eu te contasse o que vai aqui

Tu desatavas a fugir

Eu ando a sentir falta de ar

Quando tu não 'tás aqui

Na cidade a vaguear

'Tou a sentir-me um morto vivo

Eu fui bandido e eu sei disso

'Tava a fugir ao compromisso

A beijar santas no altar

Não me importa o diz-que-disse

Eu vi a faca a cintilar e gritei

Calma, que antes disso

Eu tenho um amor pa' declarar

E coisas a declarar ao fisco

'Tá escrito no papiro, Deus não me deixa mentir

Eu 'tava a sentir-me um vampiro até ser mordido por ti

E quando eu já falar sozinho, lá no final do caminho

Guarda o melhor de mim

Nada fica p'ra mim, nada fica p'ra ti

Sem ser a faca, essa velhaca que ontem nos matou aqui

Nada fica p'ra mim, nada fica p'ra ti

Sem ser a faca, essa velhaca que ontem nos matou aqui

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
agarra /aˈɡaʁɐ/ B1	verb - to grab
morrer /moˈʁɛʁ/ B1	verb - to die
fugir /fuˈʒiʁ/ B1	verb - to flee
mudar /muˈdaʁ/ B1	verb - to change
noite /ˈnɔitʃi/ A2	noun - night
dança /ˈdɐ̃sɐ/ A2	noun - dance
faca /ˈfakɐ/ A2	noun - knife
amor /aˈmoʁ/ A1	noun - love
sentir /sẽˈtiʁ/ B1	verb - to feel
cidade /siˈdadʒi/ A2	noun - city
viver /viˈveʁ/ B1	verb - to live
morto /ˈmoʁtu/ B2	adjective - dead
bandido /bɐ̃ˈdʒidu/ B2	noun - bandit
compromisso /kõpɾoˈmĩsu/ B2	noun - commitment
declarar /deklɐˈɾaʁ/ B1	verb - to declare
escrito /esˈkɾitu/ B2	adjective - written

Key Grammar Structures

• Antes que eu morra

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after 'antes que'

  ➔ 'Antes que' introduces a clause requiring the subjunctive mood to express a future or hypothetical action.

• Nada fica p'ra mim, nada fica p'ra ti

  ➔ Use of 'ficar' to express state or remaining in a particular condition

  ➔ 'Ficar' is used to denote remaining or staying in a certain state or condition.

• Se a noite nos caçar

  ➔ Conditional clause with 'se' indicating a hypothetical or future event

  ➔ 'Se' introduces a conditional clause that posits a hypothetical or future situation.

• 'Tava a fugir ao compromisso'

  ➔ Imperfect continuous tense to describe ongoing past actions

  ➔ The phrase 'tava a fugir' uses the imperfect continuous tense to describe an ongoing action in the past.

• Calma, que antes disso Eu tenho um amor pa' declarar

  ➔ Use of 'que' to introduce explanatory or consequential clauses

  ➔ 'Que' functions as a conjunction to introduce an explanatory clause following 'Calma,' indicating a reason or justification.

• Guarda o melhor de mim

  ➔ Imperative mood to give a command or exhortation

  ➔ 'Guarda' is in the imperative form, used here to give an instruction or emotional appeal to 'keep' or 'save' the best of oneself.

• Calma, que antes disso Eu tenho um amor pa' declarar

  ➔ Repetition of 'que' to reinforce causal or explanatory relationship

  ➔ Repeating 'que' emphasizes the explanatory or cause-effect relationship between 'Calma,' and having love to declare.