Algo Estranho Acontece – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: António Zambujo
• Album: Quinto

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the beauty of the Portuguese language through António Zambujo's touching song, “Algo Estranho Acontece.” This song offers a glimpse into the nuances of love and relationships, highlighting how love can endure through all stages of life. Learn about Portuguese culture as you explore the lyrics that paint a vivid picture of a couple's journey from youth to old age.

[English]

Our love always reaches the end

You, an old lady with your bad temper

And I, an old man, leaving out the door

But tomorrow something strange happens

You, a young girl, coming from catechism

And I, a young boy, running from school

Even avoiding it, everything repeats

The collision, the fall, and the pain in my foot

That your smile always consoles me

In our love, everything continues

The first kiss and the moonlight

The wedding and the January sun

Joana, Clara, and Martim arrive

Pituxa, Laica, and Bobi emerge

And a wrinkle appears in the mirror

With arthritis, a hernia, and a cane

You confuse the name of our granddaughter

And I don't know where I put the money

Our love always reaches this point

The moment I look at you

With a sheepish, penitent look

But you don't even remember what I did

And I've also forgotten

But with you, I feel content

I hang my coat on the hook

I put on my pajamas and join you

With a gentle smile and mischievously

I place my warm foot next to your cold one

And as I fall asleep, I whisper softly

I would live it all again

...

[Portuguese]

O nosso amor chega sempre ao fim

Tu velhinha com o teu ar ruim

E eu velhinho a sair porta fora

Mas de amanhã algo estranho acontece

Tu gaiata vens da catequese

E eu gaiato a correr da escola

Mesmo evitando tudo se repete

O encontrão, a queda, e a dor no pé

Que o teu sorriso sempre me consola

No nosso amor tudo continua

O primeiro beijo e a luz da lua

O casamento e o sol de janeiro

Vem a Joana, a Clara e o Martim

Surge a Pituxa, a Laica e o Bobi

E uma ruga a espreitar ao espelho

Com a artrite, a hérnia e a muleta

Tu confundes o nome da neta

E eu não sei onde pus o dinheiro

O nosso amor chega sempre aqui

Ao instante de eu olhar pra ti

Com ar de cordeirinho penitente

Mas nem te lembras bem o que é que eu fiz

E eu com isto também me esqueci

Mas contigo sinto-me contente

Penduro o sobretudo no cabide

Visto o pijama e junto-me a ti

De sorriso meigo e atrevidamente

Ao teu pé frio, encosto o meu quentinho

E adormecendo lá digo baixinho

Eu vivia tudo novamente

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
amor /ɐˈmoɾ/ A1	noun - love
velhinho /vɛˈʎiɲu/ B1	noun - old man
gaiato /ɡɐjˈa.tu/ B1	noun - young man
catequese /kɐ.tɨˈke.zɨ/ B2	noun - catechesis
encontrão /ẽ.kõˈtɾɐ̃w̃/ B1	noun - collision
artrite /ɐʁˈtɾi.tɨ/ B2	noun - arthritis
hérnia /ˈɛʁ.ni.ɐ/ B2	noun - hernia
muleta /muˈlɛ.tɐ/ B1	noun - crutch
rugue /ˈʁu.ɡɐ/ B1	noun - wrinkle
cordeirinho /koʁ.dejˈɾi.ɲu/ B2	noun - little lamb
penitente /pɨ.niˈtẽ.tɨ/ B2	adjective - penitent
atrevidamente /ɐ.tɾɨ.viˈdɐ.mẽ.tɨ/ C1	adverb - daringly
sorriso /soˈʁi.zu/ A1	noun - smile
meigo /ˈmɐj.ɡu/ B1	adjective - sweet

Key Grammar Structures

• O nosso amor chega sempre ao fim

  ➔ Present tense with 'chegar' + 'sempre' + 'ao fim'

  ➔ 'Chegar' means 'to arrive' or 'to come', and combined with 'sempre' (always) and 'ao fim' (to the end), it indicates habitual or repeated occurrence.

• Tu velhinha com o teu ar ruim

  ➔ Adjective + noun + prepositional phrase indicating characteristic

  ➔ 'Velhinha' is a diminutive form meaning 'little old lady', and 'com o teu ar ruim' describes the person's mood or appearance using a prepositional phrase.

• E eu velhinho a sair porta fora

  ➔ Adjective + noun + infinitive + prepositional phrase indicating movement

  ➔ 'Velhinho' is a diminutive for 'old man', and 'a sair porta fora' uses an infinitive and prepositional phrase to describe the action of leaving through a door.

• Mesmo evitando tudo se repete

  ➔ Present tense with reflexive or gerund form 'evitando' + 'tudo' + 'se repete'

  ➔ 'Evitando' is the gerund form of 'evitar' (to avoid), indicating an ongoing action, and 'se repete' is a reflexive verb phrase meaning 'repeats itself'.

• O nosso amor chega sempre aqui

  ➔ Present tense with 'chegar' + 'sempre' + adverbial 'aqui'

  ➔ 'Chegar' in present tense indicates a habitual or ongoing action, 'sempre' means 'always', and 'aqui' is an adverb meaning 'here'.

• Visto o pijama e junto-me a ti

  ➔ Prepositional phrase 'Visto o pijama' + reflexive verb 'junto-me' indicating a habitual or current action

  ➔ 'Visto o pijama' is a prepositional phrase meaning 'dressed in pajamas', and 'junto-me a ti' is a reflexive verb phrase meaning 'I cuddle up to you'.