Chegou Tão Tarde – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Sara Correia

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the emotional depth of Portuguese music with Sara Correia's "Chegou Tão Tarde." This song offers a poignant exploration of love and loss, allowing listeners to connect with the nuances of Portuguese sentiment through its heartfelt lyrics and soulful melody.

[English]

My love arrived so late

And my song fell asleep

The thistles gave no sign

And the wood did not creak

But what a beautiful house

It was dressed in pictures

But the story that was written

Cannot be undone

My love arrived so late

With little cotton feet

Had sand in the hair

And another light in the heart

Our story was beautiful

I will keep it while you sleep

For love hardly believes

That you threw it away like this

My love

I must let you go

If you no longer burn for me

If the heart wanted it this way

I must let you follow

Go, for I need to cry in peace

And with each step you take

I get closer to myself

...

I was madness, I was courage

I was sadness and I was splendor

Everything that made me love you

I will keep without resentment

I build the fortress in misfortune

As I have done so many times

For love hardly believes

That it cannot be happy

My love

I must let you go

If you no longer burn for me

If the heart wanted it this way

I must let you follow

Go, for I need to cry in peace

And with each step you take

I get closer to myself

...

Go, for I need to cry in peace

And with each step you take

I get closer to myself

...

[Portuguese]

Meu amor chegou tão tarde

E o meu canto adormeceu

Não deram sinal os cardos

E a madeira não rangeu

Mas que casa tão bonita

Foi vestida de retratos

Mas a história que foi escrita

Não se pode descoser

Meu amor chegou tão tarde

Com pezinhos de algodão

Tinha areia no cabelo

E outra luz no coração

Nossa história foi bonita

Vou guardá-la enquanto dormes

Que o amor nem acredita

Que o deitaste fora assim

Meu amor

Devo deixar-te partir

Se já não ardes por mim

Se o coração quis assim

Devo deixar-te seguir

Vai que preciso chorar em paz

E em cada passo que dás

Chego mais perto de mim

Fui loucura, fui coragem

Fui tristeza e fui esplendor

Tudo o que me fez amar-te

Vou guardar e sem rancor

Monto o forte na desdita

Como tantas vezes fiz

Que o amor nem acredita

Que não pode ser feliz

Meu amor

Devo deixar-te partir

Se já não ardes por mim

Se o coração quis assim

Devo deixar-te seguir

Vai que preciso chorar em paz

E em cada passo que dás

Chego mais perto de mim

Vai que preciso chorar em paz

E em cada passo que dás

Chego mais perto de mim

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
amor /ɐˈmoɾ/ A1	noun - love
tarde /ˈtaɾ.dɨ/ A1	adverb - late
canto /ˈkɐ̃.tu/ A2	noun - song
casa /ˈka.zɐ/ A1	noun - house
bonita /buˈni.tɐ/ A2	adjective - pretty
história /iʃˈtɔ.ɾjɐ/ A2	noun - story
algodão /aɫ.ɣuˈdɐ̃w̃/ B1	noun - cotton
areia /aˈɾɐj.ɐ/ A1	noun - sand
cabelo /kɐˈbe.lu/ A1	noun - hair
luz /luʃ/ A1	noun - light
coração /ku.ɾɐˈsɐ̃w̃/ A1	noun - heart
dormes /ˈdɔɾ.mɨʃ/ A2	verb - you sleep
chorar /ʃuˈɾaɾ/ A2	verb - to cry
paz /paʃ/ A2	noun - peace
loucura /loˈku.ɾɐ/ B2	noun - madness, craziness
coragem /kuˈɾa.ʒɐ̃j̃/ B1	noun - courage
tristeza /tɾiʃˈte.zɐ/ B1	noun - sadness
esplendor /iʃ.plẽ.ˈdoɾ/ C1	noun - splendor
rancor /ɾɐ̃ˈkoɾ/ B2	noun - rancor

Key Grammar Structures

• Meu amor chegou tão tarde

  ➔ Past tense of the verb 'chegar' (to arrive) with romantic prefix 'chegou' indicating completed action.

  ➔ This sentence uses the **past tense** to describe a completed action in the past.

• E o meu canto adormeceu

  ➔ Use of **past tense** of the verb 'adormecer' (to fall asleep) to describe inaction.

  ➔ This sentence illustrates the **past tense** to describe a completed action of falling asleep.

• Não deram sinal os cardos

  ➔ Use of **imperfect tense** of 'dar' (to give) with third-person plural 'deram' to describe ongoing or habitual past actions.

  ➔ This sentence employs the **imperfect tense** to convey ongoing or habitual past actions.

• Que o amor nem acredita

  ➔ Use of **present tense** of 'acreditar' (to believe) with negative 'nem' meaning 'not even'.

  ➔ This line employs the **present tense** with a negative adverb 'nem' to emphasize disbelief or irony.

• Vou guardar e sem rancor

  ➔ Use of **future tense** 'vou guardar' (I will keep) with 'sem rancor' (without resentment).

  ➔ This phrase employs the **future tense** to express an intention to keep feelings without resentment.

• E em cada passo que dás

  ➔ Use of **conditional clause** 'que dás' (that you take) to describe a repeated or ongoing action.

  ➔ This phrase employs a **conditional clause** to depict an action that occurs repeatedly or gradually.

• Chego mais perto de mim

  ➔ Use of **present tense** 'Chego' (I come) to express a reflexive movement towards oneself.

  ➔ This phrase employs the **present tense** to depict a gradual movement of self-awareness or emotional closeness.