Construção – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Chico Buarque

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the rich tapestry of Brazilian Portuguese with Chico Buarque's iconic song, "Construção." This masterpiece offers a unique linguistic experience through its intricate wordplay, where subtle shifts in proparoxytone endings reveal layers of meaning. Learning the language through "Construção" allows you to appreciate its profound social commentary and its ingenious poetic structure, making it a special and unforgettable journey into Brazilian culture and history.

[English]

He loved her that time as if it were the last

He kissed his wife as if it were the last

And each of his children as if they were the only one

And crossed the street with his timid step

He climbed the building like a machine

He built on the floor four solid walls

Brick by brick in a magical design

His eyes dull from cement and tears

...

He sat to rest as if it were Saturday

He ate beans and rice as if he were a prince

He drank and sobbed as if he were a castaway

He danced and laughed as if he heard music

And stumbled in the sky as if he were drunk

And floated in the air as if he were a bird

And ended up on the ground like a limp package

He agonized in the middle of the public sidewalk

He died in the wrong lane, blocking traffic

...

(He loved her that time) as if it were the last

(He kissed his wife) as if she were the only one

(And each of his children) as if they were the prodigal

And crossed the street with his drunken step

He climbed the building as if he were solid

He built on the floor four magical walls

...

Brick by brick in a logical design

His eyes dull from cement and traffic

He sat to rest as if he were a prince

He ate beans and rice as if it were the best

He drank and sobbed as if he were a machine

He danced and laughed as if he were the next

And stumbled in the sky as if he heard music

And floated in the air as if it were Saturday

...

And ended up on the ground like a timid package

He agonized in the middle of the castaway sidewalk

He died in the wrong lane, blocking the public

...

He loved her that time as if he were a machine

He kissed his wife as if it were logical

He built on the floor four limp walls

He sat to rest as if he were a bird

And floated in the air as if he were a prince

And ended up on the ground like a drunken package

He died in the wrong lane, blocking Saturday

...

For this bread to eat, for this ground to sleep on

The birth certificate to be born and the permit to smile

For letting me breathe, for letting me exist

God pay you

For the free cachaça we have to swallow

For the smoke, the misery we have to cough up

For the dangling scaffolds we have to fall from

God pay you

For the carpenter woman to praise and spit on us

And for the maggot flies to kiss and cover us

And for the final peace that will redeem us at last

God pay you

...

[Portuguese]

Amou daquela vez como se fosse a última

Beijou sua mulher como se fosse a última

E cada filho seu como se fosse o único

E atravessou a rua com seu passo tímido

Subiu a construção como se fosse máquina

Ergueu no patamar quatro paredes sólidas

Tijolo com tijolo num desenho mágico

Seus olhos embotados de cimento e lágrima

Sentou pra descansar como se fosse sábado

Comeu feijão com arroz como se fosse um príncipe

Bebeu e soluçou como se fosse um náufrago

Dançou e gargalhou como se ouvisse música

E tropeçou no céu como se fosse um bêbado

E flutuou no ar como se fosse um pássaro

E se acabou no chão feito um pacote flácido

Agonizou no meio do passeio público

Morreu na contramão atrapalhando o tráfego

(Amou daquela vez) como se fosse o último

(Beijou sua mulher) como se fosse a única

(E cada filho seu) como se fosse o pródigo

E atravessou a rua com seu passo bêbado

Subiu a construção como se fosse sólido

Ergueu no patamar quatro paredes mágicas

Tijolo com tijolo num desenho lógico

Seus olhos embotados de cimento e tráfego

Sentou pra descansar como se fosse um príncipe

Comeu feijão com arroz como se fosse o máximo

Bebeu e soluçou como se fosse máquina

Dançou e gargalhou como se fosse o próximo

E tropeçou no céu como se ouvisse música

E flutuou no ar como se fosse sábado

E se acabou no chão feito um pacote tímido

Agonizou no meio do passeio náufrago

Morreu na contramão atrapalhando o público

Amou daquela vez como se fosse máquina

Beijou sua mulher como se fosse lógico

Ergueu no patamar quatro paredes flácidas

Sentou pra descansar como se fosse um pássaro

E flutuou no ar como se fosse um príncipe

E se acabou no chão feito um pacote bêbado

Morreu na contramão atrapalhando o sábado

Por esse pão pra comer, por esse chão pra dormir

A certidão pra nascer e a concessão pra sorrir

Por me deixar respirar, por me deixar existir

Deus lhe pague

Pela cachaça de graça que a gente tem que engolir

Pela fumaça, desgraça que a gente tem que tossir

Pelos andaimes pingentes que a gente tem que cair

Deus lhe pague

Pela mulher carpinteira pra nos louvar e cuspir

E pelas moscas bicheiras a nos beijar e cobrir

E pela paz derradeira que enfim vai nos redimir

Deus lhe pague

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
amar amar A1	verb - to love
última última A2	adjective - last, final (feminine)
beijar beijar A2	verb - to kiss
mulher mulher A1	noun - woman, wife
filho filho A1	noun - son, child
atravessar atravessar B1	verb - to cross, to go across
rua rua A1	noun - street, road
passo passo A2	noun - step, pace
construção construção B2	noun - construction, building
máquina máquina A2	noun - machine
patamar patamar C1	noun - level, tier, platform
parede parede B1	noun - wall
sólido sólido B2	adjective - solid, firm
tijolo tijolo A2	noun - brick
embotar embotar C1	verb - to blunt, to dull, to make foggy
cimento cimento B1	noun - cement
lágrima lágrima B1	noun - tear (from the eye)
contramão contramão C1	noun - against the flow of traffic; opposite direction
atrapalhar atrapalhar B2	verb - to hinder, to disturb
pródigo pródigo C1	adjective - prodigal, wasteful

Key Grammar Structures

• Beijou sua mulher como se fosse a última

  ➔ comparative clause with subjunctive (como se fosse)

  ➔ The word "como" introduces a comparative clause with the subjunctive mood, expressing a hypothetical way of being.

• E cada filho seu como se fosse o único

  ➔ indefinite pronoun “cada” with a possessive noun

  ➔ The word "cada" means “each” and is followed by the possessive phrase "filho seu", indicating every single son belonging to him.

• E atravessou a rua com seu passo tímido

  ➔ preposition “com” expressing manner

  ➔ The preposition "com" links the noun phrase "seu passo tímido" to the verb, showing *how* he crossed the street.

• Morreu na contramão atratrapalhando o tráfego

  ➔ gerundive clause (verb ending in -ndo) expressing simultaneous action

  ➔ The form "atrapalhando" (gerund) shows an action that occurs *while* he dies, i.e., he dies *while* hindering the traffic.

• E se acabou no chão feito um pacote flácido

  ➔ simile using “feito” + noun (past participle as adjective)

  ➔ The word "feito" works like "like"; it turns the noun "pacote" into a simile: "as if he were a *flácido* package.

• Por esse pão pra comer, por esse chão pra dormir

  ➔ preposition “por” + colloquial infinitive “pra + verb” indicating purpose or cause

  ➔ The segment "pra comer" uses the colloquial infinitive "pra" (short for "para") meaning *to* eat; similarly "pra dormir" means *to* sleep.

• Deus lhe pague

  ➔ optative/subjunctive wish (third‑person singular, formal)

  ➔ The pronoun "lhe" (to you) and the subjunctive form "pague" together create a respectful wish: "May God pay you".

• Agonizou no meio do passeio público

  ➔ prepositional phrase “no meio do” indicating location “in the middle of”

  ➔ The phrase "no meio do" (literally “in the middle of”) tells us where he "agonized" – *in the middle of* the public promenade.

• E dançou e gargalhou como se ouvisse música

  ➔ subjunctive imperfect “ouvisse” after “como se”

  ➔ The verb "ouvisse" is in the imperfect subjunctive, used after "como se" to convey an unreal comparison – *as if he were hearing* music.