Desalento – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Chico Buarque
• Album: Construção

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic depths of Portuguese through 'Desalento.' This song is a masterclass in metaphor and emotional nuance, making it perfect for learners who want to move beyond basic vocabulary and explore the sophisticated, soulful side of the Brazilian language and its history.

[English]

Yes, go and tell, tell her this

That I cried, that I died

Of regret

That my despair

Has no end anymore

Go and tell, tell her this

How unhappy I am

On my misguided path

Tell her I’m all alone

And lost within myself

Tell her I was so close

Tell her I’m desperate to forgive

That no matter how, it’s for love

Please, it’s for her to come back, yes

Yes, go and tell, say this

That I wandered, that I drank

That I fell, that I don’t know

That all I know is I’m tired, at last

Of my missteps

Hurry and tell her

That I’m giving up

...

[Portuguese]

Sim, vai e diz, diz assim

Que eu chorei, que eu morri

De arrependimento

Que o meu desalento

Já não tem mais fim

Vai e diz, diz assim

Como sou infeliz

No meu descaminho

Diz que estou sozinho

E sem saber de mim

Diz que eu estive por pouco

Diz a ela que eu estou louco pra perdoar

Que seja lá como for, por amor

Por favor, é pra ela voltar, sim

Sim, vai e diz, diga assim

Que eu rodei, que eu bebi

Que eu caí, que eu não sei

Que eu só sei que cansei, enfim

Dos meus desencontros

Corre e diz a ela

Que eu entrego os pontos

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
desalento de.zaˈlẽ.tu B1	noun - despondency, deep sadness
arrependimento a.ʁe.peŋ.diˈmẽ.tu A2	noun - regret, remorse for something done
descaminho de.skaˈmi.ɲu B2	noun - deviation from the right path, mistake
perdoar peʁ.ˈdo.aʁ A2	verb - to forgive, to excuse
desencontros de.zẽˈkõ.tɾus B1	noun - lack of meeting, disagreement
entregar ẽ.tɾeˈɡaʁ A2	verb - to deliver, to surrender
louco ˈlo.ku A1	adjective - crazy, insane
infeliz ĩ.feˈliz A1	adjective - unhappy, sad
sozinho soˈzi.ɲu A1	adjective - alone, without company
cansei kɐ̃ˈsej A2	verb - to get tired, to become exhausted
rodei ʁoˈdej A2	verb - to wander, to roam
bebi beˈbi A1	verb - to drink, to consume liquid
caí kaˈi A1	verb - to fall, to drop

Key Grammar Structures

• Sim, vai e diz, diz assim

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The verbs 'vai' and 'diz' are in the imperative mood, used to give commands or instructions.

• Que eu chorei, que eu morri

  ➔ Past Tense in Subordinate Clauses

  ➔ The verbs 'chorei' and 'morri' are in the past tense, used in subordinate clauses introduced by 'que'.

• De arrependimento

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ 'De arrependimento' is a prepositional phrase indicating the cause or reason.

• Que o meu desalento / Já não tem mais fim

  ➔ Present Tense in Subordinate Clauses

  ➔ The verb 'tem' is in the present tense, used in a subordinate clause to express a current state.

• Diz que estou sozinho

  ➔ Present Tense with 'Estar'

  ➔ The verb 'estou' is in the present tense of 'estar', used to describe a temporary state.

• Que eu estive por pouco

  ➔ Preterite Perfect of 'Estar'

  ➔ The verb 'estive' is the preterite perfect of 'estar', indicating a past action with a result in the present.

• Que seja lá como for, por amor

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood

  ➔ The verb 'seja' is in the subjunctive mood, used to express a wish or uncertainty.

• Dos meus desencontros

  ➔ Possessive Adjective

  ➔ 'Meus' is a possessive adjective, indicating ownership.