Deus Lhe Pague – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Chico Buarque
• Album: Construção

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the masterful Portuguese of Chico Buarque's "Deus Lhe Pague" to unlock a profound layer of Brazilian history and culture. This iconic 1971 song, born from the depths of a military dictatorship, showcases the power of irony and double meaning in its lyrics. Learning its Portuguese will not only deepen your appreciation for Buarque's poetic genius but also offer a unique window into the resilience and subtle forms of resistance during a challenging political period, making it a truly special and insightful learning experience.

[English]

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

For the birth certificate to be born, and the permit to smile

For letting me breathe, for letting me exist

God bless you

For the pleasure of crying and the "we’re here"

For the joke at the bar and the soccer to cheer for

A crime to discuss and a samba to distract

God bless you

For this beach, this skirt, for the women here

The rushed, poorly made love, shaving, and leaving

For the beautiful Sunday, soap operas, mass, and comics

God bless you

For the free cachaça we have to swallow

For the smoke, the misery, we have to cough up

For the scaffolds, the traps, we have to fall into

God bless you

For another day, another agony, to endure and witness

For the grinding of teeth, for the city’s hum

And for the mad scream that helps us escape

God bless you

For the wailing woman to praise and spit on us

And for the blowflies to kiss and cover us

And for the final peace that will redeem us

God bless you

...

[Portuguese]

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

Pelo prazer de chorar e pelo "estamos aí"

Pela piada no bar e o futebol pra aplaudir

Um crime pra comentar e um samba pra distrair

Deus lhe pague

Por essa praia, essa saia, pelas mulheres daqui

O amor malfeito depressa, fazer a barba e partir

Pelo domingo que é lindo, novela, missa e gibi

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

Por mais um dia, agonia, pra suportar e assistir

Pelo rangido dos dentes, pela cidade a zunir

E pelo grito demente que nos ajuda a fugir

Deus lhe pague

Pela mulher carpideira 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
pão ˈpɐ̃w̃ A1	noun - bread
chão ˈʃɐ̃w̃ A1	noun - ground, floor
certidão seɾtiˈdɐ̃w̃ B1	noun - certificate, birth certificate
concessão kõseˈsɐ̃w̃ B2	noun - grant, concession, permission
respirar ɾespiˈɾaɾ A2	verb - to breathe
prazer pɾɐˈzeɾ A2	noun - pleasure
chorar ʃoˈɾaɾ A2	verb - to cry
piada piˈaða A2	noun - joke
crime ˈkɾimɪ B1	noun - crime
praia ˈpɾajɐ A1	noun - beach
saia ˈsajɐ A1	noun - skirt
amor ɐˈmoɾ A1	noun - love
depressa dɛˈpɾesɐ B1	adverb - quickly, hastily
cachaça kaˈʃasɐ B2	noun - cachaça (Brazilian rum)
fumaça fuˈmasɐ A2	noun - smoke
agonia ɐɡoˈniɐ B2	noun - agony
zunir zuˈniɾ B2	verb - to buzz, to hum
demente dɛˈmẽtʃi B2	adjective - mad, insane

Key Grammar Structures

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

  ➔ Prepositional phrase + infinitive

  ➔ The use of 'por' followed by a noun and 'pra' (short for 'para') + infinitive expresses the reason *for* gratitude. '"Pão" to eat' and '"chão" to sleep' show purpose.

• Pelo prazer de chorar e pelo "estamos aí"

  ➔ Contraction + noun + preposition + infinitive; Quotation within a phrase

  ➔ "Pelo" is a contraction of 'por o'. The phrase expresses gratitude for the *experience* of crying and the comfort of knowing someone is there – '"estamos aí"' (we are here).

• Pela cachaça de graça que a gente tem que engolir

  ➔ Preposition + noun + adjective + relative clause + impersonal verb + infinitive

  ➔ The phrase describes gratitude for free cachaça (a Brazilian spirit), but with a cynical undertone – '"a gente tem que engolir"' (we have to swallow it) implies it's not enjoyable, but endured.