Erva Venenosa – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Rita Lee

Lyrics & Translation

Learning Portuguese with Rita Lee's 'Erva Venenosa' is a fantastic way to dive into Brazil's vibrant rock scene and its rich use of idiomatic expressions. The song's clear, repetitive chorus makes it easy to pick up new vocabulary related to personality and deception. What makes 'Erva Venenosa' special is its clever use of metaphors, like comparing a toxic person to a poisonous plant, which is a common feature in Brazilian music and literature, offering a deeper cultural understanding beyond the language itself.

[English]

Looks like a rose

From afar, it's beautiful

She's all repressed

Other people's joy bothers her

Poisonous, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh

Poisonous weed, eh-eh-eh

She's worse than a rattlesnake

Her venom is cruel-el-el-el

From afar, she's not ugly

Has the voice of a mermaid

Be careful, don't touch her

She's evil, might even shock you

Poisonous, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh

Poisonous weed, eh-eh-eh

She's worse than a rattlesnake

Her venom is cruel-el-el-el

Acts like a madwoman, purses her lips tight

Looks like a witch, a bad angel, bad, bad, bad

Hates everyone, doesn't stop for a second

Doing evil is her ideal, oh, oh, oh

Oh, God in heaven!

Delicious

Like a rabid dog

Her scream is muffled

She's vile and a liar

God in heaven, how malicious she is

Poisonous, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh

Poisonous weed, eh-eh-eh

She's worse than a rattlesnake

Her venom is cruel-el-el-el

Acts like a madwoman, purses her lips tight

Looks like a witch, a bad angel, bad, bad, bad

Hates everyone, doesn't stop for a second

Doing evil is her ideal, han, han, han!

Delicious!

Poisonous weed, poisonous weed

Poisonous, poisonous

Poisonous, poisonous

Weed, poisonous weed, delicious

Poisonous weed

...

[Portuguese]

Parece uma rosa

De longe é formosa

É toda recalcada

A alegria alheia incomoda

Venenosa, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh

Erva venenosa, eh-eh-eh

É pior do que cobra cascavel

O seu veneno é cruel-el-el-el

De longe não é feia

Tem voz de uma sereia

Cuidado, não a toque

Ela é má, pode até te dar um choque

Venenosa, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh

Erva venenosa, eh-eh-eh

É pior do que cobra cascavel

O seu veneno é cruel-el-el-el

Se porta como louca, achata bem a boca

Parece uma bruxa, um anjo mau, mau, mau

Detesta todo mundo, não para um segundo

Fazer maldade é seu ideal, oh, oh, oh

Au, Deus do céu!

Gostosa

Como um cão danado

Seu grito é abafado

É vil e mentirosa

Deus do céu como ela é maldosa

Venenosa, eh-eh-eh-eh-eh

Erva venenosa, eh-eh-eh

É pior do que cobra cascavel

O seu veneno é cruel-el-el-el

Se porta como louca, achata bem a boca

Parece uma bruxa, um anjo mau, mau, mau

Detesta todo mundo, não para um segundo

Fazer maldade é seu ideal, han, han, han!

Gostosa!

Erva venenosa, erva venenosa

Venenosa, venenosa

Venenosa, venenosa

Erva, erva venenosa, gostosa

Erva venenosa

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rosa /ˈʁo.zɐ/ A1	noun - a type of flowering shrub or plant
formosa /foʁˈmo.zɐ/ B2	adjective - beautiful, attractive
alegria /a.leˈgɾi.a/ A2	noun - happiness, joy
venenosa /ve.neˈno.zɐ/ B2	adjective - poisonous
cascavel /ka.sʁʝˈvɛw/ B2	noun - rattlesnake
veneno /veˈne.no/ B2	noun - poison
cruel /kruˈɛw/ B2	adjective - cruel, harsh
serena /seˈʁe.na/ A2	noun - mermaid; also a musical note
má /ma/ A2	adjective - bad, evil noun - breast, teat
choque /ˈʃɔ.ki/ B2	noun - shock, jolt
maldade /maldadɨ/ B2	noun - evil, wickedness
maldosa /maldozɐ/ C1	adjective - malicious, wicked
maldade /maldadɨ/ B2	noun - evil, wickedness

Key Grammar Structures

• Parece uma rosa

  ➔ Present tense verb 'parece' (seems) indicating a state or condition.

  ➔ The word "parece" indicates that something is perceived in a certain way.

• É toda recalcada

  ➔ Use of the verb 'é' (is) in the present tense to describe a characteristic.

  ➔ The word "toda" emphasizes the totality of the characteristic being described.

• Cuidado, não a toque

  ➔ Imperative form 'cuidado' (be careful) used to give a warning.

  ➔ The phrase "não a toque" means 'do not touch her', indicating a warning against interaction.

• É pior do que cobra cascavel

  ➔ Comparative structure 'pior do que' (worse than) used to compare.

  ➔ The phrase emphasizes that the subject is worse than a rattlesnake, indicating danger.

• Detesta todo mundo

  ➔ Present tense verb 'detesta' (hates) indicating a strong feeling.

  ➔ The phrase indicates a general dislike for everyone, emphasizing negativity.

• Fazer maldade é seu ideal

  ➔ Infinitive verb 'fazer' (to do) used to express purpose or intention.

  ➔ The phrase suggests that causing harm is seen as a goal or ideal for the subject.

• Seu grito é abafado

  ➔ Present tense verb 'é' (is) used to describe a state of being.

  ➔ The phrase indicates that the subject's scream is muted or suppressed.