Fado Português – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Sara Correia

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the soulful world of Portuguese Fado with Sara Correia's "Fado Português." This song offers a beautiful entry point into a genre rich with emotion, storytelling, and cultural identity. Through Correia's powerful and authentic vocals, you can experience the depth of "saudade" and learn how Fado, often called the "Portuguese blues," continues to resonate with new generations.

[English]

Fado was born one day

When the wind barely stirred

And the sky, the sea extended

On the railing of a sailboat

In the chest of a sailor

Who, being sad, was singing

...

Who, being sad, was singing

Oh, what great beauty

My land, my mountain, my valley

Of leaves, flowers, golden fruits

...

See if you see lands of Spain

Sands of Portugal

Blind gaze of crying

In the mouth of a sailor

From the fragile sailing boat

The wounded song dying

It tells the sting of desires

From the lip burning with kisses

That kisses the air and nothing more

That kisses the air and nothing more

Mother, goodbye, goodbye, Maria

Keep well in your heart

That here I make you a vow

That I will take you to the sacristy

Or it was God who was pleased

To give me a grave in the sea

Now, behold, yet another day goes by

When the wind didn't even stir

And the sky, the sea extended

At the bow of another sailboat

Another sailor watched

Who, being sad, was singing

Who, being sad, was singing

Oh, what great beauty

My land, my mountain, my valley

Of leaves, flowers, golden fruits

See if you see lands of Spain

Sands of Portugal

Blind gaze of crying

...

See if you see lands of Spain

Sands of Portugal

Blind gaze of crying

...

[Portuguese]

O fado nasceu um dia

Quando o vento mal bulia

E o céu, o mar prolongava

Na amurada dum veleiro

No peito dum marinheiro

Que estando triste cantava

Que estando triste cantava

Ai, que lindeza tamanha

Meu chão, meu monte, meu vale

De folhas, flores, frutas de oiro

Vê se vês terras de Espanha

Areias de Portugal

Olhar ceguinho de choro

Na boca dum marinheiro

Do frágil barco veleiro

Morrendo a canção magoada

Diz o pungir dos desejos

Do lábio a queimar de beijos

Que beija o ar e mais nada

Que beija o ar e mais nada

Mãe, adeus, adeus, Maria

Guarda bem no teu sentido

Que aqui te faço uma jura

Que eu te levo à sacristia

Ou foi Deus que foi servido

Dar-me no mar sepultura

Ora, eis que embora outro dia

Quando o vento nem bulia

E o céu, o mar prolongava

À proa doutro veleiro

Velava outro marinheiro

Que estando triste cantava

Que estando triste cantava

Ai, que lindeza tamanha

Meu chão, meu monte, meu vale

De folhas, flores, frutas de oiro

Vê se vês terras de Espanha

Areias de Portugal

Olhar ceguinho de choro

Vê se vês terras de Espanha

Areias de Portugal

Olhar ceguinho de choro

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fado /ˈfadu/ B1	noun - a Portuguese genre of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor
vento /ˈvẽ.tu/ A2	noun - wind
céu /ˈsɛu/ A1	noun - sky, heaven
mar /ˈmaɾ/ A1	noun - sea
marinheiro /ma.ɾiˈɲɐj.ɾu/ B1	noun - sailor
triste /ˈtɾiʃ.tɨ/ A2	adjective - sad
chão /ˈʃɐ̃w̃/ A2	noun - ground, floor
monte /ˈmõ.tɨ/ A2	noun - hill, mount
vale /ˈva.lɨ/ A2	noun - valley
flores /ˈflo.ɾɨʃ/ A1	noun - flowers
frutas /ˈfɾu.tɐʃ/ A1	noun - fruits
ouro /ˈo(w).ɾu/ A2	noun - gold
terras /ˈtɛ.ʁɐʃ/ A1	noun - lands, earth
areias /ɐˈɾɐj.ɐʃ/ A2	noun - sands
olhar /oˈʎaɾ/ A2	noun - look, gaze verb - to look
cego /ˈse.ɡu/ B1	adjective - blind
choro /ˈʃo.ɾu/ B1	noun - weeping, crying
frágil /ˈfɾa.ʒiɫ/ B2	adjective - fragile
barco /ˈbaɾ.ku/ A1	noun - boat
canção /kɐ̃ˈsɐ̃w̃/ A2	noun - song
magoada /mɐˈɡwa.dɐ/ B2	adjective - hurt, wounded
lábio /ˈla.βju/ B1	noun - lip
beijos /ˈbej.ʒuʃ/ A2	noun - kisses

Key Grammar Structures

• Quando o vento mal bulia

  ➔ Use of the temporal conjunction 'quando' to introduce a subordinate clause indicating time.

  ➔ 'Quando' is a subordinating conjunction used to specify the time at which an event occurs.

• Que estando triste cantava

  ➔ Use of the gerund 'estando' to express simultaneous or conditions, forming a subordinate clause with 'que'.

  ➔ 'Estando' is a gerund form indicating an ongoing or simultaneous state, often translated as 'being' in English.

• Ai, que lindeza tamanha

  ➔ Use of the exclamatory phrase 'Ai, que...' to express admiration or emotion.

  ➔ 'Ai' is an interjection expressing emotion, and 'que lindeza tamanha' is a phrase expressing great beauty or admiration.

• De folhas, flores, frutas de oiro

  ➔ Use of enumeration with commas to list objects, involving nouns preceded by 'de' to show possession or composition.

  ➔ This is an example of enumeration, where multiple items are listed separated by commas, with 'de' indicating a relationship like possession or composition.

• Morrer a canção magoada

  ➔ Use of the pronominal verb 'morrer' with the preposition 'a' to indicate direction or outcome, here metaphorically meaning 'the song dies'.

  ➔ 'Morrer' is a pronominal verb meaning 'to die', and 'a' indicates the object or direction, used metaphorically here.