DESAFIOS – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Lil As, Sangara JR.
• Album: DESAFIOS

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into 'DESAFIOS,' a compelling Hip-Hop/Rap track by Lil As and Sangara JR., to explore the richness of the Portuguese language through its powerful narrative of confronting life's struggles and finding inner strength. The song offers authentic vocabulary and expressions used to describe perseverance and social realities, making it an engaging way to learn how to articulate determination and resilience in Portuguese.

[English]

Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde for all the rebellious youths.

No one feels my skin like they feel my body, and they can't handle it.

Brothers in the parade for the show, only the center doesn't need too much fame.

With a sharp mind that works well, you don't need tons of radio play or big names.

Double the hustle in this market, Lil As and Badu, land grabbers.

Don't mess with my head trying to cover your tracks with my hands, land grabbers.

Maturity is a process, this storm is for weak fortunes.

From a kid who's been in the corner, and it won't stop until the fight ends.

Rebel Republic, my music is a message of nudity.

Music wasn't made just for one type, it's for everyone.

I still have a long way to go, because there's more rocks on the road to get there.

I'm a slave to my dreams, my commitments, with the tip not reaching yet.

I don't feel like messing with kids anymore, just because my time hasn't come.

Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, brotherhood with whoever I'm not afraid to reach.

Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde for all the rebellious youths.

No one feels my skin like they feel my body and they can't handle it, can't handle it.

Everything comes from God, we didn't come to show off.

We're on the front line, fighting so black skin gets represented.

Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde for all the rebellious youths.

No one feels my skin like they feel my body and they can't handle it, can't handle it.

Everything comes from God, we didn't come to show off.

We're on the front line, fighting so black skin gets represented.

My enemies are bad debts, their victory is already won for the kids from the mud.

They rose from the bottom with hate for me, it didn't last in the bush, now they're all swollen.

I can make money without losing my essence, because fame alone kills the vibe.

That's the jersey with a golden number, zone it out, but my strength is a whole army on the streets.

With me it's too much to handle, with the belt but I don't fight.

I carry Africa in my blood, I'm proud, N'guntaz Z and C, now they're calling Lil As.

We have too much Zago in the hot sun, waiting, a change in angle has a point of surrender.

A man's defense is only in his fixed gaze, to not be straight, attitude is a risk.

Attitude is a risk.

If you don't go talk, you don't have principles.

I'm changing, I'm not the same, to break the glass.

My reputation is like a little verse.

In the end, my photo turns into an index.

The first time I went, it was like a war.

The airport is full of your blood.

My people are crazy, with the police it's war.

I don't have anything for me, only the heat that we're feeling in Korea.

Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde for all the rebellious youths.

No one feels my skin like they feel my body and they can't handle it.

Everything comes from God, we didn't come to show off.

We're on the front line, fighting so black skin gets represented.

[Portuguese]

Guiné-Bissau ku Cabo Verde pa tudu guentis di rebedia.

Seku ka sinti nha pele na sinti nha soma e ka ta aguenta.

Nigas na peranha apresentação, so kenten ka precisa de tcheu ma nomi.

Ku si cabeça ki ta sirbi ka bo tcheu ma di radiu tcheu ma nomi.

Duplu mas duplu di bu mercadu, i Lil As ku Badu, tera kuzeu.

Ka bu kansa cabeça ku tenta tapa siu ku nha manu, tera kuzeu.

Maturidade é procesu, sta tormenta pa fortuna fraco.

Desde putu ku sta na kuoba, i ka ta tcheum pa tapana bracu.

Publika Rebuplika, sonu muzika é misomu ku nudadu.

Muzika ka foi justu pa un uniku tipu, a mi so kudadu.

N'teni pati largu, porki mas a ba pedra na strada pa tchiga.

Ami escravu di nha sunhu, nha konpromisu, ku punta ka tchiga.

N'ta dan vontade pa kodi putu, so ki nha tenpu ka tchiga.

Guiné-Bissau ku Cabo Verde, kabra ku ken ku n'ta n'temo n'ka tchiga.

Guiné-Bissau ku Cabo Verde, pa tudu guentis di rebedia.

Seku ka sinti nha pele na sinti nha soma e ka ta aguenta, ka ta aguenta.

Tudu ta bin di Deus, nos ka bim pa ostenta.

Nos sta na linha di frenti, luta pa pelu pretu apresenta.

Guiné-Bissau ku Cabo Verde, pa tudu guentis di rebedia.

Seku ka sinti nha pele na sinti nha soma e ka ta aguenta, ka ta aguenta.

Tudu ta bin di Deus, nos ka bim pa ostenta.

Nos sta na linha di frenti, luta pa pelu pretu apresenta.

Inimigu di mi é mau juros, son victoria dja bem pa mininus di lama.

Labanta di fundu ku odiu di mi, dja n dura na matu, uti dja ku inchada.

N'ka n'teni fazi grana sen perdi essencia, pamodi so fama ta mata emana.

Es kenteira ku um golden, zila, ma nha força é mujin militar na strada.

Ku mi ku tcheu pa, ku kador ma n'ka n'kara.

N'teni África na sangu n'ta basa, N'guntaz Z e C, ojé n'gule Lil As.

Nôs tcheu Zago nu sol sabura, mudansa di angulo ten ponta d'entrego.

Defeza di un omi so nenovel fiksu, pa nu ser retu atitude é risku.

Atitude é risku.

U ka nu bai diskur, u ka nu teni principiu.

N'ganti n'ta n'inhi, pa scumite stiklu.

Nha repu sta komu un versikulu.

Nu seguru nha foti djaz bira indisu.

Primeru bezi n'ga n'nha foi un guerra.

Aeroportu sta tcheiu n'ha sanju.

Nha povu sta loki, ku pulisia ta guerra.

N'ka n'teni pa mi, so kal ki n'nu Koreu.

Guiné-Bissau ku Cabo Verde, pa tudu guentis di rebedia.

Seku ka sinti nha pele na sinti nha soma e ka ta aguenta.

Tudu ta bin di Deus, nos ka bim pa ostenta.

Nos sta na linha di frenti, luta pa pelu pretu apresenta.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rebedia /ʁeβeˈðiɐ/ C1	noun - rebellion
sinti /ˈsĩtʃi/ A2	verb - to feel
aguenta /aˈɡẽtɐ/ B1	verb - to endure
apresentação /apɾẽzẽtaˈsɐ̃w̃/ B2	noun - presentation
maturidade /mɐtuɾiˈdadʒi/ B2	noun - maturity
tormenta /toˈmẽtɐ/ B1	noun - storm
fortuna /fɔɾˈtunɐ/ A2	noun - fortune
escravu /esˈkɾavu/ B1	noun - slave
konpromisu /kõpɾõˈmizu/ B2	noun - compromise
ostenta /osˈtẽtɐ/ B2	verb - to flaunt
inimigu /iˈnimiɡu/ A2	noun - enemy
essencia /eˈsẽsiɐ/ B2	noun - essence
fama /ˈfamɐ/ A2	noun - fame
militar /miliˈtaɾ/ A2	adjective - military
defeza /dɪˈfɛzɐ/ B1	noun - defense
risku /ˈʁiʃku/ B1	noun - risk
principiu /pɾĩˈsipiu/ B2	noun - principle

Key Grammar Structures

• Ka bu kansa cabeça ku tenta tapa siu ku nha manu, tera kuzeu.

  ➔ Subjunctive mood in a conditional clause.

  ➔ The phrase "Ka bu kansa" introduces a hypothetical or unreal condition, requiring the subjunctive mood "tenta".

• Seku ka sinti nha pele na sinti nha soma e ka ta aguenta.

  ➔ Negative form of the present tense with "ka" (not), and the verb "ta" indicating ongoing action.

  ➔ The sentence uses "ka" to negate the present tense "sinti" (feel) and "aguenta" (endure), with "ta" indicating ongoing action.

• N'te dan vontade pa kodi putu, so ki nha tenpu ka tchiga.

  ➔ Dative construction with "pa" indicating purpose or intention.

  ➔ "N'te dan vontade" expresses desire or will, and "pa" introduces the purpose, here "kodi putu" (help the children).

• Guiné-Bissau ku Cabo Verde, pa tudu guentis di rebedia.

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating location or relationship.

  ➔ The phrase "Guiné-Bissau ku Cabo Verde" uses "ku" as a preposition to relate the two countries.

• Nôs tcheu Zago nu sol sabura, mudansa di angulo ten ponta d'entrego.

  ➔ First person plural subject "nôs" + "tcheu" (possessive pronoun) + noun phrase.

  ➔ The phrase combines subject pronouns "nôs" (we) with "tcheu" (our possession) and a noun phrase to describe the collective action.