Ismália – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Emicida, Fernanda Montenegro
• Album: AmarEloAoVivo

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poignant layers of Emicida's "Ismália," a song that masterfully weaves together classic poetry and modern rap. Through its evocative lyrics and Fernanda Montenegro's resonant recitation, the song offers a profound commentary on Brazilian society, touching on themes of race, inequality, and resilience. It's a powerful piece that invites deep reflection and appreciation for the artistry of both Emicida and Alphonsus de Guimaraens, offering a window into the soul of Brazil.

[English]

With the faith of someone watching the scene from the bench

Of the goal we needed most, hitting the post

White people's happiness is complete

Walking on hot gravel and cliffs, what a shame

If even dreaming faces obstacles

White people's happiness is complete

Black people's happiness is almost

I looked in the mirror, Icarus stared back at me

Careful, don’t fly too close to the Sun

They can't stand to see you free, just imagine you as king

The vulture wants to see you in chains, to say: “I told you so!”

In the end, it’s all Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Wanted to touch the sky, but ended up on the ground

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Wanted to touch the sky, but ended up on the ground

She wanted to be called dark-skinned

Because that hides the abyss between her and full humanity

Anger fuels her, think about this trap

The dirty idea floods everything

Deep pain is that everyone is my theme

Shitty little father, the media loves him

He missed the flaw and wants a medal for running with a fractured bone

Stabbed in the back

Sliced apart by the imposed tax

And as an analgesic we post that

One day we’ll be okay with it

That a diploma is emancipation

My skin isn’t a uniform

Hashtags #BlackAtTheTop, fierce!

80 shots remind you that there’s white skin and target skin

Who fired was in uniform (once again)

Who accused you wasn’t even there (bunch of killjoys)

Because a dead black body is like the chart-topping hit

Everyone sees it, but it says nothing

I looked in the mirror, Icarus stared back at me

Careful, don’t fly too close to the Sun

They can't stand to see you free, just imagine you as king

The vulture wants to see you drugged, to say: “I told you so!”

In the end, it’s all Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Wanted to touch the sky, but ended up on the ground

Having dark skin means being Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Wanted to touch the sky, but ended up on the ground

(Ended up on the ground)

First, kidnap them, steal from them, lie about them

Deny their God, offend them, tear them apart

If any dream dares to run, you stop it

And tell them to fight with their stick bullets, man

Unfortunately, where the sun feels hottest

The trap is still present only in the teens’ coffins

Wanted to be a star and turned into a medal for a show-off

Which happens to have the same color that killed your ancestors

A first paycheck

Two police uniforms

Three in the back seat

Of the color of the four Racionais

Five lives cut short

Boys of gold and bronze

Shots after shots after shots

The boy took 111 (Ismália)

Who fired was in uniform

Who accused you wasn’t even there

It’s Black disunity, along with sharp vision

Of those who have everything but color, where color matters too much

When Ismália went crazy

She climbed the tower, dreaming

Saw a moon in the sky

Saw another moon in the sea

In the dream where she got lost

Bathed herself fully in moonlight

Wanted to reach the sky

Wanted to dive into the sea

And in her madness

On the tower, she started to sing

She was close to the sky

Far from the sea

And like an angel

She spread her wings to fly (80 shots)

Wanted the moon from the sky

Wanted the moon from the sea

The wings God gave her

Flapped loudly

Her soul went up to the sky

Her body sank to the sea

I looked in the mirror, Icarus stared back at me

Careful, don’t fly too close to the Sun

They can't stand to see you free, just imagine you as king

The vulture wants to see you drugged to say: “I told you so!”

In the end, it’s all Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Wanted to touch the sky but ended up on the ground

Having dark skin means being Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Wanted to touch the sky but ended up on the ground

...

[Portuguese]

Com a fé de quem olha do banco a cena

Do gol que nós mais precisava na trave

A felicidade do branco é plena

A pé, trilha em brasa e barranco, que pena

Se até pra sonhar tem entrave

A felicidade do branco é plena

A felicidade do preto é quase

Olhei no espelho, Ícaro me encarou

Cuidado, não voa tão perto do Sol

Eles num guenta te ver livre, imagina te ver rei

O abutre quer te ver de algema pra dizer: Ó, num falei?!

No fim das conta é tudo Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Quis tocar o céu, mas terminou no chão

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Quis tocar o céu, mas terminou no chão

Ela quis ser chamada de morena

Que isso camufla o abismo entre si e a humanidade plena

A raiva insufla, pensa nesse esquema

A ideia imunda, tudo inunda

A dor profunda é que todo mundo é meu tema

Paisinho de bosta, a mídia gosta

Deixou a falha e quer medalha de quem corre com fratura exposta

Apunhalado pelas costa

Esquartejado pelo imposto imposta

E como analgésico nós posta que

Um dia vai tá nos conforme

Que um diploma é uma alforria

Minha cor não é um uniforme

Hashtags #PretoNoTopo, bravo!

80 tiros te lembram que existe pele alva e pele alvo

Quem disparou usava farda (mais uma vez)

Quem te acusou, nem lá num tava (banda de espírito de porco)

Porque um corpo preto morto é tipo os hit das parada

Todo mundo vê, mas essa porra não diz nada

Olhei no espelho, Ícaro me encarou

Cuidado, não voa tão perto do Sol

Eles num guenta te ver livre, imagina te ver rei

O abutre quer te ver drogado pra dizer: Ó, num falei?!

No fim das conta é tudo Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Quis tocar o céu, mas terminou no chão

Ter pele escura é ser Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Quis tocar o céu, mas terminou no chão

(Terminou no chão)

Primeiro, sequestra eles, rouba eles, mente sobre eles

Nega o Deus deles, ofende, separa eles

Se algum sonho ousa correr, cê para ele

E manda eles debater com a bala de vara eles, mano

Infelizmente onde se sente o Sol mais quente

O lacre ainda tá presente só no caixão dos adolescente

Quis ser estrela e virou medalha num boçal

Que coincidentemente tem a cor que matou seu ancestral

Um primeiro salário

Duas fardas policiais

Três no banco traseiro

Da cor dos quatro Racionais

Cinco vida interrompida

Moleques de ouro e bronze

Tiros e tiros e tiros

Os menino levou 111 (Ismália)

Quem disparou usava farda

Quem te acusou nem lá num tava

É a desunião dos preto, junto à visão sagaz

De quem tem tudo, menos cor, onde a cor importa demais

Quando Ismália enlouqueceu

Pôs-se na torre a sonhar

Viu uma Lua no céu

Viu outra Lua no mar

No sonho em que se perdeu

Banhou-se toda em luar

Queria subir ao céu

Queria descer ao mar

E, num desvario seu

Na torre, pôs-se a cantar

Estava perto do céu

Estava longe do mar

E, como um anjo

Pendeu as asas para voar (80 tiros)

Queria a Lua do céu

Queria a Lua do mar

As asas que Deus lhe deu

Ruflaram de par em par

Sua alma subiu ao céu

Seu corpo desceu ao mar

Olhei no espelho, Ícaro me encarou

Cuidado, não voa tão perto do Sol

Eles num guenta te ver livre, imagina te ver rei

O abutre quer te ver no drogado pra dizer: Ó, num falei?!

No fim das conta é tudo Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Quis tocar o céu mas terminou no chão

Ter pele escuro é ser Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Ismália, Ismália

Quis tocar o céu mas terminou no chão

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fé /feɪ/ A2	noun - faith
felicidade /feliθidaˈdʒi/ B1	noun - happiness
sonhar /soˈɲaʁ/ A2	verb - to dream
cuidado /kuiˈðadu/ B1	noun - care
raiva /ˈʁaivɐ/ B2	noun - anger
dor /doʁ/ A2	noun - pain
cor /koʁ/ A1	noun - color
alma /ˈaw.mɐ/ B1	noun - soul
mídia /ˈmidʒiɐ/ B2	noun - media
sonho /ˈsoɲu/ A2	noun - dream
coração /koɾaˈsɐ̃w/ B1	noun - heart
medalha /meˈdaʎɐ/ B2	noun - medal
correr /koˈʁeʁ/ A2	verb - to run
tocar /toˈkaʁ/ A2	verb - to touch
caminho /kaˈmiɲu/ A2	noun - path
cena /ˈsena/ A2	noun - scene
espelho /esˈpeʎu/ A2	noun - mirror

Key Grammar Structures

• Se até pra sonhar tem entrave

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood with 'Se'

  ➔ The "se" (if) introduces a hypothetical or conditional situation. Here, "Se até pra sonhar tem entrave" translates to "If even to dream there is an obstacle." The subjunctive mood is implied, indicating uncertainty or a hypothetical.

• Eles num guenta te ver livre, imagina te ver rei

  ➔ Ellipsis and Informal Language

  ➔ The sentence uses ellipsis by omitting "não" as "num" for a more colloquial sound. "Aguentar" is used instead of a more formal verb like "suportar". The verb "aguentar" mean to bear, endure, tolerate, stand. "Imagina" is in the imperative mode.

• A dor profunda é que todo mundo é meu tema

  ➔ Cleft Sentence Structure

  ➔ This sentence is a cleft sentence, emphasizing "todo mundo é meu tema." Cleft sentences are used to highlight a specific element of a sentence. In this case, it's emphasizing that the pain of everyone is the speaker's theme or subject matter.

• Deixou a falha e quer medalha de quem corre com fratura exposta

  ➔ Figurative Language and Juxtaposition

  ➔ This line uses figurative language to create a vivid image. The juxtaposition of "deixou a falha" (caused the failure) and "quer medalha" (wants a medal) highlights the hypocrisy of wanting recognition for fixing a problem they caused.

• Esquartejado pelo imposto imposta

  ➔ Passive Voice and Wordplay

  ➔ The line uses the passive voice "Esquartejado" (quartered, dismembered) to show that the subject is being acted upon. The wordplay lies in the repetition of "imposto imposta" (tax imposed) which intensifies the feeling of being burdened and victimized by the system.

• O lacre ainda tá presente só no caixão dos adolescente

  ➔ Emphasis with 'só' and word meaning change in Brazil

  ➔ The word "lacre" means seal, but here it means success. The word "só" emphasizes that the success only happen at death of teenagers.

• Que coincidentemente tem a cor que matou seu ancestral

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'que'

  ➔ "que matou seu ancestral" is a relative clause, modifying "a cor". The relative pronoun "que" refers back to "a cor" and introduces the clause that describes it as the color that killed their ancestor.