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Ele vinha sem muita conversa, sem muito explicar 00:00
Eu só sei que falava e cheirava e gostava de mar 00:08
Sei que tinha tatuagem no braço e dourado no dente 00:15
E minha mãe se entregou a esse homem perdidamente 00:22
Ele, assim como veio, partiu, não se sabe pra onde 00:33
E deixou minha mãe com o olhar cada dia mais longe 00:40
Esperando, parada, pregada na pedra do porto 00:47
Com seu único velho vestido cada dia mais curto 00:54
Quando enfim eu nasci, minha mãe embrulhou-me num manto 01:05
Me vestiu como se eu fosse, assim, uma espécie de santo 01:12
Mas por não se lembrar de acalantos, a pobre mulher 01:19
Me ninava cantando cantigas de cabaré 01:26
Minha mãe não tardou alertar toda a vizinhança 01:37
A mostrar que ali estava bem mais que uma simples criança 01:44
E não sei bem se por ironia ou se por amor 01:51
Resolveu me chamar com o nome do Nosso Senhor 01:58
Minha história é esse nome que ainda hoje carrego comigo 02:09
Quando vou bar em bar, viro a mesa, berro e bebo e brigo 02:16
Os ladrões e as amantes, meus colegas de copo e de cruz 02:23
Me conhecem só pelo meu nome de Menino Jesus 02:30
Os ladrões e as amantes, meus colegas de copo e de cruz 02:38
Me conhecem só pelo meu nome de Menino Jesus 02:44

Minha Historia – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

🚀 "Minha Historia" helps you learn 20+ new words without getting bored – tap the app and try it now!
By
Chico Buarque
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Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a journey into the rich lyrical world of Brazilian Portuguese with Chico Buarque's "Minha História." This song offers a powerful insight into social critique and raw human emotion, making it an excellent piece to understand not only the language but also the historical and cultural depth of Brazil during a challenging era. Its artful adaptation and poignant storytelling make it a special and enduring work for language learners.

[English]
He came without much talk, without much explanation
All I know is he spoke, smelled, and loved the sea
I know he had a tattoo on his arm and gold in his tooth
And my mother gave herself to this man completely, hopelessly
He left just as he came, no one knows where
And left my mother with a gaze that grew farther each day
Waiting, still, stuck to the stone of the port
In her only old dress that grew shorter each day
When at last I was born, my mother wrapped me in a cloak
She dressed me as if I were, somehow, a kind of saint
But since she couldn’t recall lullabies, the poor woman
She soothed me by singing cabaret songs
My mother didn’t hesitate to alert the whole neighborhood
To show that there was much more than a simple child there
And I’m not sure if out of irony or out of love
She decided to name me after Our Lord
My story is this name that I still carry with me today
When I go from bar to bar, flip tables, shout, drink, and fight
Thieves and lovers, my drinking and suffering companions
They know me only by my name, Menino Jesus (Baby Jesus)
Thieves and lovers, my drinking and suffering companions
They know me only by my name, Menino Jesus (Baby Jesus)
[Portuguese] Show

Key Vocabulary

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Key Grammar Structures

  • Ele vinha sem muita conversa, sem muito explicar

    ➔ Use of gerunds after prepositions.

    ➔ The phrases 'sem muita conversa' and 'sem muito explicar' use the gerund ('conversa', 'explicar') after the preposition 'sem' (without). This is a common construction in Portuguese to indicate a lack of something.

  • Sei que tinha tatuagem no braço e dourado no dente

    ➔ Use of 'ter' + noun to express possession.

    ➔ The sentence uses the verb 'ter' (to have) followed by a noun to indicate possession. 'tatuagem no braço' means 'tattoo on the arm' and 'dourado no dente' means 'gold in the tooth'.

  • Mas por não se lembrar de acalantos, a pobre mulher

    ➔ Use of the infinitive after a preposition ('de').

    ➔ The phrase 'se lembrar de acalantos' uses the infinitive 'lembrar' (to remember) after the preposition 'de'. This is a common construction in Portuguese when a verb requires a preposition before another verb.

  • Me ninava cantando cantigas de cabaré

    ➔ Gerund as adverbial modifier.

    "cantando cantigas de cabaré" functions as an adverbial modifier, describing *how* she was rocking the child. The gerund 'cantando' (singing) modifies the verb 'ninava' (rocked).