Por Tão Pouco – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Exaltasamba

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional depth of Exaltasamba's "Por Tão Pouco." This song offers a poignant exploration of regret and longing, teaching listeners about the lasting impact of seemingly small actions in relationships. Its heartfelt lyrics and romantic pagode style make it a special piece for understanding Brazilian music and the universal language of love and loss.

[English]

For so little, I lost you

What a struggle, it drove me crazy

So much passion that was left behind

Look, I can't live like this anymore

It hurts me, so much loneliness

I swore to you, my love, for what?

If now I don't have you

Where is your heart?

Today I dreamed of you

Nostalgia makes me suffer

So many memories in the air

Make me cry

Make me want

To find you again

Today I dreamed of you

Nostalgia makes me suffer

So many memories in the air

Make me cry

Make me want

To find you again

...

For so little, I lost you

What a struggle, it drove me crazy

So much passion that was left behind

Look, I can't live like this anymore

It hurts me, so much loneliness

I swore to you, my love, for what?

If now I don't have you

Where is your heart?

Today I dreamed of you

Nostalgia makes me suffer

So many memories in the air

Make me cry

Make me want

To find you again

Today I dreamed of you

Nostalgia makes me suffer

So many memories in the air

Make me cry

Make me want

To find you again

...

[Portuguese]

Por tão pouco, eu perdi você

Que sufoco, foi de enlouquecer

Tanta paixão que ficou pra trás

Olha, não dá mais pra viver assim

Tá doendo em mim, tanta solidão

Te jurei, meu amor, pra quê?

Se agora eu não tenho você

Onde anda o seu coração?

Hoje eu sonhei com você

Saudade me faz sofrer

Tantas lembranças no ar

Me fazem chorar

Me fazem querer

De novo encontrar você

Hoje eu sonhei com você

Saudade me faz sofrer

Tantas lembranças no ar

Me fazem chorar

Me fazem querer

De novo encontrar você

Por tão pouco, eu perdi você

Que sufoco, foi de enlouquecer

Tanta paixão que ficou pra trás

Olha, não dá mais pra viver assim

Tá doendo em mim, tanta solidão

Te jurei, meu amor, pra quê?

Se agora eu não tenho você

Onde anda o seu coração?

Hoje eu sonhei com você

Saudade me faz sofrer

Tantas lembranças no ar

Me fazem chorar

Me fazem querer

De novo encontrar você

Hoje eu sonhei com você

Saudade me faz sofrer

Tantas lembranças no ar

Me fazem chorar

Me fazem querer

De novo encontrar você

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
perdi /peɾˈdʒi/ A2	verb - to lose
sufoco /suˈfoku/ B1	noun - suffocation, feeling of being overwhelmed
paixão /paɪˈsãw/ B1	noun - passion, intense emotion
enlouquecer /ẽ.lu.kweˈseʁ/ B2	verb - to go crazy, to become frantic
país /paˈis/ A2	noun - country
andar /ˈɐ̃daʁ/ A2	verb - to walk, to go around
coração /kɾoɐˈsɐ̃w/ A2	noun - heart
sonhei /soˈɲei/ A2	verb - to dream
saudade /sawdɐˈdʝi/ B2	noun - longing, nostalgic feeling
chorar /ʃoˈʁaʁ/ A2	verb - to cry
querer /keˈɾeʁ/ A2	verb - to want, to love
encontrar /ẽ.kõˈtɾaɾ/ B1	verb - to find, to meet

Key Grammar Structures

• Por tão pouco, eu perdi você

  ➔ Adverbial phrase of cause/reason with 'por tão pouco'

  ➔ The phrase "por tão pouco" means "for so little" or "over such a small thing," indicating the reason for losing the person.

• Que sufoco, foi de enlouquecer

  ➔ Infinitive phrase functioning as an adjective ('de enlouquecer' modifying 'sufoco')

  ➔ "De enlouquecer" means "enough to drive one mad." It describes the intensity of the "sufoco" (suffocation).

• Olha, não dá mais pra viver assim

  ➔ Impersonal verb 'dar' + preposition 'pra' + infinitive.

  ➔ 'Não dá mais pra viver assim' translates to 'It's no longer possible to live like this.' The verb "dar" is used impersonally, meaning it doesn't refer to a specific subject.

• Te jurei, meu amor, pra quê?

  ➔ Past simple tense ('jurei') + question word 'pra quê' (for what/why?)

  ➔ This line expresses regret. The speaker wonders why they swore their love if it ended up this way. 'Pra quê?' implies futility.

• Se agora eu não tenho você

  ➔ Conditional sentence with 'se' (if) introducing a condition in the present.

  ➔ This is a real conditional sentence. If the condition of not having the person is true, then the following question ('Onde anda o seu coração?') is relevant.

• Saudade me faz sofrer

  ➔ Causative construction with 'fazer' (to make/cause). 'Saudade' (longing) is the subject causing 'me' (indirect object pronoun) to suffer.

  ➔ 'Saudade' is a Portuguese word with no direct English translation, but it describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves.

• Tantas lembranças no ar

  ➔ Noun phrase with 'tantas' (so many/such) as a quantifier.

  ➔ The word "tantas" emphasizes the abundance of memories. 'No ar' means "in the air," implying that the memories are all around, pervasive.

• Me fazem chorar

  ➔ Causative construction with 'fazer' (to make/cause). 'Me' is the indirect object.

  ➔ The phrase 'Me fazem chorar' means 'They make me cry.' Here, 'They' refers back to the 'lembranças' (memories).