Saga

• By: Filipe Catto

Lyrics:

[Português]

[English]

Andei depressa para não rever meus passos

I moved quickly so I wouldn't revisit my steps

Por uma noite tão fugaz que eu nem senti

For a night so fleeting that I didn't even feel it

Tão lancinante, que ao olhar pra trás agora

So piercing that now looking back

Só me restam devaneios do que um dia eu vivi

All I have are daydreams of what I once lived

Se eu soubesse que o amor é coisa aguda

If I knew love was such a sharp thing

Que tão brutal percorre início, meio e fim

That brutally cuts through start, middle, and end

Destrincha a alma, corta fundo na espinha

Rips apart the soul, digs deep into the spine

Inebria a garganta, fere a quem quiser ferir

Fogs the throat, wounds whoever it wounds

Enquanto andava, maldizendo a poesia

While I walked cursing poetry

Eu cantei a história minha pr'uma noite que rompeu

I sang my story for a night that broke apart

Virou do avesso e ao chegar a luz do dia

Turned inside out, and when dawn arrived

Tropecei em mais um verso sobre o que o tempo esqueceu

I stumbled over another verse about what time forgot

E nessa saga venho com pedras e brasa

And in this saga, I come with stones and fire

Venho com força, mas sem nunca me esquecer

I come with strength, but never forget

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

E era de gozo, uma mentira, uma bobagem

And it was pleasure, a lie, a foolish thing

Senti meu peito, atingido, se inflamar

I felt my chest, struck, ignite

E fui gostando do sabor daquela coisa

And I started to enjoy the taste of that thing

Viciando em cada verso que o amor veio trovar

Addicted to every verse where love came to stay

Mas, de repente, uma farpa meio intrusa

But suddenly, a spurious splinter

Veio cegar minha emoção de suspirar

Came to blind my emotion of sighing

Se eu soubesse que o amor é coisa assim

If I knew love was such a thing

Não pegava, não bebia, não deixava embebedar

I wouldn’t have taken it, wouldn’t have drunk, wouldn’t have let myself get drunk

E agora andando, encharcado de estrelas

And now, walking, soaked in stars

Eu cantei a noite inteira pro meu peito sossegar

I sang all night for my heart to find peace

Me fiz tão forte quanto o escuro do infinito

Made myself as strong as the darkness of infinity

E tão frágil quanto o brilho da manhã que eu vi chegar

And as fragile as the morning’s bright glow I saw arrive

E nessa saga venho com pedras e brasa

And in this saga, I come with stones and fire

Venho sorrindo, mas sem nunca me esquecer

I come smiling, but never forget

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

...

...

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
anda /ˈã.da/ A2	verb - to walk
depressa /de.pɾeˈsa/ B1	adjective - slow, sluggish
rever /ʁeˈve/ B2	verb - to see again; to revisit
passos /ˈpa.sus/ A2	noun - steps, footsteps
noite /ˈnoj.tʃi/ A1	noun - night
fugaz /fuˈɡaz/ B2	adjective - fugitive, fleeting
lancinante /lã.siˈnã.tʃĩ.tʃi/ C1	adjective - stabbing, piercing
olhar /ˈoʎaʁ/ A2	verb - to look
bai̯ra̯s /tʁaˈʁãjɡu/ B1	adjective - backward, behind
devaneios /dɨ.vɐˈnej.jus/ B2	noun - daydreams, reveries
viví /viˈvi/ B1	verb - I lived
amor /aˈmoʁ/ A1	noun - love
coisa /ˈkoj.zɐ/ A2	noun - thing, object
brutal /bɾuˈtaw/ B2	adjective - brutal, savage
percorre /peʁˈkoɾi/ B2	verb - to traverse, to run through
fim /fim/ A2	noun - end
almofada /aɫ.mojˈfa.dɐ/ B2	noun - pillow
fome /ˈfo.mi/ A2	noun - hunger

Grammar:

• Andei depressa para não rever meus passos

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Implied)

  ➔ The phrase "para não rever" uses the infinitive form "rever" after "para não", which implies a purpose or intention of avoiding something. While not explicitly a subjunctive form, it carries the meaning that the action of reviewing steps is something the speaker is actively trying to prevent, suggesting a hypothetical or desired outcome. At B2-C1, learners should recognize the use of "para + infinitive" (with negation) as expressing purpose with a sense of subjunctivity.

• Tão lancinante, que ao olhar pra trás agora Só me restam devaneios do que um dia eu vivi

  ➔ Result Clause with "tão...que"

  ➔ The structure "tão [adjective] que..." (so [adjective] that...) introduces a result clause. The intensity of the first part (lancinante - throbbing) directly causes the outcome described in the second part (Só me restam devaneios...). At B2 level, learners should be comfortable with this structure to express cause and effect.

• Se eu soubesse que o amor é coisa aguda

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 2)

  ➔ This line uses a Type 2 conditional: "Se + imperfect subjunctive (soubesse) + conditional main clause (implied)". It expresses a hypothetical situation in the present or future. If the speaker knew love was a sharp thing (which they didn't), then...

• Que tão brutal percorre início, meio e fim

  ➔ Relative Clause with "que"

  ➔ "Que" acts as a relative pronoun, referring back to "o amor" (love) in the previous line. It introduces a clause that describes a characteristic of love – that it brutally runs through beginning, middle, and end. At B2-C1, mastering relative clauses is crucial for complex sentence construction.

• Enquanto andava, maldizendo a poesia

  ➔ Gerund Phrase as Adverbial Modifier

  ➔ "Maldizendo a poesia" is a gerund phrase acting as an adverbial modifier, describing the action happening *while* the speaker was walking. This adds detail and context to the main verb (andava). B2-C1 learners should be comfortable using gerund phrases to add nuanced meaning.

• E nessa saga venho com pedras e brasa

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase indicating accompaniment

  ➔ The phrase "com pedras e brasa" uses the preposition "com" (with) to indicate what the speaker is bringing along on their journey (saga). This shows what they are armed with, both figuratively and perhaps literally (stones and embers). B2 learners should be comfortable with prepositions to add detail to their descriptions.

• E tão frágil quanto o brilho da manhã que eu vi chegar

  ➔ Comparative Structure: "tão...quanto"

  ➔ The structure "tão frágil quanto" (as fragile as) is a comparative structure showing equality. It compares the speaker's fragility to the "brilho da manhã" (morning light). B2 learners should be comfortable with comparatives to express similarities and differences.