Saga – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Filipe Catto

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the evocative storytelling and rich musical tapestry of Filipe Catto's "Saga." This song offers a powerful exploration of love's emotional journey, blending poetic lyrics with diverse musical influences, making it a special piece for understanding the depth and resilience of the human heart.

[English]

I moved quickly so I wouldn't revisit my steps

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

So piercing that now looking back

All I have are daydreams of what I once lived

If I knew love was such a sharp thing

That brutally cuts through start, middle, and end

Rips apart the soul, digs deep into the spine

Fogs the throat, wounds whoever it wounds

While I walked cursing poetry

I sang my story for a night that broke apart

Turned inside out, and when dawn arrived

I stumbled over another verse about what time forgot

And in this saga, I come with stones and fire

I come with strength, but never forget

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

And it was pleasure, a lie, a foolish thing

I felt my chest, struck, ignite

And I started to enjoy the taste of that thing

Addicted to every verse where love came to stay

But suddenly, a spurious splinter

Came to blind my emotion of sighing

If I knew love was such a thing

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

And now, walking, soaked in stars

I sang all night for my heart to find peace

Made myself as strong as the darkness of infinity

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

And in this saga, I come with stones and fire

I come smiling, but never forget

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

That it was easy to get lost among dreams

And let the heart bleed until it goes mad

...

[Portuguese]

Andei depressa para não rever meus passos

Por uma noite tão fugaz que eu nem senti

Tão lancinante, que ao olhar pra trás agora

Só me restam devaneios do que um dia eu vivi

Se eu soubesse que o amor é coisa aguda

Que tão brutal percorre início, meio e fim

Destrincha a alma, corta fundo na espinha

Inebria a garganta, fere a quem quiser ferir

Enquanto andava, maldizendo a poesia

Eu cantei a história minha pr'uma noite que rompeu

Virou do avesso e ao chegar a luz do dia

Tropecei em mais um verso sobre o que o tempo esqueceu

E nessa saga venho com pedras e brasa

Venho com força, mas sem nunca me esquecer

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

E era de gozo, uma mentira, uma bobagem

Senti meu peito, atingido, se inflamar

E fui gostando do sabor daquela coisa

Viciando em cada verso que o amor veio trovar

Mas, de repente, uma farpa meio intrusa

Veio cegar minha emoção de suspirar

Se eu soubesse que o amor é coisa assim

Não pegava, não bebia, não deixava embebedar

E agora andando, encharcado de estrelas

Eu cantei a noite inteira pro meu peito sossegar

Me fiz tão forte quanto o escuro do infinito

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

E nessa saga venho com pedras e brasa

Venho sorrindo, mas sem nunca me esquecer

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

Que era fácil se perder por entre sonhos

E deixar o coração sangrando até enlouquecer

Key Vocabulary

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

Key Grammar Structures

• 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.