Segue O Seco – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Marisa Monte

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the evocative Brazilian song "Segue O Seco" by Marisa Monte. Through its poetic lyrics and melancholic melody, the song offers a profound reflection on drought, scarcity, and hope, allowing listeners to connect with themes of resilience and the deep human longing for change.

[English]

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

The cattle herd is dry

In the dry flash flood

The dry thunderstorm

In the dry hoe

The dry one goes on without realizing the path is dry

Without realizing the thorn is dry

Without realizing dry is the being sun

Without realizing that some dry thorn will dry out

And the water it draws will be a dry shot

And it will dry out its dry destiny

Oh rain, come tell me

If I can go up there to pour you out

Oh rain, pay attention

If the people up there live in loneliness

If they end up not getting used to it

If they end up standing still, silent

If they end up crying softly

If they end up somewhat abandoned

It could be Saint Peter's tears

Or perhaps a great love crying

It could be the unbuttoned sky

It could be all my love

The cattle herd is dry

In the dry flash flood

The dry thunderstorm

In the dry hoe

Oh rain, come tell me

Oh rain, come tell me

Oh rain, come tell me, come, come

Oh rain, come tell me, come, come

Come, come tell me

The rain, the rain come tell me

The rain comes to tell me, come, come

Come tell me, come, come

The dry one goes on without realizing the path is dry

Without realizing the thorn is dry

Without realizing dry is the being sun

Without realizing that some dry thorn will dry out

And the water it draws will be a dry shot

And it will dry out its dry destiny

Oh rain, come tell me

If I can go up there to pour you out

Rain come, rain come tell me

Rain, pay attention

If the people up there live in loneliness

If they end up not getting used to it

If they end up standing still, silent

If they end up crying softly

If they end up somewhat abandoned

It could be Saint Peter's tears

Or perhaps a great love crying

It could be the unbuttoned sky

It could be all my love

The cattle herd is dry

In the dry flash flood

The dry thunderstorm

In the dry hoe

Oh rain, come tell me

Rain, come tell me, come, come

Oh rain, come tell me, come, come

Oh rain, come tell me, come, come

Come, come tell me

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

Float, cattle herd, cattle herd

...

[Portuguese]

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

A boiada seca

Na exurrada seca

A trovoada seca

Na enxada seca

Segue o seco sem sacar que o caminho é seco

Sem sacar que o espinho é seco

Sem sacar que seco é o ser sol

Sem sacar que algum espinho seco secará

E a água que sacar será um tiro seco

E secará o seu destino seca

Ó chuva, vem me dizer

Se posso ir lá em cima pra derramar você

Ó chuva, preste atenção

Se o povo lá de cima vive na solidão

Se acabar não acostumando

Se acabar parado, calado

Se acabar baixinho chorando

Se acabar meio abandonado

Pode ser lágrimas de São Pedro

Ou talvez um grande amor chorando

Pode ser o desabotoado céu

Pode ser todo meu amor

A boiada seca

Na exurrada seca

A trovoada seca

Na enxada seca

Ó chuva, vem me dizer

Ó chuva, vem me dizer

Ó chuva, vem me dizer, vem, vem

Ó chuva, vem me dizer, vem, vem

Vem, vem me dizer

A chuva, a chuva vem me dizer

A chuva vem me dizer, em, vem, vem

Vem me dizer, vem vem

Segue o seco sem sacar que o caminho é seco

Sem sacar que o espinho é seco

Sem sacar que seco é o ser sol

Sem sacar que algum espinho seco secará

E a água que sacar será um tiro seco

E secará o seu destino seca

Ó chuva, vem me dizer

Se posso ir lá em cima pra derramar você

Chuva vem, chuva vem me dizer

Chuva, preste atenção

Se o povo lá de cima vive na solidão

Se acabar não acostumando

Se acabar parado, calado

Se acabar baixinho chorando

Se acabar meio abandonado

Pode ser lágrimas de São Pedro

Ou talvez um grande amor chorando

Pode ser o desabotoado céu

Pode ser todo meu amor

A boiada seca

Na exurrada seca

A trovoada seca

Na enxada seca

Ó chuva, vem me dizer

Chuva, vem me dizer, vem, vem

Ó chuva, vem me dizer, vem, vem

Ó chuva, vem me dizer, vem, vem

Vem, vem me dizer

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

Boia, boiada, boiada

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
boiada /boiˈada/ B1	noun - a herd of cattle
seca /ˈseka/ A2	adjective - dry
chuva /ˈʃuva/ A1	noun - rain
caminho /kaˈmiɲu/ A2	noun - path
destino /desˈtʃinu/ B1	noun - destination
amor /aˈmoʁ/ A1	noun - love
solidão /soliˈdɐ̃w/ B2	noun - loneliness
lágrimas /ˈlaɡɾimɐs/ B1	noun - tears
espinho /esˈpiɲu/ B2	noun - thorn
sacar /saˈkaʁ/ B1	verb - to take out
dizer /diˈzeʁ/ A2	verb - to say
prestar /pɾesˈtaʁ/ B1	verb - to pay attention
grande /ˈɡɾɐ̃dʒi/ A1	adjective - big
abandonado /abɐ̃dʒoˈnadu/ B2	adjective - abandoned

Key Grammar Structures

• Segue o seco sem sacar que o caminho é seco

  ➔ Gerund phrases and subordinate clauses with 'que'.

  ➔ The phrase "sem sacar" uses a gerund expressing the way someone follows the drought. "Que o caminho é seco" is a subordinate clause indicating what the person doesn't realize. "Segue" is the 3rd person singular present indicative of the verb "seguir" (to follow).

• Ó chuva, vem me dizer Se posso ir lá em cima pra derramar você

  ➔ Imperative mood ("vem"), subjunctive mood ("posso ir"), infinitive phrase with "pra" ("pra derramar").

  ➔ "Vem" is the imperative form of "vir" (to come), used to make a request or command. "Se posso ir" uses the subjunctive mood to express a hypothetical situation (if I can go). "Pra derramar" is a colloquial contraction of "para derramar" (to spill), using the infinitive form of the verb.

• Se acabar não acostumando Se acabar parado, calado

  ➔ Conditional clauses with "se" + future subjunctive (or infinitive in informal contexts).

  ➔ These lines use conditional clauses starting with "se" (if). In more formal Portuguese, the future subjunctive would be used, but in this informal context, the infinitive is used instead after "se acabar". "Acabar" means "to end up" or "to finish".

• Pode ser lágrimas de São Pedro Ou talvez um grande amor chorando

  ➔ Use of "pode ser" (it can be) indicating possibility. Gerund ("chorando") used as an adjective.

  ➔ "Pode ser" expresses a possibility or speculation. "Chorando" acts as an adjective modifying "amor," meaning "a crying great love" or "a great love that is crying."