Xico – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Luisa Sobral

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the melancholic beauty of "Xico" by Luísa Sobral, a song that captures the essence of Portuguese saudade and the enduring power of love in the face of absence. Through its evocative lyrics and emotional melody, you can delve into the nuances of Portuguese storytelling and the universal theme of waiting.

[English]

It's been two years and more

And there's no sign of Xico

Some say he emigrated

Some say he found

A Brazilian who's not bad at all

And Dolores waits for him every day

With the soup on the stove and the usual plate

She pretends not to hear the neighbors

And asks God for a little more hope

Oh Xico, oh Xico

Where have you gone?

Oh Xico, oh Xico

Don't make me suffer anymore

Since she was little, Dolores dreamed of finding

A Portuguese with sea-colored eyes

No one understood the reason for her madness

For the one from the other side of the border

She met Xico in Almerimar

And right there they decided to marry

Dolores took the essentials

The old sewing box and the apron

Oh Xico, oh Xico

...

Where have you gone?

Oh Xico, oh Xico

Don't make me suffer anymore

They lived ten years like no other

No one predicted such an end

Now Dolores says with lament

From Spain, not even a good wind

Nor a good marriage

Oh Xico, oh Xico

Where have you gone?

Oh Xico, my boy

Don't make me anymore

Don't make me anymore

Don't make me suffer anymore

...

[Portuguese]

Já passaram dois anos e tal

E do Xico nem sinal

Há quem diga que emigrou

Há quem diga que encontrou

Uma brasileira que não esta nada mal

E a Dolores todos os dias o espera

Com a sopa ao lume e o prato do costume

Finge não ouvir a vizinhança

E pede a Deus um pouco mais de esperança

Ó Xico, ó Xico

Onde te foste meter?

Ó Xico, ó Xico

Não me faças mais sofrer

Desde pequena Dolores sonha em encontrar

Um português com olhos cor de mar

Ninguém entendia o porquê da maluqueira

Que tinha pelo outro lado da fronteira

Conheceu o Xico em Almerimar

E logo ali decidiram casar

Dolores levou o essencial

A velha caixa de costura e o avental

Ó Xico, ó Xico

Onde te foste meter?

Ó Xico, ó Xico

Não me faças mais sofrer

Viveram dez anos sem igual

Ninguém previa tal final

Agora diz Dolores com lamento

De Espanha nem bom vento

Nem bom casamento

Ó Xico, ó Xico

Onde te foste meter?

Ó Xico, Mi chico

Não me faças mais

No me hagas más

Não me faças mais sofrer

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
passaram /pɐsˈsaɾɐ̃w/ A2	verb - they passed
ano /ˈan(u)/ A1	noun - year
sinal /siˈnaw/ B2	noun - signal
diga /ˈdiɣɐ/ A2	verb - say
emigrou /e.miˈɡɾow/ B2	verb - emigrated
encontrou /ẽkõˈtɾow/ B2	verb - found
brasileira /bɾaziˈlejɾɐ/ B1	noun - Brazilian woman
espera /isˈpeɾɐ/ A2	verb - waits
sopa /ˈsɔpɐ/ A1	noun - soup
pede /ˈpɨðɨ/ A2	verb - asks for
esperança /ɨ̃speˈɾɐ̃sɐ/ B1	noun - hope
finge /ˈfĩʒ/ B2	verb - pretends
ouvir /oˈviɾ/ A2	verb - to hear
vizinhança /vizinˈjɐ̃sɐ/ B2	noun - neighborhood
pede /pɨðɐ/ A2	verb - begs, asks

Key Grammar Structures

• Há quem diga que emigrou

  ➔ Impersonal construction with 'há quem' + subjunctive

  ➔ 'há quem diga' means 'there are those who say', expressing general opinion or rumor.

• E o Xico nem sinal

  ➔ Inversion of 'nem sinal' for emphasis

  ➔ 'nem sinal' means 'no sign' or 'nothing at all', and inversion emphasizes the absence.

• Onde te foste meter?

  ➔ Reflexive pronoun + preterite verb in second person singular to form question

  ➔ 'foste meter' is a verb phrase in preterite tense with reflexive pronoun 'te', asking where someone went to get involved or into trouble.

• Não me hagas más

  ➔ Imperative form with reflexive pronoun 'me' and subjunctive of 'hazer' (to do/make)

  ➔ 'não me hagas más' is an imperative phrase meaning 'don’t make me suffer more,' with 'hagās' in the subjunctive mood expressing a request.

• De Espanha nem bom vento

  ➔ Negative phrase using 'nem' to mean 'not even' or 'neither'

  ➔ 'De Espanha nem bom vento' is an idiomatic expression meaning 'not even good wind from Spain', implying a negative or ill-fated situation.