Pretinha – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Cesar Mc
• Album: Dai a Cesar o que é de Cesar

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the evocative lyrics of Cesar MC's "Pretinha." This song offers a unique perspective on appreciation and understanding, inviting listeners to delve into themes of resilience and self-discovery through the power of rap.

[English]

When I heard you, you fascinated me

(When I heard you, you fascinated me)

I even ask God why it took so long

(I even ask God why it took so long)

I searched for myself, then you arrived

(I searched for myself, then you arrived)

When I heard you, you fascinated me

(When I heard you, you fascinated me)

I was there shattered, so misunderstood

Screamingly different from how they spoke

Your gaze revealed how much you disagreed

They made you a crutch for what they most abhorred

Yeah, what did they do to you?

Little black girl, what did they do to you?

(What did they do to you?)

Yeah, yeah-yeah

When I heard my little black girl

Something there made me happy

Today I see that the blame is all mine

For not having listened to what the little black girl says

She speaks straight and words of life

Her speech is my favorite reading

It turned upside down what I thought I knew

For her place of speech taught me to see life

I wake up early just to see you

Little black girl, God was inspired when He made you

(God was inspired when He made you)

You looked at me in a deep way

That even seemed like a sword with two edges

And there it cut deep into my soul

Dividing spirit, joints, marrow, and even my intentions

So I said: hi

Everyone who judged you never really knew you

The whole world flipped through, lucky are those who read you

Whenever we talk, I revisit some piece

And I piece together a version of myself that's much better than this

It's just that I'm in such a hurry, to walk through your promise

To leave for a better place than here

...

[Portuguese]

Quando eu te escutei, você me fascinou

(Quando eu te escutei, você me fascinou)

Até pergunto a Deus por quê que demorou

(Até pergunto a Deus por quê que demorou)

Eu me procurei, aí você chegou

(Eu me procurei, aí você chegou)

Quando eu te escutei, você me fascinou

(Quando eu te escutei, você me fascinou)

Tava ali despedaçada, tão mal interpretada

Gritantemente diferente de como falavam

O olhar denunciava o quanto você discordava

Te fizeram de muleta pro que mais abominava

É, o que fizeram de você?

Pretinha, o que fizeram de você?

(O que fizeram de você?)

Yeah, yeah-yeah

Quando eu escutei minha pretinha

Alguma coisa ali me fez feliz

Hoje eu vejo que a culpa é toda minha

De não ter escutado o que a pretinha diz

Ela é papo reto e palavras de vida

A sua fala é minha leitura preferida

Virou do avesso o que eu achava que sabia

Pois o seu lugar de fala me ensinou a ver a vida

Eu acordo cedo só pra ver você

Pretinha, Deus tava inspirado quando fez você

(Deus tava inspirado quando fez você)

Me olhava de um jeito profundo

Que até parecia uma espada que tinha dois gumes

E ali me cortava bem dentro da alma

Divide do espírito, juntas, medula e até minhas intenções

Então eu disse: oi

Todo aquele que julgou jamais te conheceu

O mundo inteiro folheou, sorte de quem te leu

Sempre que a gente conversa, eu revejo alguma peça

E remonto uma versão de mim que é bem melhor que essa

É que eu tenho tanta pressa, andar pela sua promessa

De partir pra um lugar melhor que aqui

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fascinou /fɐ.siˈno/ B2	verb - fascinated
perguntou /peɾˈɡũ.to(w)/ A2	verb - asked
chegou /ʃeˈɡo(w)/ A1	verb - arrived
despedaçada /des.pe.daˈsa.da/ B2	adjective - shattered, broken
interpretada /ĩ.teɾ.pɾeˈta.da/ B2	adjective - interpreted
olhar /oˈʎaɾ/ A2	noun - look, gaze
culpa /ˈkuɫ.pɐ/ B1	noun - fault, blame
feliz /feˈlis/ A1	adjective - happy
palavras /paˈlavɾɐs/ A1	noun - words
vida /ˈvi.dɐ/ A1	noun - life
fala /ˈfa.lɐ/ A2	noun - speech, way of speaking
ensinou /ĩ.siˈno(w)/ A2	verb - taught
acordo /ɐˈkoɾ.du/ A1	verb - I wake up
profundo /pɾoˈfũ.du/ B1	adjective - deep
alma /ˈaw.mɐ/ B1	noun - soul
mundo /ˈmũ.du/ A1	noun - world
melhor /meˈʎoɾ/ A1	adjective - better

Key Grammar Structures

• Quando eu te escutei, você me fascinou

  ➔ Past Tense, Use of Pronouns

  ➔ Use of the past perfect tense (escutei, fascinou) to describe a completed action in the past. Pronouns 'te' (you) and 'me' (me) are used as direct object pronouns.

• Até pergunto a Deus por quê que demorou

  ➔ Use of 'Por que' vs. 'Porque', Indirect Question

  ➔ 'Por quê' (separated) is used at the end of a sentence or before a pause. 'Porque' would be used for 'because'. This sentence implies an indirect question about the reason for the delay. Note the doubling of the 'que' (por quê que), common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, especially in songs.

• Tava ali despedaçada, tão mal interpretada

  ➔ Past Continuous (informal), Adverbs of Degree, Passive Voice Implied

  ➔ 'Tava' is a colloquial shortening of 'estava' (was). 'Tão' (so) is an adverb of degree. The adjective 'despedaçada' (broken) implies she was being broken by someone/something, an implied passive voice. 'mal interpretada' (badly interpreted) similarly suggests a passive construction.

• É, o que fizeram de você?

  ➔ Interrogative Sentence, Impersonal 'Fizeram'

  ➔ 'Fizeram' (they did) is used impersonally, not specifying who did something to her. The interrogative structure emphasizes the question about the harm done to her.

• Hoje eu vejo que a culpa é toda minha

  ➔ Present Tense, Use of 'Toda' as an Intensifier

  ➔ 'Toda' (all) is used to intensify 'minha' (mine), meaning 'entirely my fault'. The sentence is in the present tense indicating a current realization.

• Ela é papo reto e palavras de vida

  ➔ Present Tense, Metaphorical Language

  ➔ The sentence uses the present tense to describe a constant characteristic. 'Papo reto' (straight talk) and 'palavras de vida' (words of life) are metaphors representing her directness and meaningful communication.

• Pois o seu lugar de fala me ensinou a ver a vida

  ➔ Use of 'Pois', Infinitive Phrase as Object

  ➔ 'Pois' (well, because) introduces a reason. The infinitive phrase 'a ver a vida' (to see life) acts as the object of the verb 'ensinou' (taught).

• De partir pra um lugar melhor que aqui

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase, Comparative

  ➔ 'Pra' is a colloquial contraction of 'para' (to). The phrase 'melhor que aqui' (better than here) is a comparative construction.