O Cometa – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Rodrigo Amarante
• Album: Cavalo

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the lyrical poetry of Rodrigo Amarante's 'O Cometa' and discover the intricate portrayal of a memorable, influential figure. This song offers a glimpse into the artist's reflective songwriting, exploring themes of impact and legacy through rich metaphor.

[English]

Delicate, raw dancer that he is

Boyish eyes, shaman’s sway

Rogue’s pride, doctor’s rhyme

His yellow-stitched black belt

But decorum, the status quo choir

He’d say: Man like that, wow

And his strength was his voice

It still is, it will be among us

He was my teacher, my accomplice

His mind, I know, I only reach the index

Beast of palaces, pest of gardens

Because he spoke Latin and translated

But decorum, the status quo choir

He’d say: Man like that, wow

And his strength was his voice

It still is, it will be among us

...

The comet passed

Marked my body, it’s written

The comet passed

It winked in time, it was

...

[Portuguese]

Bruto bailarino delicado que é

Olhos de menino, ginga de pajé

Pena de malandro, rima de doutor

Sua faixa preta de amarelo decorou

Mas o decoro, coro status quo

Ele dizia: Cara assim, uó

E sua força era sua voz

Ainda é, será assim entre nós

Foi meu professor, foi meu cúmplice

Sua mente, eu sei, só chego ao índice

Fera dos palácios, peste dos jardins

Porque estravalata e traduzia do latim

Mas o decoro, coro status quo

Ele dizia: Cara assim, uó

E sua força era sua voz

Ainda é, será assim entre nós

O cometa passou

Marcou o meu corpo, está escrito

Cometa passou

Piscou o tempo, foi

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bailarino /bajʎaˈrinʊ/ B1	noun - dancer
delicado /dɛliˈkadu/ B1	adjective - delicate, fragile
olhos /ˈoʎuʃ/ A2	noun - eyes
ginga /ˈʒĩɡɐ/ B2	noun - sway, fluid dance movement
pajé /paˈʒɛ/ C1	noun - shaman, spiritual healer
malandro /maˈlãdɾu/ B2	noun - rascal, cunning person
faixa /ˈfaʃɐ/ A2	noun - belt, band
decorou /dɛkoˈʁo/ B2	verb - decorated
coro /ˈkɔʁu/ A2	noun - choir, chorus
força /ˈfɔʁsɐ/ A2	noun - strength, force
voz /voz/ A2	noun - voice
passou /paˈsow/ A2	verb - passed, went by
marcou /maʁˈko/ A2	verb - marked, scored

Key Grammar Structures

• Sua faixa preta de amarelo decorou

  ➔ Past tense with intransitive verb 'decorou' indicating a completed action.

  ➔ 'Decorou' is the past tense of 'decorar', meaning 'decorated' or 'adorned'.

• Porque estravalata e traduzia do latim

  ➔ Preposition 'Porque' introducing cause, with imperfect tense 'traduzia' indicating ongoing or habitual past action.

  ➔ 'Porque' means 'because', showing reason or cause, and 'traduzia' is imperfect tense for ongoing or habitual past actions.

• Marcou o meu corpo, está escrito

  ➔ Past tense 'marcou' (from 'marcar'), and present tense 'está escrito' (from 'estar' + 'escrito') indicating current state or result.

  ➔ 'Marcou' means 'marked' or 'hit', and 'está escrito' means 'it is written', showing a completed action and a current state respectively.

• Passou

  ➔ Past tense of 'passar' meaning 'passed' or 'went by', used here to indicate movement or occurrence.

  ➔ 'Passou' means 'passed by' or 'went past', referring to movement or the passing of time or events.