Memória – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: ROSALÍA, Carminho
• Album: LUX

Lyrics & Translation

This poignant duet is sung primarily in Portuguese with some Spanish, offering a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the emotional vocabulary of two major Iberian languages through the traditional, melancholic lens of Fado. The song’s power comes from its simple, yet profound, questions about memory and identity, allowing listeners to grasp universal feelings of longing and introspection in a beautifully arranged, minimalist, and classical setting.

[English]

Do you still remember me?

Do you still know where I came from?

Who am I, standing here?

Tell me in my sad eyes

that some memory exists

And do you still know who I am

Tell me if I still stumble

if I rejoice, if I give thanks

or if I still know how to sing

Please remind me

anything, whatever it may be

that I can't remember

Come with me to the city

Tell me honestly

if you remember me

Where I grew up and loved

With whom I lived and gave myself

or if I ended something

Do you really know me

That time passes and you don't forget

who I was and who I am now

Oh my sweet heart

Tell me if you know or not

Do you still remember me?

Whenever I remember something

I always recall it a little differently

And whatever that memory is

It’s always true in my mind

And if my soul spills over

And the lack of past is forgetting

When I die I only ask

Not to forget what I lived through

Do you really know me

That time passes and you don't forget

Who I was and who I am now

Oh my sweet Heart

Tell me if you know or not

Do you still remember me?

[Portuguese]

Ainda te lembras de mim?

Ainda sabes de onde eu vim?

Quem sou esta que aqui estou?

Diz-me no meu olhar triste

que alguma memória existe

E ainda sabes quem sou

Diz-me se ainda tropeço

se me alegro se agradeço

ou se ainda sei cantar

Recorda-me por favor

alguma coisa o que for

que eu não consigo lembrar

Vem comigo pla cidade

Diz-me com sinceridade

se tu te lembras de mim

Onde cresci e amei

Com quem vivi e me dei

ou se a algo eu pus fim

Será que tu me conheces

Que o tempo passa e não esqueces

quem eu fui e sou em fim

Oh meu doce coração

Diz-me se sabes ou não

Ainda te lembras de mim?

Siempre que me acuerdo de algo

Siempre lo recuerdo un poco diferente

Y sea como sea ese recuerdo

Siempre es verdad en mi mente

Y si mi alma se derrama

Y la falta de pasado es el olvido

Cuando muera solo pido

No olvidar lo que he vivido

Será que tu me conheces

Que o tempo passa e não esqueces

Quem eu fui e sou em fim

Oh meu doce Coração

Diz-me se sabes ou não

Ainda te lembras de mim?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lembrar /lẽˈbɾaɾ/ B1	verb - to remember, to recall
memória /meˈmoɾjɐ/ B1	noun - memory
triste /ˈtɾiʃ.tʃi/ B2	adjective - sad, sorrowful
coração /koɾɐˈsɐ̃w̃/ A1	noun - heart
doce /ˈdo.se/ A2	adjective - sweet, gentle
tempo /ˈtẽ.pu/ A1	noun - time
esquecer /is.kɨˈseɾ/ B2	verb - to forget
cantar /kɐ̃ˈtaɾ/ A2	verb - to sing
olhar /oˈʎaɾ/ B1	noun - look, gaze
cidade /siˈda.d͡ʒi/ A2	noun - city
sinceridade /sĩ.se.ɾiˈda.d͡ʒi/ B2	noun - sincerity
alma /ˈaw.ma/ B1	noun - soul
verdad /beɾˈðað/ B2	noun - truth
recuerdo /reˈkweɾ.do/ B2	noun - memory, recollection
pasar /paˈsar/ B1	verb - to pass, to go by
morir /moˈɾiɾ/ B1	verb - to die
olvidar /olβiˈðaɾ/ B2	verb - to forget
derramar /deʁaˈmaɾ/ C1	verb - to spill, to pour out (emotions)

Key Grammar Structures

• Ainda te lembras de mim?

  ➔ Reflexive pronoun + prepositional complement

  ➔ The verb "lembrar-se" uses the reflexive pronoun "te" and takes the preposition "de" before the object.

• Diz-me no meu olhar triste que alguma memória existe

  ➔ Imperative with enclitic pronoun & subordinate clause

  ➔ The form "Diz-me" is the affirmative imperative of "dizer" with the enclitic pronoun "me", followed by a subordinate clause introduced by "que".

• E ainda sabes quem sou

  ➔ Indirect question with pronoun and copula

  ➔ The structure "sabes quem sou" embeds the indirect question introduced without a conjunction, using the pronoun "quem" and the copula "sou".

• Diz-me se ainda tropeço

  ➔ Indirect yes/no question with conjunction

  ➔ Here "se" introduces an indirect yes/no question after the imperative "Diz-me".

• Sempre que me acuerdo de algo

  ➔ Temporal conjunction "sempre que" + indicative

  ➔ "Sempre que" functions as a temporal conjunction meaning "whenever," and is followed by the indicative verb "acuerdo".

• Y sea como sea ese recuerdo

  ➔ Concessive clause with subjunctive

  ➔ The repeated "sea" is subjunctive, forming a concessive expression meaning "however it may be".

• Quando muera solo pido

  ➔ Temporal clause with subjunctive

  ➔ "Quando" here introduces a future-oriented temporal clause requiring the subjunctive "muera" instead of indicative.

• Recorda-me por favor alguma coisa o que for

  ➔ Relative pronoun + subjunctive in free choice clause

  ➔ The phrase "o que for" uses the relative pronoun "o que" with the subjunctive "for" to indicate any option.