Practice your Portuguese by listening to and translating songs from Portuguese to your native language. This song is called “Povo que Lavas no Rio“, by Amália.
I’ve translated the song into English after the lyrics below. (the music video is not mine nor was it produced by me).
If you’re here from the 30-Day Free Portuguese Challenge for your daily goal, the task for today is to listen to the song a few times and try to follow along with the lyrics in Portuguese. At the end of the task, try to rate yourself and include the date. This is so you can later come back to this exercise and see how you have improved over time. Let’s jump in. (You don’t need to be a part of the challenge to do these suggested exercises 😉 )
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Tasks for the 30-Day Portuguese Challenge
- Beginners: Really actively listen to how the words are being pronounced. Before looking at the translation, underline the words you know and circle the ones you don’t. Write the words you don’t know into a list on your paper and save them for later. The main goal is to listen to the sounds of the language and be introduced to new vocabulary. If you’d like to take a step further, now look up words in the online dictionary and make notes if they are used in other contexts.
- Intermediates: After listening and looking at the lyrics – BUT NOT the translation yet – analyse the words more closely. Write down a summary of what you think the song is about. Then compare that to the translation. Then separate the words into different categories such as which ones are verbs (actions), which ones are nouns (names of things and people or animals) and which ones are adjectives (descriptions). You can go a step further and indicate what tense the verbs are in. The main goal is to see how your comprehension is progressing and what you need to work more on.
- Advanced: After listening and looking at the Portuguese lyrics, your task is to translate the lyrics without any help. If you come across a word you’ve never seen, try an educated guess before looking it up in the dictionary. It doesn’t always have to make perfect sense. As I’m sure you know, sometimes artists will use a word or pronounce it in an uncommon way so it fits with the rhyme. Then compare it to the translation and see how you did. If you have the opportunity to go a little further, write a composition stating your opinion on the song. And that can be anything you like: the lyrics, the melody, the voice, the feelings, how you would change it if you didn’t like it, you name it. Try to include compound tenses and the subjunctive mood in your composition.
Povo que Lavas no Rio (People, you who wash in the river) by Amália
Povo que lavas no rio
Que talhas com o teu machado
As tábuas do meu caixão
Povo que lavas no rio
Que talhas com o teu machado
As tábuas do meu caixão
Pode haver quem te defenda
Quem compre o teu chão sagrado
Mas a tua vida não
Fui ter à mesa redonda
Beber em malga que esconda
O beijo de mão em mão
Fui ter à mesa redonda
Beber em malga que esconda
O beijo de mão em mão
Era o vinho que me deste
Água pura, fruto agreste
Mas a tua vida não
Aromas de urze e de lama
Dormi com eles na cama
Tive a mesma condição
Aromas de urze e de lama
Dormi com eles na cama
Tive a mesma condição
Povo, povo, eu te pertenço
Deste-me alturas de incenso
Mas a tua vida não
Povo que lavas no rio
Que talhas com o teu machado
As tábuas do meu caixão
Povo que lavas no rio
Que talhas com o teu machado
As tábuas do meu caixão
Pode haver quem te defenda
Quem compre o teu chão sagrado
Mas a tua vida não
Translation
People you who wash in the river
Who carve with your axe
The boards of my coffin
People you that wash in the river
Who carve with your axe
The boards of my coffin
There may be those who defend you
Who buy your sacred ground
But not your life
I went to the round table
Drinking from a bowl that hides
The kiss from hand to hand
I went to the round table
Drinking from a bowl that hides
The kiss from hand to hand
It was the wine you gave me
Pure water, wild fruit
But not your life
Aromas of heather and mud
I slept with them in bed
I had the same condition
Scents of heather and mud
I slept with them in bed
I had the same condition
People, people, I belong to you
You gave me heights of incense
But not your life
People you wash in the river
Who carve with your axe
The boards of my coffin
People you who wash in the river
Who carve with your axe
The boards of my coffin
There may be those who defend you
Who buy your sacred ground
But not your life
For more songs in Portuguese click here. To learn more about the 30-Day Portuguese Challenge click here or sign up below.