Translation of Pra Rua me Levar, by Ana Carolina and Seu Jorge
In this post, we’ll see the translation of Pra Rua me Levar, a beautiful song, performed by Ana Carolina and Seu Jorge. Below the lyrics and the translation, I’ve added an analysis of some interesting vocabulary used in the lyrics, with some more examples of how to use them in colloquial conversation in Brazilian Portuguese.
Translation of Pra Rua me Levar
| Não vou viver
Como alguém que só espera um novo amor Há outras coisas no caminho onde eu vou Às vezes ando só Trocando passos com a solidão Momentos que são meus e que não abro mão
Já sei olhar o rio Por onde a vida passa Sem me precipitar e nem perder a hora Escuto no silêncio Que há em mim e basta Outro tempo começou pra mim agora
Vou deixar a rua me levar Ver a cidade se acender A lua vai banhar esse lugar E eu vou lembrar você
É, mas tenho ainda Muita coisa pra arrumar Promessas que me fiz E que ainda não cumpri Palavras me aguardam O tempo exato pra falar Coisas minhas Talvez você nem queira ouvir…
Já sei olhar o rio…
|
I won’t live
as someone who’s just waiting for a new love There are other things along the way where I go Sometimes I walk alone, side by side with solitude These moments are mine, and I won’t give them up
I already know how to look at the river where life flows through With no rush, and not losing track of time I hear in the silence what’s inside me, and that’s enough A new life has begun for me now
I’ll let the street guide me I’ll watch the city light up The moon will illuminate this place And I’ll remember you
Yes, but I still have a lot to put in order Promises I made to myself and that I haven’t yet fulfilled Words wait for me for the exact time to be spoken My own things, maybe you wouldn’t even want to hear them
I already know how to look at the river…
|
Now that we’ve seen the translation of Pra Rua me Levar let’s analyse some important vocabulary:
levar
to take (to take something/someone away from where the speaker is) – it’s often confused with trazer, which means ‘to bring’.
Ex.
– O que você quer que eu leve pra festa? (what do you want me to take to the party?) – In this situation, English speakers would probably use the verb ‘to bring’, which makes it confusing, since the verb used here in Portuguese means ‘to take’).
– Você pode trazer uma garrafa de vinho? (Could you bring a bottle of wine?)
solidão
loneliness/solitude (there are no separate translations for loneliness and solitude in Portuguese, the word solidão can express both concepts, the context defines which one it is.
arrumar
to arrange, dispose of, set in order, settle, tidy up. Ex. Eu tenho que arrumar o meu quarto – ele está muito bagunçado. / I have to tidy up my bedroom – it’s very messy.
- The song uses the future tense in Portuguese formed with conjugation of the verb ir (to go) a lot
So this is the most common formula to express the future:
Subject pronoun + verb ir conjugated in the present + verb (what you are going to do) in the infinitive
Eu vou trabalhar
Examples from the song – (the subject pronoun eu is in brackets because she doesn’t actually say it in the song, but I thought it would highlight it as per the formula above. The subject pronoun is often omitted when it’s clear by the conjugation of the verb which pronoun it refers to: vou can only be the the conjugation of the verb ir for eu, therefore it’s not necessary to mention eu.
(Eu) nao vou viver – I won’t live
(Eu) Vou deixar a rua me levar – I will let the street take me
(Eu) Vou ver a cidade ascender – I’ll watch the city light up
E (eu) vou lembrar você – And I’ll remember you
abrir mão
to give up, put aside, put by, leave off
From the song: Momentos que são meus e que não abro mão / These moments are mine, and I won’t give them up