Friday, June 13, 2014

O Sonho Existia



No jardim das rosas 
De sonho e medo 
Pelos canteiros de espinhos e flores 
Lá, quero ver você 
Olerê, Olará, você me pegar

Madrugada fria de estranho sonho 
Acordou João, cachorro latia 
João abriu a porta 
O sonho existia

Que João fugisse 
Que João partisse 
Que João sumisse do mundo 
De nem Deus achar, Ierê

Manhã noiteira de força viagem 
Leva em dianteira um dia de vantagem 
Folha de palmeira apaga a passagem 
O chão, na palma da mão, o chão, o chão

E manhã redonda de pedras altas 
Cruzou fronteira de servidão 
Olerê, quero ver 
Olerê

E por maus caminhos de toda sorte 
Buscando a vida, encontrando a morte 
Pela meia rosa do quadrante Norte 
João, João

Um tal de Chico chamado Antônio 
Num cavalo baio que era um burro velho 
Que na barra fria já cruzado o rio 
Lá vinha Matias cujo o nome é Pedro 
Aliás Horácio, vulgo Simão 
Lá um chamado Tião 
Chamado João

Recebendo aviso entortou caminho 
De Nor-Nordeste pra Norte-Norte 
Na meia vida de adiadas mortes 
Um estranho chamado João

No clarão das águas 
No deserto negro 
A perder mais nada 
Corajoso medo 
Lá quero ver você

Por sete caminhos de setenta sortes 
Setecentas vidas e sete mil mortes 
Esse um, João, João 
E deu dia claro 
E deu noite escura 
E deu meia-noite no coração 
Olerê, quero ver 
Olerê

Passa sete serras 
Passa cana brava 
No brejo das almas 
Tudo terminava 
No caminho velho onde a lama trava 
Lá no todo-fim-é-bom 
Se acabou João

No jardim das rosas 
De sonho e medo 
No clarão das águas 
No deserto negro 
Lá, quero ver você 
Lerê, lará 
Você me pegar

--Antonio Carlos Jobim

Above are the Portuguese lyrics of the haunting Brazilian song "Matita Perê" by Tom Jobim.  These have served as a recurring dream and a backdrop for exploration in recent days.  It's hard to find an English translation for Jobim's "Matita Perê" online, so I have provided one below for anyone who might come searching.  It's mostly literal, but some liberties have been taken to keep the flow in English.  This translation is a crossover combination of the one found in the album notes of the original American release of the song in 1973, the transcription written by Dário Borim in the Jobim biography An Illuminated Man, and some assistance gleaned from a Portuguese-English dictionary.

The English translation of the Portuguese lyrics of "Matita Perê" by Antônio Carlos Jobim:

In the garden of roses
Of dreams and fear
By beds of thorns and flowers
There, I want to see 
Olerê, olará - if you can catch me

A cold dawn, a strange dream
João awoke, the dog was barking
João opened the door
The dream was there

And should João flee?
And should João leave?
And should João vanish?
(To where even God may not find him) - ierê

In the night's-morning, a forced journey
He starts with the advantage of a day's lead
Palm leaves clear the path
The ground, the palm of the hand, the ground, the ground

It was morning on the high rocks
He crossed the border of servitude
Olerê - I want to see
Olerê

And for all sorts of wicked ways
Seeking life, finding death
By the sun's compass to the northern quadrant
João, João

Some guy named Chico, called Antonio
A bay horse that was an old burro
On the cold sand bar, already across the river
Here came Matias, whose name is Pedro
Alias Horácio, aka Simão
Also called Tião
Known as João

Receiving warning, he altered his path
North-northeast to north-north
In the half-life of delayed deaths
A stranger named João

In the glare of the waters
In the black wilderness
There was nothing more to lose
Courageous fear
I want to see you there

For seven roads of seventy fortunes
Seven hundred lives and seven thousand deaths
This one, João, João
It was a clear day
It was a dark night
And it was midnight in the heart
Olerê, I want to see
Olerê

Past seven mountains
Past wild cane
In the swamp of souls
It all ended
On the old road where mud latches on
There at the all's-well-that-ends-well
It finished João

In the garden of roses
Of dreams and fear
In the glare of the waters
In the black wilderness
There, I want to see you
Lerê, lará
You caught me