Zizi Possi - Sentimental (from Ópera do Malandro)

Tonight, looking at my sister-in-law's blogroll I found this blog by one of my husband's second cousins* and while reading the whole thing (less than 100 posts, spread over 4 years), I was reminded of when I started posting some of my favorite songs to this blog... (this was the very first post of that nature) and I have decided to continue this "trend." Maybe if I do I can write more blog posts than I wrote last year! (one of my "lame" new year's resolutions).

So, here you go, my second "Zizi" song. I will include the translation of the lyrics later, ok? Promise! (promise fulfilled today 02/08/12, see more below)

This song is part of Chico Buarque's Ópera do Malandro (in which Ruy Guerra's film of the same name is based) and it was recorded by Zizi Possi in one of the several versions of the "opera."

Why do I love it so much? well... for various reasons. The first one is similar to why I love the other "Zizi song" I posted: it reminds me a bit of how I used to feel as a teenager, hungry for life, for love and for happiness. This last word is also a reason -- I've always been drawn to songs that focus on "happiness" (felicidade) or joy and a song that conveys the feelings of a very sentimental sixteen year old girl who wants the world to stop because she hasn't been happy yet just touches me in a way that very few things do. I was absolutely delighted to finally find this song on Youtube (it's in a "rare/important" moments CD by Zizi that I own):


(Edited to add my own English translation on 02/08/2012: you can thank Joy Mars, for it. I don't know if you like this song, Joy, but I do ;)

Sentimental, sentimental                 Sentimental, sentimental
Um coração saliente                      A forward heart
Bate e bate muito mais                  That beats much more
que sente                                      than it feels
Fica doente mas é natural, natural   which gets sick, but it's natural,
Que num cochilo de agosto           that in an August nap
Surja um outro alguém                  there appears someone else
do sexo oposto                            of the opposite sex
Do sexo oposto outro alguém       of the opposite sex, someone else

Ontem vi tudo acabado              Yesterday I thought it was all over
Meu céu desastrado                   My clumsy heaven
Medo, solidão, ciúme                 Fear, loneliness, jealousy
Hoje contei as estrelas               Today I counted the stars
E a vida parece um filme            And life seems like a movie
Gemini, gemini, geminiano          Gemini, Gemini person
Este ano vai ser o seu ano          This year is going to be your year
Ou se não, o destino não quis    Or if not, destiny didn't want it

Ah, eu hei de ser                      Ah, I shall be
Terei de ser                              I will have to be
Serei feliz                                 I shall be happy
Serei feliz, feliz                         I shall be happy, happy

Façam muitas manhãs              Many mornings may come
Que se o mundo acabar           And if the world ends
Eu ainda não fui feliz                I haven't been happy yet
Atrapalhem os pés                  Confuse the feet
Dos exércitos, dos pelotões     of the army battalions
Eu não fui feliz                         I haven't been happy yet
Desmantelem no cais               Dismantle in the harbor
Os navios de guerra                the war ships
Eu ainda não fui feliz               I haven't been happy yet
Paralisem no céu                    Paralyze in the sky
Todos os aviões                     All the airplanes
É urgente, eu não fui feliz        It's urgent! I haven't been happy yet

Tenho dezesseis anos            I am sixteen years old
Sou morena clara,                 I am a light brunette**
atraente e sentimental...         attractive and sentimental...

Note: this may need revision, but here you go!

** "morena" can mean both light skinned Black woman and brunette. In this song it means the first because of the word "light" there, but I don't know how to translate this in a concise yet sensitive way. "light dark-skinned girl" is too cumbersome (and it makes no sense) and "light Black" is not good!
*The son of one of my mother-in-law's four cousins -- the families of K's maternal grandmother and her sister are quite close -- they were all at my wedding too, which was so cool and they sang together! Interestingly enough, almost all of these second cousins and their spouses have blogs! They are also accomplished (and recorded! One CD is coming out TODAY!!) musicians and one is also a published author. (!) Seriously, what an accomplished family!