Sunday, August 10, 2008

Song of Exile (Cancao do Exilio)

Song of Exile was written by Antônio Gonçalves Dias in 1843 and was a main part of the nationalist poetry movement taking place in Brazil at the time. It is still seen today as one of if not the national poem of Brazil. It was written by Dias while he was in Portugal and is about how much he misses Brazil.

Song of Exile (Cancao do Exilio)
by Antonio Goncalves Dias
translated from Portuguese by David T. Haberly

There are palm trees in my country.
And the singing Sabia;
The birds warbling here
Don't sing as they do there.

Our heavens have more stars,
Our meadows far more blooms,
Our forests have more life,
Our life has much more love.

When I dream, alone, at night,
I find more pleasure there;
There are palm trees in my country
And the singing Sabia.

My country has a loveliness
That I don't find here;
When I dream -- alone, at night --
I find more pleasure there;
There are palm trees in my country,
And the singing Sabia.

May God not let me perish
Without going back there;
Without knowing the loveliness
I cannot find here;
Without a glimpse of palm trees
And the singing Sabia.

Antônio Gonçalves Dias

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