Happy 470th, São Paulo!
In honor of São Paulo’s 470th birthday tomorrow, below is a translation of Tom Zé’s song “Augusta, Angélica e Consolação.” The beauty of this song is that all three of those names are both (relatively common) women’s names and also major streets in São Paulo. Avenida Angélica was once lined with stately mansions, some of which remain, and continues highly residential with medical offices, bakeries, and other businesses scattered in; Rua da Consolação (which means “consolation,” “comfort,” or “solace” and I have translated as “Consuelo” here since “Consolation” doesn’t really work as a name in English) is a major business thoroughfare; and Rua Augusta has high-end shopping to the south and bars and nightlife to the north.
“Augusta, Angélica, and Consuelo”
Augusta, thank god
Thank god
Between you and Angélica
I found Consuelo
Who came looking for me
And gave me a hand
Augusta (how I miss you)
You were vain
(I miss you so much)
And spent my money
On imported clothes
And other foolishness
Angélica (how wicked)
You always gave me cake
(How wicked)
And even walked around with your clothes
Smelling like a doctor’s office
Angélica
Augusta, thank god
Between you and Angélica
I found Consuelo
Who came looking for me
And gave me a hand
When I saw
That the Park of the Afflicted*
Wasn’t big enough
To contain my affliction
I went to live at the Station of Light^
Because everything was dark
Inside my heart
Augusta (how I miss you)
You were vain
(I miss you so much)
And spent my money
On imported clothes
And other foolishness
Angélica (how wicked)
You always gave me cake
(How wicked)
And even walked around with your clothes
Smelling like a doctor’s office
Angélica
*His play on words is totally lost in translation here. “Largo dos Aflitos” (in Salvador) literally is “Afflicted Park” or “Afflicted Square” or the like, with “Largo” coming from “large/big” and referring to a bigger space in a road making way for a park/square.
^The Estação da Luz (literally the “Station of Light”), a major train station in São Paulo, now houses the Museum of the Portuguese Language.