“É preciso saber viver” (Os Titãs, 1984)
Source: Zé Carlos Barretta, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In honor of the 63rd birthday of Branco Mello, lead vocalist and bassist of Os Titãs, a song of hope and inspiration. As with a recent song from the “Ainda estou aqui” film soundtrack, I’ve taken the implied subject from the title (which would translate directly as “It is necessary to know how to live”) and made it explicit. I’ve also gone with “gotta” as the verb because I believe it hits harder than “have to” or certainly than “it is necessary to.” Another interesting translation tidbit is in the very first line: The Portuguese verb “esperar” could be “hope” or “await” but I’ve gone with “expect.”
“É preciso saber viver”
Quem espera que a vida
Seja feita de ilusão
Pode até ficar maluco
Ou morrer na solidão
É preciso ter cuidado
Pra mais tarde não sofrer
É preciso saber viver
Toda pedra do caminho
Você pode retirar
Numa flor que tem espinho
Você pode se arranhar
Se o bem e o mal existem
Você pode escolher
É preciso saber viver
É preciso saber viver
É preciso saber viver
É preciso saber viver
Saber viver
“You gotta know how to live”
Anyone who expects that life
Is made of illusion
Could even go crazy
Or die in solitude
You gotta be careful
So you don’t suffer later
You gotta know how to live
Every stone in the path
You can remove
On a flower with thorns
You can scratch yourself
If good and evil exist
You can choose
You gotta know how to live
You gotta know how to live
You gotta know how to live
You gotta know how to live
Know how to live