“Papel Machê” (João Bosco, 1984)
Source: Tore Sætre, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Today’s translation is in honor of yet another MPB icon turning 80 this year. It would be hard to overstate João Bosco’s importance to MPB, especially as a songwriter. His collaborations with Elis Regina, Vinícius de Moraes, and others are legendary. Today’s simple song is likely playing in multiple places in Brazil right now. My only real linguistic question is: How do you spell “paper mache”/“papier-mâché” in English?
“Papel Machê”
Cores do mar, festa do sol
Vida é fazer todo sonho brilhar
Ser feliz
No teu colo dormir
E depois acordar
Sendo o seu colorido brinquedo de papel machê
Dormir no teu colo é tornar a nascer
Violeta e azul, outro ser
Luz do querer
Não vai desbotar o lilás cor do mar
Seda cor de batom
Arco-íris crepom
Nada vai desbotar
Brinquedo de papel machê
“Papier-Mâché
Colors of the sea, party of the sun
Life is making all dreams shine
Being happy
Sleeping on your lap
And to then awake
Being your colorful papier-mâché toy
Sleeping in your lap is to be born again
Violet and blue, another being
Light of desiring
The lilac color of the sea will not fade
Silk color of lipstick
Rainbow crepe paper
Nothing will fade
Papier-mâché toy