“País tropical” (Jorge Ben Jor, 1969)
Source: As fotos da Virada!, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In honor of Jorge Ben’s 86th birthday, I’m translating a classic that is ubiquitous in Brazil and in almost anything about Brazil. (For better and for worse, as pointed out in one of my posts about the movie “Ainda estou aqui.”) Linguistically, the portmanteau “Sambaby” is noteworthy, if self-explanatory. This song is also a chance to point out that Portuguese isn’t bound by the ridiculous “double negative” rule like English, as seen in the line “não devo nada a ninguém” - literally “I don’t owe nothing to nobody.”
Note the shout out to the cuica late in this song, an instrument that is central to Brazilian music. (Somewhere in my education I took a musicology class and one of the readings included a survey about perceptions of linkages between certain instrumental sounds and certain countries. I can’t find that survey now but it had sitar=India first and cuica=Brazil second.)
“País tropical”
Moro num país tropical
Abençoado por Deus e bonito por natureza (mas que beleza)
Em fevereiro (em fevereiro)
Tem carnaval (tem carnaval)
Eu tenho um fusca e um violão
Sou Flamengo e tenho uma nega chamada Tereza
Sambaby, Sambaby
Sou um menino de mentalidades medianas
(Pois é)
Mas assim mesmo feliz da vida
Pois não devo nada a ninguém (pois é)
Pois sou feliz
Muito feliz comigo mesmo
Moro num país tropical
Abençoado por Deus e bonito por natureza (mas que beleza)
Em fevereiro (em fevereiro)
Tem carnaval (tem carnaval)
Eu tenho um fusca e um violão
Sou Flamengo e tenho uma nega chamada Tereza
Sambaby, Sambaby
Eu posso não ser um bandleader
(Pois é)
Mas assim mesmo lá em casa todos os meus amigos
Meus camaradinhas me respeitam (pois é)
Essa é a razão da simpatia
Do poder do algo mais e da alegria
Mó num pa tropí
Abençoá por Dê
E boní por naturê (mas que belê)
Em feverê (em feverê)
Tem carná (tem carná)
Eu tenho um fu e um viô
Sou Flamê
Tê uma nê
Chamá Terê
Do meu Brasil
Moro num país tropical, abençoado por Deus
E bonito por natureza (mas que beleza)
Em fevereiro (em fevereiro)
Tem carnaval (tem carnaval)
Eu tenho um fusca e um violão
Sou Flamengo e tenho uma nêga chamada Tereza
“Tropical Country”
I live in a tropical country
Blessed by God and beautiful by nature (but what beauty)
In February (in February)
There’s carnaval (there’s carnaval)
I have a VW beetle and a guitar
I’m a Flamengo fan and I have a girlfriend named Tereza
Sambaby, Sambaby
I’m a boy with average mental skills
(Right)
But even still happy as can be
Since I don’t owe anything to anyone (right)
So I’m happy
Very happy with myself
I live in a tropical country
Blessed by God and beautiful by nature (but what beauty)
In February (in February)
There’s carnaval (there’s carnaval)
I have a VW beetle and a guitar
I’m a Flamengo fan and I have a girlfriend named Tereza
Sambaby, Sambaby
I may not be a bandleader
(Right)
But even so back at home all my friends
My little colleagues respect me (right)
That’s the reason for the friendliness
For the power for something more and for the joy
I in count tropi
Blessèd by Go
And pret by natch (but what a beaut)
In Februá (in Februá)
There’s carná (there’s carná)
I have a beet and a guit
I’m Flamé
Have a girl
Call Teré
From my Brazil
I live in a tropical country
Blessed by God and beautiful by nature (but what beauty)
In February (in February)
There’s carnaval (there’s carnaval)
I have a VW beetle and a guitar
I’m a Flamengo fan and I have a girlfriend named Tereza