Paisagem da Janela (Milton Nascimento, 1972)
Currently on the last tour of his amazing six-decade career, Milton Nascimento celebrates his 80th birthday today, in honor of which I offer a translation of “Paisagem da Janela” (“Landscape from my Window”), which he wrote with Lô Borges for the 1972 album “Clube da Esquina” (“Corner Club”), often cited as one of the greatest Brazilian pop albums ever.
“Landscape from my Window”
From the side window of my bedroom
I see a church, a sign of glory
I see a white wall and a bird flying
I see a gate, an old signal
Natural messenger of natural things
When I talked about those morbid colors
When I talked about those sordid men
When I talked about that storm
You didn’t listen
You don’t want to believe
But this is so normal
You don’t want to believe
I was just
An outcast knight bathed in a creek
A black knight who lived mysteries
Knight and lord of home and trees
Without needing rest even on Sundays
An outcast knight bathed in a creek
I knew the towers and the cemeteries
I knew the people and their wakes
When I looked out the side window
Of my bedroom