Catching up on Blogger on the Cast Iron Balcony, I came across Flor-de-Lis, a Portuguese folk music band, playing “Todas As Ruas Do Amor” in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest Semi-finals held in Moscow.
Performing in a suspiciously psychedelic setting, the earnestly expressive vocalist, Daniela Varela is backed by Pedro Marques on percussion, Jose Camacho on guitar, Jorge Marques on cavaquinho, Paulo Pereira on flute, and Ana Sofia Campeã on accordion.1
This description may not, on first reading, seem congruent with Helen’s (the blogger in the afore-mentioned Blogger on the Cast Iron Balcony) entry, excerpted here:
Let it put you in your happy place. I’ve been to a renewal of vows (for two people with the health cards stacked against one of them) and a funeral in the last month, and not a dry eye in the place for either. Emotions are raw. This song makes me tear up, but in a good way.
It turns out, however, that Helen’s comment is spot on. On first viewing the video, before I had seen the English translation, I indeed “tear[ed] up, but in a good way,” thinking about both Julie2 and Lawanda,3 the women I’d loved and lost.
I suspect some of you may have a parallel experience. For your sake, I hope so.
Flor-de-lis – “Todas As Ruas Do Amor”
Todas As Ruas Do Amor (Portuguese)4
Se sou tinta tu és tela
Se sou chuva és aguarela
Se sou sal és branca areia
Se sou mar és maré-cheia
Se sou céu és nuvem nele
Se sou estrela és de encantar
Se sou noite és luz para ela
Se sou dia és o luar
Sou a voz do coração
Numa carta aberta ao mundo
Sou o espelho d’emoção
Do teu olhar
Profundo
Sou um todo
Num instante
Corpo dado
Em jeito amante
Sou o tempo que não passa
Quando a saudade
Me abraça
Beija o mar o vento e a lua
Sou um sol
Em neve nua em todas as ruas
Do amor
Serás meu e eu serei tua
Se sou tinta tu és tela
Se sou chuva És aguarela
Se sou sal És branca areia
Se sou mar és maré cheia
Se sou céu és nuvem nele
Se sou estrela és de encantar
Se sou noite és luz para ela
Se sou dia és o luar
Beija o mar o vento e a lua
Sou um sol em neve nua
Em todas as ruas
Do amor
Serás meu e eu serei tua
All The Streets Of Love (English Translation)
If I were paint, you would be canvas
If I were rain, you would be aquarelle
If I were salt, you would be white sand
If I were sea, you would be high tide
If I were the sky, you would be a cloud in it
If I were a star, you would be the charming
If I were night, you would be its light
If I were daylight, you would be the moonlight
I’m the voice of the heart
I’m an open letter to the world
I’m the mirror of emotion
Of your deep look.
I’m complete
In a second
I give my body
Like a lover
I’m the time that doesn’t pass
When the lonely feeling
gets a hold on me
Kiss the sea, the wind and the moon.
I’m a sun
in naked snow. In all the streets
of love
You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours.
If I were paint, you would be canvas
If I were rain, you would be aquarelle
If I were salt, you would be white sand
If I were sea, you would be high tide
If I were the sky, you would be a cloud in it
If I were a star, you would be the charming
If I were night, you would be its light
If I were daylight, you would be the moonlight
Kiss the sea, the wind and the moon.
I’m a sun
in naked snow. In all the streets
of love
You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours.
Note: Originally published June 26, 2009 at 1HeckOfAGuy.com.
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- Wikipedia [↩]
- Julie was my much-beloved, fiercely smart, extraordinarily sexy wife, who died in 1999 from cancer diagnosed the week of our wedding nearly 20 years earlier. She was also a prize-winning writer. This blog includes many other posts about her and the unlikely but true story of our romance as well as several of her short stories and other pieces. For the location of the various content about or by Julie, see Julie FAQ. [↩]
- Lady Lawanda was the blogonym of the woman in my life for only four wonderful years. She was a leader in her work and her community and an inspiration to everyone who came to know her. Our time together was, much like my marriage to Julie, ridiculously happy but all too short. Lawanda died of breast cancer 1 year ago. [↩]
- Original lyrics in Portuguese and English translation from LyricsTranslation [↩]