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    Estudiantina portuguesa → English translation

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Estudiantina portuguesa

Somos cantores de la tierra lusitana,
traemos canciones de los aires y del mar,
vamos llenando los balcones y ventanas
de melodías de la antigua Portugal.
 
Oporto riega en vino rojo sus laderas,
de flores rojas va cubierto el litoral,
verde es el Tajo, verdes son sus dos riberas,
los dos colores de la enseña nacional.
 
¿Por qué tu tierra toda es un encanto?
¿Por qué, por qué, se maravilla quien te ve?
¡Ay Portugal! ¿Por qué te quiero tanto?
¿Por qué, por qué te envidian todos? ¡Ay! ¿por qué?
 
Será que tus mujeres son hermosas,
será, será que el vino alegra el corazón,
será que huelen bien tus lindas rosas
será, será que estás bañada por el sol.
 
Música
 
Oporto riega en vino rojo sus laderas
De flores rojas va cubierto el litoral
Verde es el campo, verde son sus dos riberas
Los dos colores de la enseña nacional.
 
Translation

Portuguese strolling student band

We are minstrels of the Lusitanian land, 1.
we bring you songs from the air and the sea,
we go by, filling up balconies and windows
with old Portugal melodies.
 
Oporto bathes the slopes in its red wine, 2.
luscious red flowers cover the whole littoral,
green is the Tajo, also green are its two banks, 3.
these are the colors of the national flag.
 
How can it be that all your land is charming?
Why, why whoever sees you does wonder?
Oh Portugal, why do I love you so much?
Why, why do all envy you, Oh! Why?
 
Could it be because your women are beautiful?
could it be because the wine cheers one's heart?
could it be because the perfume of your roses?
could it be because you are bathed by the sun?
 
(interval music)
(repeats from the beginning)
 
(chorus)
Why, why whoever sees you does wonder?
Oh Portugal, why do I love you so much?
Why, why do all envy you, Oh! Why?
 
Could it be because the wine cheers one's heart?
could it be because the perfume of your roses?
could it be because you are bathed by the sun?
 
Collections with "Estudiantina ..."
Comments
michealtmichealt    Thu, 08/10/2015 - 21:56

Hi Rosa. Nice song. Amusing video - it gives me a new angle on "comparsa". :)

A couple of points about the English:

1st stanza 3rd verse: I think you intend "by" as part of the phrasal verb "go by"? If so, you need to follow it with a comma to prevent "by filling...." being read as an adverb phrase indicating the means of going. But I can't see any reason for not just saying "we fill...." other than perhaps to up the syllable count in the line.

2nd stanza first verse: it's more nomal to say "bathe...in" or "water...with" than "bathe...with" unless talking of treating a lesion with a topical antibiotic or analgesic. (yes, I know some people consider red wine as an analgesic, but surely an internal one not a topical one unless it's really awful wine :) )

3rd stanza 1st verse: "Por que" is more "Why should" than "How could", maybe?
2nd verse: missing "does" after second "why", and "wonders" should lose its "s".
4th verse: needs "do" after second "why".

4th stanza (missing space line before)
verses 1 to 4: "would" doesn't present a hypothesis to test, it introduces a condition; here you need "could".
verse 1: "of your beautiful women" is pretty low register: you could say "on account of ... ", which is a higher register equivalent, but I think that "your women are beautiful" would be betterthat any "because of" or "onm account of" version.
verse 2: you need to swap "your" and "the" - as it stands, you're saying that wine cheers Portugal's heart instead of that Portugal's wine cheers everyone's heart.
verse 3: because can't be followed by a noun phrase, it needs either a clause or "of" followed by a noun phrase (but see comment on verse 1); what is wrong with "your roses smell wonderful" or something like that?

The rest is repeats, so the comments above apply to them too.

Kind Regards

Tom

roster 31roster 31
   Fri, 09/10/2015 - 12:52

I gave you this for you to listen to the rhythm of the 'comparsa" or 'rondalla' of a marching band, nothing similar to the melody of "La comparsa" de Lecuona.
Actually, this one, is a theatrical representation, in which the chorus girls are dressed (half way) as rondalla students. Funny?

I'll make the corrections.
Thank you