N/A Taking my freedom as an author-translator again, I will not translate the lyrics of the songs in Brazilian and Spanish in the next chapters into English, just as I did not translate the lyrics of the songs in English that appeared in "The Year of the Revolution" in the Spanish version. Even so, I warn you that the meaning of the songs is important, and I invite you to listen to the original songs and look for the translations on the Internet if you want to fully understand the characters' comments on them.
. . . . . . . . .
Elis & Tom
The nine of them were gathered in the living room of the Evans house.
"Very well, move on to the next phase of the plan," Sev told them.
"Do you not feel like chatting about what you talked about with Jack or your brother, Prince?" Alice asked him.
"Not at all, I feel like forgetting about the subject for the moment. I've had enough for today, you will find out the full story in time. I give you permission to talk about it amongst yourselves, with everyone except my brother, because he has specifically asked me to my mother and I tell him about it when we feel ready. In any case, if something is bothering me during the time before I go to bed, I will discuss it with whoever I consider appropriate."
"Okay, Sev," Violet said. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to prepare something for you?"
"No, thank you, I am perfectly fine, I prefer not to eat anything else today. By the way, thank you very much for the lemon water, it did me good."
"You can see that we have brought water for everyone, at least drink plenty, vomiting can dehydrate you."
"True, I am thirsty. Thank you very much, Violet." He poured himself a glass of water from the jug and drank.
"Very well, the next and last phase of the plan was about listening to music together," Peter said. "You are the protagonist today. What do you want to listen to?"
"Wow... what a great idea, perfect for forgetting everything," agreed Sev. "The plan was almost perfect, huh? Whose idea was that?"
"Lily's," said Cecile. "Because of the night you spent listening to music on Easter."
"Well, in that case I do want you to call her, she'll also like it very much. Is that okay with you, Hippolyta?"
"Sure, Prince, whatever you want," she answered. "We're at her house, and if you want her to be there, I have nothing to say."
"Don't mess with her, okay, honey? She was very sad today."
"Okay, okay, Prince, I'll listen to the music and that's it."
"I'll go call her, Mum," said Petunia.
"I'll get another chair," offered Remus.
They both stood up.
"When Jack comes back we won't fit," said Sirius, laughing.
"We have it easy, I don't want to face Lily, so get up, Sirius, you go to the chair, be polite to the girls, and you sit next to me on the couch, Cecile," suggested Sev. "When Jack comes back, let him sit between Cecile and Lily and I'll take Hippolyta in my arms."
"You're going to get tired, Prince, your legs will get numb," objected the girl.
"My legs never get numb, honey."
"Good blood circulation," commented Violet.
"Will you be comfortable, Hippolyta?"
"I'm sure I will, I'm always comfortable if you hug me."
"Great."
"Very well, Severus, what do you want to listen to?" asked Peter.
"We could start with that whole Elis Regina album, or at least part of it, until we get bored, what do you think, Peter? So that Hippolyta can hear that wonderful voice that sounds so much like hers."
"Unbeatable decision. You make me happy, I haven't played it again since I listened to those songs with you at Easter."
"But wait until Lily comes downstairs, so she doesn't miss a note," Sev asked.
"Great, I'll look for it, prepare the record player and take it out. Also, I'm going to give you the lyrics translated into English, so you can read them together. Almost all of them are love songs that you're going to love."
"Wonderful."
Peter got up to look for the record, took it out of the cover, put it on the record player, took out the booklet with the English lyrics and handed it to Sev.
Meanwhile, Remus had already returned with the chair and Petunia and Lily came downstairs, the latter sitting next to Cecile on the couch.
"Good night everyone," said Lily.
"Good night, Lily," said Alice, getting up and approaching her. "How are you, pretty?"
"Much better since I've chatted with Sev and Jack."
Alice kissed Lily, she stood up and they hugged.
"Come on, brave," the eldest said. "Everything can be fixed except death."
Sev thought, Alice is wonderful. It was a great success to have told her today that she will be second, and all by intuition, without waiting to know her thoroughly.
"Sit here, Alice," Cecile said. "You've been sitting there for too long, so I can sit with Remus to listen to those love songs."
"Okay."
Cecile stood up, went to sit in a chair next to Remus and Alice sat between Sev and Lily. She bonded with him and said, "When Jack comes, let him sit on the other side of Lily, so we can support her more."
"I think that's great," said Sev.
They unbonded.
"Severus, have you located the first track?" Peter asked.
"'Waters of March'?" asked Sev.
"That one. The others are in order."
"We have it. Do you see it, Hippolyta? It talks about your month," he pointed it out.
"Yes, yes. Wow..." said the girl, excited.
"I know it," said Cecile. "Bossa nova, Brazilian, 'Águas de março', author, Tom Jobim."
"Bravo, Cecile!" exclaimed Peter.
"My mother plays it, she learned it by ear."
"Wow... incredible... Bossa nova is difficult to play, I won't even tell you about learning by ear, it has a very complicated harmony."
"But my mother got used to it from a young age, because in the piano bar she played jazz by ear and couldn't afford to buy sheet music, she learned the songs on the radio and then rehearsed them," she explained.
"Wow... your mother is a prodigy."
"She played her own versions, huh? They're certainly not faithful."
"Even more merit," Peter said. "Here it goes." He put the needle on the record and sat back down in the armchair.
The song started, Sev followed each verse with his finger so that Hippolyta wouldn't lose what it was saying. He responded to her comments with a double stream of thought so as not to lose the lyrics.
É o pau, é a pedra, é o fim do caminho
É um resto de toco, é um pouco sozinho
"She does sing like me…" she said softly, just for him.
"Indeed" he did too.
É um caco de vidro, é a vida, é o sol
É a noite, é a morte, é um laço, é o anzol
É peroba no campo, é o nó da madeira
Caingá candeia, é o matita Pereira
"They both sing together, like us..." said the girl.
"Of course, honey."
"Each one a phrase, like us…"
"Yes, my love."
É madeira de vento, tombo da ribanceira
É o misterio profundo, é o queira ou nao queira
"The deep mystery..." Hippolyta said.
É o vento ventando, é o fim da ladeira
"The wind blowing…"
É a viga, é o vao, festa da ciumeira
É a chuva chovendo, é conversa ribeira
Das águas de março, é o fim de canseira
É o pé, é o chao, é a marcha estradeira
Passarinho na mao, pedra de a tiradeira
"Little bird in the hand…"
É uma ave no céu, é uma ave no chao
"A bird in the sky, like the hawks, Prince…"
"True."
É um regato, é uma fonte, é um pedaço de pao
É o fundo do poço, é o fim do caminho
No rostro um desgosto, é um pouco sozinho
É um estepa, é um prego, é uma ponta, é um ponto
É um pingo pingando, é uma conta, é um conto
É um peixe, é un gesto, é uma prata brilhando
"Silver shining, our color, Prince…"
"That's right."
É a luz da manha, é o tijolo chegando
"The morning light, the dawn, Prince, like in the house…"
"Of course."
É a lenha, é o dia, é o fim da picada
"The firewood, like the bonfire, like the kitchen…"
"It's our song."
É a garrafa de cana, o estilhaço na estrada
É o projeto da casa, é o corpo na cama
É o carro enguiçado, é a lama, é a lama
É um passo, é uma ponte, é um sapo, é uma ra
É um resto de mato na luz da manha
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
"Closing out summer?" she asked.
"Of course, honey, in the southern hemisphere summer ends in March."
"Of course, I seem stupid…"
"No, because you didn't know that Brazil is in the south," he excused her. "The waters must refer to the autumn rains."
"Of course…"
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao
They arrived at the instrumental bridge.
"Of course, water, the promise of life…" Hippolyta deduced. "And now they have sung at the same time, like us…"
"Yes, honey."
"And the language is very beautiful, what language is it?"
"Portuguese, the language they speak in Brazil," answered Sev.
"We could learn it to sing it with Cecile's mother."
"True, and I will learn it on the piano, even if it is difficult. I love it, it is our song, it talks about your month and many things we have in common, and it is also very happy."
"And me, I love it too."
É uma cobra, é um pao, é Joao, é José
"A serpent…"
É um espinho na mao, é um corte no pé
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao
É o pau, é a pedra, é o fim do caminho
É um resto de toco, é um pouco sozinho
É um passo, é uma ponte, é um sapo, é uma ra
É um belo horizonte, é uma febre terça
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao
"Now they are saying the word water in many different languages," Peter explained.
"Oh..." said Hippolyta.
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao
"She laughs…" said the girl.
"Now they're improvising, singing whatever comes to mind at the moment," Peter commented.
"What you explained to me…" Hippolyta said to Sev.
"Yes, what I explained to you."
"I could do it with the flute…"
"Of course."
The song ended. Between tracks, Peter explained, "The transverse flute like the one you brought, Hippolyta, is used a lot in this type of music, bossa nova."
"Oh… great…" she said.
"Do you want to listen to it again?"
"Yes!"
"When we get tired of the others, we'll play it again," the man suggested.
"'So it is'," announced Sev.
Pois é
Fica o ditto e redito por nao ditto
É difícil dizer que inda é bonito
Cantar o que me restou de ti
Daí
Nosso mais-que-perfeito está desfeito
E o que me parecía tao direito
Caiu desse jeito sem perdao
Entao
Disfarzar minha dor já nao consigo
Dizer que nós somos bons amigos
É muita mentira para mim
"This one seems to be written for Lily and you, it is very sad…" Hippolyta told him very quietly.
"True," agreed Sev.
"Luckily she is not understanding it."
"Yeah."
"Are you getting sad?" she asked him.
"No, honey, don't worry."
E enfim
hoje na solidao ainda custo
A entender como o amor foi tao injusto
Para quem só lhe foi dedicaçao
Pois é, e entao
"Luckily it was very short," said the girl.
"Yes, luckily," and to everyone, "The next one is 'It had to be with you'."
"One of my favorites," said Peter. "'So tinha que ser com vocé'."
"This one is sure to be prettier, because of the title, you'll see," Sev told Hippolyta.
É, só eu sei, quanto amor eu guardei
Sem saber que era só para você
É, só tinha que ser com você
Havia de ser para você
Senao era mais uma dor
Senao nao seria o amor
Aquele que a gente nao vê
O amor que chegou para dar
O que ninguem deu para você
O amor que chegou para dar
O que ninguem deu
"Hey, Prince …This one seems written so that I could sing it to you…" said the girl.
"Really, honey?"
"Yes, Prince, I want to learn this one too…"
"We will ask Cecile's Mum to play it for us on the piano and I will also learn it for you to sing."
"Okay…"
É, você que é feita de azul
Me deixa morar nese azul
Me deixa encontrar mina paz
Você que é bonito demais
"You, who are too pretty, have you seen? It's you..." she said.
"Oh…"
Se ao menos pudesse saber
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
"That last one is no longer true," Hippolyta commented.
"True. I'm sorry honey."
"That's Muggle nonsense, Prince, no one belongs to anyone."
"You are absolutely right."
É, você que é feita de azul
Me deixa morar nese azul
Me deixa encontrar mina paz
Você que é bonito demais
Se ao menos pudesse saber
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
"From now on they improvise alternating," explained Peter. "Jobim, on the electronic piano does what he wants and Elis improvises the rhythm with the same lyrics. Listen."
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
"Well, we could do this part by improvising the two of us, you with the lyrics on the piano, which is easier, and I with the flute on the other pieces, and so we don't sing the piece of lyrics that we don't like so many times, because it is repeated a lot," the girl proposed.
"A wonderful idea."
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
Que eu sempre fui só de você
Você sempre foi só de mim
The song ended and Sev announced, 'Modinha.'
"This one is very sad but it is beautiful, you will see," said Peter.
The song began. Sev said to Hippolyta, "That is a string instrument, honey."
"Well… I like it a lot too…"
"And me too."
Nao
Nao pode mais meu coraçao
Viver assim de lacerado
Escravizado a uma ilusao
Que é só desilusao
"Indeed it is sad…"
Ah
"Those are flutes, Hippolyta," said Peter.
"Oh…"
Nao seja a vida sempre assim
Como un luar desesperado
A derramar melancolía em mim
Poesía em mim
Vai, triste cançao, sai do meu peito
E semella a emoçao
Que chora dentro do meu coraçao
Coraçao
"It seems like she's crying…" she said. "It's very sad but it's true that it's beautiful, and I love how they say heart in Portuguese, it sounds much better, coraçao."
"True. I like it better too."
The song ended.
"We could also learn it, it's very short," the girl suggested.
"We are going to bother Cecile's Mum."
"Ceciles says that she's delighted to make music with us."
"Great." And to everyone, "'Sad.'"
"This one is quite well known too, there's an English version," said Peter.
The song began.
"And this one is called 'Sad' and it's very cheerful," said Hippolyta.
"Of course," said Sev.
"It sounds familiar, it does," said Cecile.
Triste é viver na solidao
Na dor cruel de uma paixao
Triste é saber que ninguém pode viver de ilusao
Que nunca vai ser, nunca vai dar
O sonhador tem que acordar
Tua beleza é um aviao
Demais para um pobre coraçao
Que para pra te ver pasar
Só pra me maltratar
Triste é viver na solidao
Jack arrived by Floo.
"Prince, Prince, there's Jack, let's make room for him," said Hippolyta.
"Sure, sure…"
The girl stood up, Sev moved to her place, she sat on him and Alice and Lily also moved on the couch.
Peter said, "Now repeat the lyrics, how did everything go, Jack?"
"Eileen's sleeping until tomorrow at eleven and Valerie at home," he replied.
"Great," said Sev.
"What are you listening to?" asked Jack.
"Elis Regina and Tom Jobim, bossa nova, the Brazilian branch of jazz," answered Peter.
"Wow... it sounds great."
"It's la creme de la creme. Then we'll play the best one again, you missed it. Are the others enjoying it? Or are you already bored?"
"Not at all, Peter," replied Alice. "Each song is different, very, very original."
"I love it," said Cecile.
"Me too," Remus said.
"And me," Sirius said.
"Do you like it, Tuney?" her father asked her.
"Yes, Dad, a lot," she answered.
"Oh… what good news, you like something more than catchy songs."
Everyone laughed.
"And you, Lily?" Violet asked her.
"I love it, Mum," she answered.
"Well, I won't ask again, whoever gets bored can let me know between tracks," Peter said.
The repetition of the lyrics ended.
"Watch out, Hippolyta, there you have flutes again, do you recognise them?" Peter asked her.
"Yes, I do," the girl answered.
The song ended.
"'Corcovado'," Sev announced.
"A mountain in the city of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most populous in Brazil and also a very well-known song with an English version," Peter said. "Flutes, Hippolyta, again."
"How beautiful…" she said.
"Of course. I think it's my favorite wind instrument. And now strings. When she starts singing, listen to the rhythm guitar, it has the typical bossa nova rhythm, syncopated."
Um cantinho, um violao
"Do you know what a guitar is, honey?" Sev asked Hippolyta.
"Yes, I do."
"Are you listening to it? It's that thing that sounds interrupted."
"Yes, I am."
Esse amor, uma cançao
Para fazer feliz a quem se ama
Muita calma para pensar
E ter tempo para sonhar
Da janela vê-se o Corcovado
O Redentor, que lindo!
Quero a vida sempre assim
Com você perto de mim
Até o apagar da velha chama
E eu que era triste
Descrente desse mundo
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é felicidade, meu amor
It reached the instrumental bridge. Hippolyta said to him, "What a beautiful song, Prince… It's perfect for us, it's just what I feel for you and it also talks about music."
"True, my love, I feel that for you too."
"I don't know if this one is better than the first one to be our song. Besides, if there is an English version we could learn it both ways, sing it repeated in the same song with the two lyrics, so that everyone understands it."
"Of course, very good idea," he approved.
Peter announced, "Now pay attention to the vocal harmonies, Elis and Tom hand in hand. Impressive."
"How beautiful, Prince, they sing together again. What I was telling you, perfect for us."
E eu que era triste
Descrente desse mundo
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é felicidade, meu amor
Um cantinho, um violao
The song ended, Sev announced, "'What had to be.'"
"'O que tinha de ser'," said Peter. "Pure and simple voice and piano, perfect for you. Another of my favorites.
"Let's see, let's see…"
Porque foste na vida
A última esperança
Encontrar-te me fez criança
Porque ja eras meu
Sen eu saber sequer
Porque és o meu homem
E eu tua muller
Porque tu me chegaste
Sem me dizer que vinhas
E tuas mans foram minhas com calma
Porque foste minh'alma
Como um amanecer
Porque foste o que tinha de ser
"Prince... it's beautiful..." said the girl, very excited. "I also want to sing it... it's perfect for us too…"
"In time we'll sing them all, honey, we'll do a concert of bossa nova only."
"Okay, okay... ugh... so much work... We'll have to learn Portuguese…"
"Well, we'll learn, so we can travel to Brazil," he suggested.
Peter stood up and said, "It's time to turn it around. Last warning, anyone bored?"
No one spoke, Peter turned the record over and put it on the other side.
Sev announced, "'Black and white portrait'."
"All passion," said Peter, as he sat back down.
Já conheço os passos dessa estrada
Sei que nao vai dar em nada
Seus segredos sei de cor
Já conheço as pedras do caminho
E sei também que ali sozinho
Eu vou ficar, tanto pior
O que é que eu posso contra o encanto
Desse amor que eu negó tanto, evito tanto
E que no entanto volta sempre a enfeitiçar
Con seus mesmos tristes velhos fatos
Que num álbum de retratos eu teimo em colecionar
Lá vou eu de novo como um tolo
Procurar o desconsolo
Que eu cansei de conhecer
Novos días tristes, noites claras
Versos, cartas, minha cara, ainda volto a lhe escrever
Para lhe dizer que isto é pecado
Eu trago o peito tao marcado
De lembranças do pasado e você sabe a razao
Vou colecionar mais um soneto
Outro retrato em branco e preto
A maltratar meu coraçao
Vou colecionar mais um soneto
Outro retrato em branco e preto
A maltratar meu coraçao
"Not this one, huh?" Hippolyta said. "This is very sad."
"No, not this one." Sev announced to the others. "'Fights never more.'"
"Great," said Peter. "'Brigas nunca mais', very happy. There you have it, the syncopated bossa nova rhythm simplified, a good model to learn from."
Chegou, sorriu, venceu, depois chorou,
Entao fui eu quem consolou sua tristeza
Na certeza de que o amor tem dessas fases más
E é bom para fazer as pazes
Mas depois fui eu quem dele precisou
E ele entao me socorreu
E nosso amor mostrou que veio para ficar
Mais uma vez por toda a vida
Bom é mesmo amar em paz
Brigas nunca mais
"This one also talks about us, Prince…" Hippolyta said. "About how we help each other, the advice my parents have given me, and it's very short and happy, I want this one too…"
"We'll play it, honey, of course."
"Have you noticed how they alternate between slow and fast, tragic and happy themes?" Peter asked.
"Yes, we have."
"A very balanced album."
"Are you going to remember all the ones we're saying?" the girl asked him.
"Of course, with the cave ritual, otherwise we can listen to it again whenever you want to decide which one we start with."
"Okay, okay…"
The song ended, Sev announced, "'For all my life'."
"'Por toda a minha vida'," said Peter. "Great, all passion again. Listen to the strings."
Oh! Meu bem amado
Quero fazer-te um juramento, uma cançao
Eu prometo, por toda a minha vida
Ser somente tua e amar-te como nunca
Ninguém jamais amou
Ninguém
Oh! Meu bem amado, estrela pura aparecida
Eu te amo e te proclamo
O meu amor, o meu amor
Maior que tudo quanto existe
Oh! meu amor
"This one too, Prince, this one too… is what I feel for you… And it talks about the star, you are my star…"
"And you are mine, my love."
"And how beautiful the word love is in Portuguese, too, amor. It sounds better than in English, I'm going to call you that, meu amor, meu coraçao."
"I love it, honey, thank you very much," he said.
The next one was already starting, Peter announced, "'Photography', very jazzy, a delicacy. Note the changes in rhythm."
Eu, você, nós dois
Aquí neste terraço a beira-mar
O sol ja vai caindo
E o seu olhar
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Você tem que ir embora
A tarde cai
Em cores se desfaz
Escureceu
O sol caiu no mar
E a primeira luz lá embaixo se acendeu
Você e eu
"I also like você e eu more than you and me," Hippolyta said.
"Me too."
"You will see how soon we learn Portuguese with songs, knowing what they mean we will learn a lot of words and how to pronounce them."
"Sure."
Eu, você, nós dois
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
Parece que este bar
Já vai fechar
E há sempre uma cançao para contar
Aquela veja história de um desejo
Que todas as cançoes têm para contar
E veio aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
"I also want this one, Prince, it talks about the setting sun and the rising moon, I love it, I love it."
"I also liked it a lot, I like almost all of them. And what do you say about the music? "
"They are very cool, what Alice said, all different, so as not to get bored. And none of them have a verse and a chorus, they are like 'Wish you were here', almost none of them repeat the lyrics."
"True." He announced, "'Separation Sonnet',".
"'Soneto de separaçao'," said Peter. "A poem by the lyricist and poet Vinicius de Moraes, another of the fathers of bossa nova. I also have his records, we'll listen to them next time.
De repente do riso fez-se o pranto
Silencioso e branco como a bruma
E das bocas unidas fez-se a espuma
E das maos espalmadas fez-se o espanto
De repente, da calma fez-se o vento
Que dos olhos desfez a última chama
E da paixao fez-se o pressentimento
E do momento imóvel fez-se o drama
De repente, nao mais que de repente
Fez-se de triste o que se fez amante
E de sozinho o que se fez contente
Fez-se do amigo próximo, distante
Fez-se da vida uma aventura errante
De repente, nao mais que de repente
"I didn't like this one very much even though they sang together," said the girl.
"I did, I loved it. This is poetry, girl, deep things that you will understand when you get older, like 'Wish you were here.'"
"Of course…"
"'Raining in the rose garden'," Sev announced.
"'Chovendo na roseira'," said Peter. "Listen to the rhythm, a three by four, I think the only bossa nova in this ternary meter. Another gem due to its rarity."
Olha! Está chovendo na roseira
Que só da rosa mas nao cheira
A frescura das gotas úmidas
Que é de Luisa, que é de Paulinho, que é de Joao
Que é de ninguém
Pétalas de rosa carregadas pelo vento
Um amor tao puro carregou meu pensamento
Olha! Um tico-tico mora ao lado
E passeando no molhado
Adivinou a primavera
Olha! Que chuva boa pracenteira
Que vem molhar minha roseira
Chuva boa criadeira
Que molha a terra, que enche o rio que limpa o céu
Que traz o azul
Olha! O jasmineiro está florido
E o rianchinho de agua esperta
Se lança em vasto rio de águas calmas
Ah! Você é de ninguém…
Ah! Você é de ninguém
"What I was telling you before, Prince, you belong to no one."
"True."
"I also liked this one a lot, it talks about rain, rivers, nature…"
"I liked it too, it's very cheerful," he agreed.
"And I learned another word, look is olha."
"Yes."
"I also like it better in Portuguese," she opined.
"And me."
The next one began, Sev announced, "'Useless landscape'."
Mas pra que, pra que tanto céu, pra que tanto mar, pra que
De que serve esta onda que quebra e o vento da tarde
De que serve a tarde, inútil paisagem
Pode ser, que nao venhas mais, que nao voltes nunca mais
De que serven as flores que nascem pelos caminos
Se o meu camino sozinho é nada
The instrumental bridge began, Hippolyta asked him, "This is also poetry, right?"
"Yes, honey."
"I like this one because I understand it, even if it's sad."
"Of course."
De que serven as flores que nascem pelos caminos
Se o meu camino sozinho é nada, é nada, é nada
"It's over," said Peter. "What did you think?"
"The best thing I've heard in a long time," Jack opined. "Except for Prince's version of 'Wish you were here', of course."
"Well, because you haven't heard the one he does with Hippolyta," said Violet. "La creme de la creme."
"Well, well, I want to hear it."
"To say goodbye to the night," said Sev. "Although it might upset me, that song affects me a lot."
"Of course, of course, otherwise we'll leave it for another day, okay?"
"We'll see."
"More opinions," asked Peter.
"Hallucinating," said Sirius. "I'm discovering music at almost seventeen years old. I love it, all music, what Cecile plays is also spectacular."
"Of course," said Peter. "Cecile? Did you know any other songs?"
"Yes, also 'Corcovado'," she answered.
"Because it has an English version. Remus?"
"I liked it a lot more than what you played me when I arrived," answered Lupin.
"Of course. Alice?"
"In the clouds, I would listen to it all again," she answered. "I really want to not only read the lyrics in English, but to learn Portuguese to understand them directly, and thus, incidentally, travel to Brazil one day, to the Amazon, the habitat of my Patronus."
"I would also make that trip, and it's true, the lyrics are not to be missed, let Severus and Hippolyta tell you. What did you think of the lyrics?"
"We liked them so much that we want to play and sing at least half of the songs," answered the girl.
"We are going to give your mother a job, Cecile," warned Sev.
"Well, she's delighted, just to be able to listen to the record," said Cecile. "Do you want me to invite her to come tomorrow morning?"
"Of course," said Peter. "And if she can get away from the housework for a day, you're both invited to lunch if Violet doesn't mind."
"Of course not, honey," said his wife.
"I'll quickly convince her, we'll make lunch between the two of us and leave it for my father and my sister," suggested Cecile.
"Great," said Peter. "Lily, what did you think?"
"Now I really regret, Dad, not having listened to music with you all these years, what I've been missing," she replied.
"I say the same, little sister," said Petunia.
"Don't complain, you've got the record player close at hand and at your complete disposal," said their father. "Let Tuney teach you how to use the record player, Lily, now you have something interesting to do in the summer. Be careful not to scratch my records, huh? I wouldn't be able to get back many of them, this one for example."
"We'll be careful, Dad, of course we will," Lily reassured him.
"Shall we put the first one back on?"
"Yes!" they all exclaimed.
Peter stood up and turned the disc over again.
Sev asked him, "Are the lyrics in Portuguese too, Peter?"
"They are," the man replied.
"Do you want us to read them in Portuguese, Hippolyta, so we can learn to pronounce what we read and at the same time we can give Alice the lyrics in English so she can understand them?"
"Of course," she replied. "But another day we'll read it in English again, okay? I also want to learn the meaning."
"Of course, honey, otherwise I'll tell you, I remember the whole song with the ritual in the cave."
"Of course…"
Peter was already handing them the lyrics in Portuguese, and asked them, "Have you located it? It's the first one on the side just as I gave it to you."
"Yes. Here, Alice, 'Waters of March'," Sev handed Alice the English lyrics.
"Great," she replied. "Shall we read it together, Lily?"
"Sure, Alice," she replied.
"Everyone ready?" asked Peter.
"Go on, go on, Peter," said Sev.
"We too," said Alice.
"I'll give the rest of you the cover, so you can see how happy they are," handing it to Petunia. "Here I go." Peter put the needle on the record and sat back down.
Sev and Hippolyta soon picked up the tune of the lyrics and began to sing, with very poor pronunciation but in perfect tune, their first bossa nova.
É o pau, é a pedra, é o fim do caminho
É um resto de toco, é um pouco sozinho
É um caco de vidro, é a vida, é o sol
É a noite, é a morte, é um laço, é o anzol
É peroba no campo, é o nó da madeira
Caingá candeia, é o matita Pereira
É madeira de vento, tombo da ribanceira
É o misterio profundo, é o queira ou nao queira
É o vento ventando, é o fim da ladeira
É a viga, é o vao, festa da ciumeira
É a chuva chovendo, é conversa ribeira
Das águas de março, é o fim de canseira
"É o pé, é o chao, é a marcha estradeira
Passarinho na mao, pedra de a tiradeira
É uma ave no céu, é uma ave no chao
É um regato, é uma fonte, é um pedaço de pao
É o fundo do poço, é o fim do caminho
No rostro um desgosto, é um pouco sozinho
É um estepa, é um prego, é uma ponta, é um ponto
É um pingo pingando, é uma conta, é um conto
É um peixe, é un gesto, é uma prata brilhando
É a luz da manha, é o tijolo chegando
É a lenha, é o dia, é o fim da picada
É a garrafa de cana, o estilhaço na estrada
É o projeto da casa, é o corpo na cama
É o carro enguiçado, é a lama, é a lama
É um passo, é uma ponte, é um sapo, é uma ra
É um resto de mato na luz da manha
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao
É uma cobra, é um pao, é Joao, é José
É um espinho na mao, é um corte no pé
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao
É o pau, é a pedra, é o fim do caminho
É um resto de toco, é um pouco sozinho
É um passo, é uma ponte, é um sapo, é uma ra
É um belo horizonte, é uma febre terça
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao
Sao as águas de março fechando o verao
É a promesa de vida no teu coraçao"
When the song finished everyone applauded them except Peter, who had already gotten up previously and stopped the record player before the next track would begin. The cover reached Sev and Hippolyta's hands.
"Look... it's them, Elis and Tom..." he said.
"She's very pretty and very happy," she said.
"Are you interested in knowing anything about her life?" Peter asked.
"Of course," the girl answered.
"She was born in '45, she is now thirty or thirty-one, and she was a child prodigy, she was already singing from a very young age. At fourteen, your age, she was hired by a Brazilian radio station and the following year she recorded her first album."
"Wow…"
"At twenty she had her own television show," continued Lily's father. "She has been married to two different men, the second of them, one of their pianists, and she had a child with each of them. This album is from two years ago, from '74."
"And how do you get records like that, Peter?" Sev asked him.
"I have a trusted record store in London, they bring me imported records. This one, from the United States, was not released here. Have you noticed that the English is a bit different?"
"Yes, yes. Oh…"
"That's why I'm telling you that I might not be able to get it again," explained the man.
"Of course, it is a gem."
"Yes, because as I told you at Easter, it is music that you will not hear even on the radio, the only way to do it is to have the album."
"And about Tom Jobim, can you tell us?" asked Sev.
"Of course. Born in '27, your mother's age, Severus. Trained in classical music as a pianist, he was one of the inventors of the bossa nova alongside Vinicius de Moraes and Luis Bonfá in the late 1950s, fusing jazz harmony with Brazilian rhythms such as samba. The first thing they did together was the music for a play that was eventually turned into a film, 'Black Orpheus'. By the way, 'bossa nova' means 'new trend', 'new wave'. He composes music and lyrics, He also plays the guitar as well as the piano, and as you have heard, he sings. A true genius, a very complete artist. Later he worked with many other artists, for example Joao Gilberto, Brazilian singer and guitarist, or Stan Getz, American saxophonist, with whom he recorded his biggest hit after 'Garota de Ipanema', 'Desafinado'."
"Do you have any more of his albums?"
"Of course I do, I have those," Peter replied. "It was hard for me to get them, because I had no news of bossa nova until years later and in the shop I told you about they got them for me second hand and for a good amount of money."
"Oh…"
"But it was worth it, huh? Do you want to keep listening to bossa nova?"
"Let's leave it for another time, don't you think?" Sev suggested. "So as not to overwhelm ourselves."
"Sounds good to me, Prince," said Alice. "Let's move on to another genre."