Paroles et traduction Rui Veloso - País do gelo

País do gelo

Lá vai a Nau Catrineta que tem tudo por contar
Ouve só mais uma história que vos vai fazer pasmar
Eram 1012 a bordo nas contas do escrivão
Sem contar os galináceos, sete patos e um cão

E era lista mui sortida de fidalgos passageiros
Desde mulheres de má vida a padres e mesteireiros
Iam todos tão airosos com seus farnéis e merendas
Mais parecia um piquenique do que a carreira das índias

Ao passar em Cabo Verde o mar deu em encrespar
Logo viram ao que vinham quando a Nau deu em bailar
Veio a cresta do Equador e o Cabo da Boa Esperança
Onde o velho Adamastor subiu o ritmo da dança

Foi tamanha a danação, foi puxado o bailarico
Quem sanfonava a canção era a mão do mafarrico
Tinha morrido o piloto e em febre o capitão ardia
Encantada pela corrente p′ra sul a Nau se perdia

Subia a conta dos dias, ficavam podres os dentes
E eram tantas as sangrias, morriam da cura os doentes
E o cheiro era tão mau e a fé tão vacilante
Parecia que a pobre Nau era o inferno de Dante

Com o leme sem governo e a derrota já perdida
Fizeram um auto de fé com as mulheres de má vida
E foram tirando à sorte quem havia de morrer
P'ra que o vizinho do lado tivesse o que comer

No céu três meninas loiras cantavam um cantochão
Todas vestidas de tule p′ra levar o capitão
No meio do seu delírio mostrou a raça de bravo
Teve ainda força na língua para as mandar ao Diabo

Neste martírio sem fim ficou o lenho a boiar
Até que um vento gelado a terra firme o fez varar
Que diria o escrivão se pudesse escrevinhar
Eram 1012 a bordo e 12 haviam de chegar

Ao grande país do gelo com 1000 cristais a brilhar
Onde a paz era tão branca só se quiseram deitar
Naqueles lençóis de linho à plumas acolchoados
E lá dormiram para sempre como meninos cansados

Ice Country

There goes the Catrineta Ship that has everything to tell
Listen to one more story that will amaze you
There were 1012 aboard in the accounts of the clerk
Not counting the poultry, seven ducks and a dog

And it was a varied list of noble passengers
From women of ill repute to priests and craftsmen
They were all so airy with their picnics and snacks
It looked more like a picnic than the Indian race

As we passed Cabo Verde, the sea began to ripple
We soon saw what was coming when the ship started to dance
Came the crest of the Equator and the Cape of Good Hope
Where old Adamastor turned up the rhythm of the dance

The dancing was so damn good, who was playing the song
The hand of the swindler
The pilot had died and the captain was burning with fever
Enchanted by the current, the ship was heading south

As the days went by, our teeth became rotten
And there were so many bloodlettings, the sick died from the cure
And the smell was so bad and the faith so faltering
It seemed that the poor ship was Dante's hell

Without a steering wheel and the course already lost
They made an act of faith with the women of ill repute
And they drew lots to see who would die
So that the neighbor next door would have something to eat

In the heavens three blond girls sang a Gregorian chant
All dressed in tulle to take the captain away
In the midst of his delirium he showed his brave nature
He still had the strength to tell them to go to the Devil

In this endless martyrdom, the ship stayed afloat
Until an icy wind brought it ashore
What would the clerk say if he could write
There were 1012 on board and 12 would arrive

To the great ice country with 1000 crystals shining
Where peace was so white that they just wanted to lie down
In those linen sheets on feather-filled mattresses
And there they slept forever like tired children