Attempt at song transcription

I started collecting Brazilian music CDs and mp3s, some MPB, some more folkloric, about four or five years ago. Some of the CDs, however, have great music but no lyrics. This is aggravating, especially when the lyrics are impossible to find online. I decided to turn a bug into a feature: I can use this as an opportunity for ear training. Today I sat down and did my best to transcribe a catchy tune, "Mal-me-quer", from _Music From South Brazil_, a collection of songs performed by the gaúcho dance company Aldeia dos Anjos.

"Mal-me-quer" ("She loves me not")

Esta florzinha amarela

Que se chama "mal-me-quer"

Quando se fala com ela [or possibly "me fala"]

Mente mais do que [quel?] mulher

Mal me quer, bem me quer

Muito, pouco, ou quase nada

Bem me quer, mal me quer

Olha que a flor me malvada (I had a lot of trouble catching this line, and had to guess. Possibly something like "O que a flor tal me vada"? Either way, I'm having trouble making sense of it.)

Eu vou a desta chinoca (I had to guess at the beginning, but "desta chinoca" is clear. "Chinoca" is Rio do Sul slang for "menina", more or less. Or possibly "morena".)

Que seja que Deus quiser

Mas persevero a verdade (had to guess a bit, but "verdade" is clear)

Que conteia mal-me-quer (had to guess again, but "mal-me-quer" is clear)

Repeat "Mal me quer, bem me quer" chorus.

Thoughts? Corrections? Hysterical laughter? Thanks.

Comments

[Morgan D.]

I don't know the song, so I'm going by the logic of the lyrics, okay?

Quando se fala com ela [or possibly "me fala"]

That would be "se". "When you talk to it" would be the translation.

Mente mais do que [quel?] mulher

"que" --> "Lies more than women do" (ARGH!)

Mal me quer, bem me quer

"Bem-me-quer, mal-me-quer" is what you say when you pick the petals of a daisy: "She loves me, she loves me not..."

Olha que a flor me malvada (I had a lot of trouble catching this line, and had to guess. Possibly something like "O que a flor tal me vada"? Either way, I'm having trouble making sense of it.)

I don't know this one. "Olha que a flor me maltrata?" "Olha que a flor é malvada"? "Olha o que a flor malvada"? And the next line doesn't help.

Eu vou a desta chinoca (I had to guess at the beginning, but "desta chinoca" is clear. "Chinoca" is Rio do Sul slang for "menina", more or less. Or possibly "morena".)

Or prostitute. ^__^
I suspect it's "Eu dou a esta chinoca" (I give [the flower] to this..." Erm. ^__^)

Que seja que Deus quiser

Que seja o que Deus quiser (classical sentence)

Mas persevero a verdade (had to guess a bit, but "verdade" is clear)

Probably "Mas persevera a verdade"

Que conteia mal-me-quer (had to guess again, but "mal-me-quer" is clear)

Since it's regional song, "conteia" might be it. Not commonly used, though.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Teka]

Sim! Obrigada pelo ajudo, meu bem.

(And then you can point out all the errors in that sentence.) ; )

[Morgan D.]

You asked for it! ^__^

The noum is "ajuda" (feminine). "Ajudo" would be the verb, conjugated in the first person, Presente do Indicativo. So, "obrigada pela ajuda".

De nada! ^__^

[Teka]

Then I'll point out that it's English "noun". : P Thanks.

[Teka]

If he's handing/giving her the flower, that would suggest to me that she must be at least somewhat "respectable". He wouldn't need to court a prostitute, he'd just pay the money. Unless he's fallen in love, which is certainly possible.

[Teka]

"Olha que a flor é malvada"?

You know, I think that's probably the line. Thanks!

[Bruno]

olá! my name is Bruno, and i'm brazillian.
this song is from a especial part of brazil. this is a south song.

you´re having a problem with that line, because in the right letter we say:

olha que flor mais malvada!
(something like, look howmutch bad is this flower)

sorry for my english...
if you have more questions, send me