Help: Girl from Ipanema

Subject: Lyr Add: GIRL FROM IPANEMA (in Portuguese)
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 04:08 AM

Can any Portuguese-speaking 'Catter out there help me out with translating the original words to "Garota de Ipanema"? I've got a very literal one from Babale Fish, which is laughable but not very helpful. Here's the original:

Olha que coisa mais linda
Mais cheia de graça
É ela menina
Que vem e que passa
Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar
Moça do corpo dourado
Do sol de Ipanema
O seu balançado é mais que um poema
É a coisa mais linda que eu já vi passar

Ah, porque estou tão sozinho
Ah, porque tudo é tão triste
Ah, a beleza que existe
A beleza que não é só minha
Que também passa sozinha

Ah, se ela soubesse
Que quando ela passa
O mundo sorrindo se enche de graça
E fica mais lindo Por causa do amor


And here's the "English":

It looks at that fuller
Prettier thing of favour
Is it girl
Who comes and that she passes
In a candy rocking, the path of the
Young sea of the golden body
Of the sun of Ipanema
Balanced its is more than a poem
Is the thing prettier than I already vi [have seen?] to pass

Ah, because I am so alone Ah, because everything is so sad
Ah, the beauty that exists
The beauty that is not alone mine
That also passes alone

Ah, if it knew
That when it passes
The world smiling if she fulls of favour
And he is prettier
Because of the love

I think "doce" must mean "sweet" (not "candy"!), but my best guess at the rest so far is:

Look -- what's prettier and more graceful than the girl who comes and walks by the seashore, swaying sweetly, young, and gold-tanned by the Ipanema sun?
[...]
If she only knew that, when she goes by, the whole world smiles to see her so graceful, and is made a prettier place through love.

Thanks,
Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 08:25 AM

I can't help Steve, but that "English" translation is a riot!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Allan C.
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 08:41 AM

Most people don't know that Ipanema is a suburb or Rio de Janeiro. It meets the sea at a lovely beach. I used to hang out at that beach when I was a young teen. My buddy and I would watch and wait for a beautiful young woman who, clad in a leopardskin bikini, would arrive each afternoon. She would plant her beach umbrella in the sand and spread her towel then lie upon it and read a book. This song takes me there every time. So does the movie, "Summer of 42".

This is as good as I could do on the translation:

Olha que coisa mais linda
Look at that pretty thing
Mais cheia de graça
So filled with grace
É ela menina
It is that girl
Que vem e que passa
Who comes and passes by,
Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar
In a sweet balance, (her way of walking) to the road by the sea
Moça do corpo dourado
The golden girl
Do sol de Ipanema
Of the sun at Ipanema
O seu balançado é mais que um poema
Oh her way of walking is so like a poem
É a coisa mais linda que eu já vi passar
It is the most beautiful thing I have yet see pass by

Ah, porque estou tão sozinho
Ah, why am I so alone
Ah, porque tudo é tão triste
Ah, why is everything so sad
Ah, a beleza que existe
Ah, the beauty that is
A beleza que não é só minha
The beauty which is not my own
Que também passa sozinha
That passes by alone as well

Ah, se ela soubesse
Ah, if she knew
Que quando ela passa
That when she passes
O mundo sorrindo se enche de graça
The smiling world is filled with grace
E fica mais lindo Por causa do amor
It remains more beautiful because of love

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 09:56 AM

Thanks Allan. Loses something in the translation, doesn't it? I think, as English versions of songs go, "The girl from I" is a pretty good version of "Garota de I", keeping most of the sense, if not the strict meaning.

Next qustion: can you suggest the pronunciation? I can pronounce Spanish, more or less, but I suspect that's not too much of a guide. There seem to be a lot more syllables than notes, too!

Spaw, you can have a lot of fun with Babel Fish, translating from English to whatever and back again, if you ever have time to get bored.

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Allan C.
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 06:18 PM

Okay. Here ya go...

Portuguese is a little like Spanish spoken with a French accent. Well, sorta. As in Spanish, the accents are normally on the next to last in multi-syllable words. Vowels are generally "short". Vowels that are to be made to sound "long" will be shown here in capitals. I have put in double ll's in some places for emphasis. The word, "do" (of the) is pronounced, either "dew" or "dough" depending on where in Brazil you are and whether a consonant follows. Cariocas (people of Rio) would normally say "dew". The "ão" dipthong sounds somewhat like saying the exclamation of pain, "ow" through your nose. Some linguists express this by writing it phonetically as "oung".

Much of speaking in languages has to do with how you hold your mouth much of the time. Brazilian Portuguese can be spoken for the most part with your mouth held as though you were starting to make a "w" sound. A notable exception comes when making a long "E" sound. Then you smile and show most of your teeth.

This thing may not sound 100% accurate. However, you will be close enough to impress most folks (if you can make sense of my notes).

Olha que coisa mais linda
Ol-yah kAy koy-sah mIce leen-dah
Mais cheia de graça
MIss shAy-ah dee grah-sah (First word is like "mice")
É ela menina
eh el-lah men-nee-nah (the eh sounds like the "e" in "blemish")
Que vem e que passa
Kay vAym E kay pah-sah, (This time the E means "and" rather than "is" and has a long sound.)
Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar
Noom dOs-sAy bah-lahn-sO ah kah-meen-yO dew mar
Moça do corpo dourado
MO-sah dew kOr-pO dO-rah-dew
Do sol de Ipanema
Dew sOl dee E-pahn-A-mah
O seu balançado é mais que um poema
O sAoo (clipped dipthong) bah-lahn-sah-dew eh mIss kAy oom pO-ehm-ah
É a coisa mais linda que eu já vi passar
Eh ah koy-sah mIss leen-da kay ehoo (clipped dipthong) zha vee pahs-ar (eu sounds somewhat like what someone might say when stepping in a dog pile except the "e" is short.) (passar has the accent on the second syllable.)

Ah, porque estou tão sozinho
ah, por-kAy es-tO tão sO-zeen-yO (accent on the last syllable of estou)
Ah, porque tudo é tão triste
ah, por-kAy toodoo eh tão tree-stay
Ah, a beleza que existe
ah, ah bay-lay-zah kay eh-zhee-stay (slur the kay eh together)
A beleza que não é só minha
Ah bay-lay-zah kay não eh sO meen-ya (slur the não eh together) (sort of quietly add on that final "ya")
Que também passa sozinha
Kay tom-bAym pah-sah sO-zeen-ya

Ah, se ela soubesse
Ah, say el-lah soo-bess-E
Que quando ela passa
Kay kwandew el-lah pah-sah
O mundo sorrindo se enche de graça
O moon-dew sO-reen-dew say en-chay day grah-sah
E fica mais lindo Por causa do amor
E fee-kah mIss leen-dew por cow-sah dew ah-mOr (This time the E means "and" rather than "is" and has a long sound.)

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Joy Bennett
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 09:08 PM

an english version was recorded in the late 60s - early 70s ?? I may have the words that were loosely translated if you would like I will dig them up.

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Allan C.
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 09:57 PM

Welcome, Joy! Glad you are here! I don't know how deep you were going to dig for those lyrics so I submit the following with the hope that I have saved you a bit of work. The pop version of the song can be found at Lyrics World here:

http://www.summer.com.br/~pfilho/html/main_index/index.html

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 03:37 AM

Thanks, Joy and Allan. Actually, I know the English words -- they've been imprinted on my brain since Astrud and Marcelo(?) Gilberto recorded it in 1964. Actually, I remebered that he sings the Portuguese words first, so There's no problem with the pronunciation.

Ah, Astrud Gilberto! Crap singer but such a sexy voice!

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Callie
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:04 AM

Alan C:

I'm a little puzzled as to why you would pronounce "que" with a "y" sound at the end ("kAy"). I know the Spanish "que" has a short "e" sound. I though the Portugese would have either this or a duller "e" sound, closer to the word "kerr".

Anyone have any ideas?

Callie

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Allan C.
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:23 AM

The Y is there just to emphasize the long A sound and is not actually pronounced. I did that for other readers who might not speak ANY related language. I'm no expert; but in my opinion, the Brazilian "que" is not as clipped as you would find it to be in Spanish. I suppose, however, that it might have been more accurate to spell it, "kAh" - except that while the mouth begins to form itself for the "h", it is never quite fully formed and not pronounced at all.

I would fully expect for my Portuguese teachers to be wretching and gagging if they were to see how I go about explaining what they taught me. But this is as good as I can do.

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:34 AM

Eek!! I missed out a whole lot of stuff here. Allan -- I must apologise for my last post -- I didn't mean to be as ruse as I must have sounded. Well, I didn't mean to be rude at all! It's just a gift, I suppose ...

Thanks very much. I'll print this off and go and study it (in conjunction with the recording, too) until I'm word-perfect.

Steve, with a red face

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Lanfranc
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:09 PM

My recollection of the English translation as sung by Astrud Gilberto and others is as follows:

"Tall and tanned and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking and when she passes, each boy she passes goes 'aaah'"

"When she walks she's like a samba, that swings so gentle and sways so gentle, and when she passes, each boy she passes goes 'aaah'"

"Oh, but I watch her so sadly, how can I tell her I love her? Yes, I would give my heart gladly, but each day as she walks to the sea, she looks straight ahead not at me."

"Tall and tanned and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking and when she passes, I smile, but she doesn't see, she just doesn't see"

Lots of lovely Major 7th, augmented and diminished chords in the guitar accompaniment as I recall - haven't played it in years!

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 09:50 AM

Yes, Lanfranc, there are some ... intersting chords in there!

Allan, are there many different Portuguese accents in south America? I presume the pronunciation will have slight differences from European Portuguese, the same as Spanish. I notice that when Gilberto (Mr not Mrs) sings, "s" seems to be "s" before a vowel and "sh" before a consonant, even when it's at the end of a word, for instance. And he often "loses" a final vowel when the next word begins with a vowel: "do sol d'Ipanema" and "porqu'estou". And "e" is short-ish, almost like English "bet" on occasions. I shallhave to take care -- I'm in danger of starting to learn the language!

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 09:53 AM

Sorry -- that first "for instance" should say "coisa mais linda" = "koysa my-sh linda".

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Allan C.
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 10:18 AM

You are quite right. There are different accents. And I had quite forgotten about the sh at the end of mIssh. That is a typical Carioca addition but is not found throughout Brazil.

As you go farther south in Brazil you will find a tremendous German influence. This becomes evident in the pronunciation of the language. There once were towns, such as Blumenau, where, unless you spoke German, you couldn't make yourself understood. In the 30's Germans comprised some 40% of all immigrants. The language thing became such a problem that in 1939 a law was passed that everyone was required to speak the national language of Portuguese.

As a side note: That part of Brazil is still quite beautiful. It is filled with cross-beam barns and houses which, were it not for the temperature, would make you think you were in Germany.

The other thing you mention is something found in most Brazilian songs. They often slur words together in order to force them to fit the meter. My congratulations! You are very observant.

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: GUEST,Rogerthe skiffler
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 11:38 AM

"Tall and tanned and young and lovely", so that's why Steve is doing it (well, one out of four isn't bad!)
RtS

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 22 Nov 00 - 11:39 AM

You're too kind, Allan! It sounds a lovely place. It's a shame it's so far away!

Your mention of German speakers reminds me that there are Welsh-speaking areas in Argentina. Many mining families emigrated there in the last century to work in the Argentine mines. In the Falklands War, some soldiers from a Welsh regiment took some Argentine prisoners, and were astonished to find they had a common language!

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Joy Bennett
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 07:52 AM

Hi Lanfranc

actually it's "Tall and tan" (not past tense) and "each ONE she passes," not each boy, and "gentle" is not used twice though truthfully I can't recall the correct words for that as i sit here.

Joy

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 08:12 AM

"Cool", Joy.

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Allan C.
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 11:51 AM

When she walks, she's like a samba That swings so cool and sways so gentle

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Lanfranc
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 07:30 PM

I'll have to change my name to Senor Moment!

Have mercy on an old man's memory, I know I had it once!

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 03:21 AM

I think that should be "Senhor"!

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Gern
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 10:06 AM

Perhaps irrelevant, but the English translation reminded me of Homer and Jethro's translation into Southern slang, called "The Gal from Possum Holler." Sung to the same tune as the 60s bossa nova rendition, a few lines go:"When she goes out walking, from the back/ she looks two bobcats fighting in a tater sack/ and when she passes, the guys she passes go "bleah!"/Oh, how that woman can bug me/I'd die if I thought that she loved me/ she's got such an excess of ugly/ that each day when she goes to the 'crick'/even the catfish get sick..." I won't venture any translation to Portugeuse

Subject: RE: Help: Girl from Ipanema
From: Allan C.
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 10:12 AM

I love it, Gern! I only ever heard that recording once and had long since forgotten it. Thanks for the reminder.

Subject: Chords Add: GIRL FROM IPANEMA
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 30 Nov 00 - 05:05 PM

Just for the record, here are the chords:

(intro) Fmaj7/F#7/Fmaj7/F#7/
|Fmaj7/Fmaj7/G7/G7
/Gm7/F#7/Fmaj7/F#7|
|Fmaj7/Fmaj7/G7/G7/
Gm7/F#7/Fmaj7/Fmaj7|
(Bridge)
|F#6/F#6/B/B/
F#m9/F#m9/E9/E9/
Gm9/Gm9/F9/F9/
Am7/G#7/Gm7/F#7|
|Fmaj7/Fmaj7/G7/
G7/Gm7/F#7/Fmaj7/Fmaj7|
||:F#7/Fmaj7:||

The A melody plays twice, then the bridge, and back to the A melody,(just like a tin-pan alley song) with a little repeated vamp (F#7-Fmaj7) on the repeating of "She just doesn't see" at the end.

You play the basic bossa nova rhythm (Da-duh dadada-duh Da-duh dada-duh) once for each chord--Have fun!