A Ceifa e a Víndima

Alice Maciel's song "A Ceifa e a Víndima" is a powerful and evocative piece that draws heavily from biblical imagery, particularly from the Book of Revelation. The lyrics describe a scene where a figure resembling the Son of Man, crowned with gold, sits on a white cloud holding a sharp sickle. This figure is instructed by an angel to reap the harvest of the earth, as the time has come and the crops are ripe. This imagery is a direct reference to the final judgment, where the righteous and the wicked are separated, much like the wheat from the chaff.

The repeated phrase "A ceifa e a víndima da terra" (The harvest and the vintage of the earth) emphasizes the dual process of reaping and gathering, symbolizing the end times when humanity will be judged. Another angel, with power over fire, calls out to the one with the sharp sickle to gather the grapes, as they are also ripe. The grapes are then thrown into the great winepress of God's wrath, producing a flow of blood, which is a stark and vivid metaphor for divine retribution and the consequences of sin.

The declamation part of the song further clarifies the message, stating that the harvest represents the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels to gather all that causes sin and those who commit iniquity, casting them into a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This passage, attributed to Jesus of Nazareth, concludes with a promise that the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. The song, therefore, serves as a solemn reminder of the final judgment and the ultimate triumph of justice and righteousness.