O Ladrão Besta e o Ladrão Sabido

Who lives longer, the foolish thief or the wise one?
The foolish one dies quickly and the wise one is guaranteed

The wise thief says he always walks well-dressed
His watch is gold, his car is imported
He passes through the police and is still greeted
If you see the foolish thief, he lives like a nightjar
He can't hear an alarm, thinks it's a dog
Runs away at full speed so as not to die

The wise thief says he eats a lot and never gets tired
He knows many countries, doesn't care about trivial things
And in his wardrobe, only good silk enters
If you see the foolish thief, he only eats potatoes
What's in his house is bugs and cockroaches
Mosquitoes, flies, and rats, and a stray dog

The wise thief says he steals a lot of money
He steals today in Brazil, tomorrow abroad
He stays in five-star hotels and no one knows his itinerary
If you see the foolish thief, he sleeps even in the middle of the square
Steals a watch from someone to buy a drink
When the police catch him, he goes back to the same misery

If the wise thief dies, his funeral is filmed
It's in newspapers and magazines, he's laid out for three days
And the wake is filled with well-dressed thieves
When the foolish thief dies, he has no candle, no cross
He rots in the bushes, his body is not taken
And his body stinks from afar for the vultures

The wise thief says he steals cars and planes
Kidnaps a rich man's son, takes him to Japan
If the rich man wants his son back, he has to pay a million
If you see the foolish thief, he wakes up early in the morning
Goes into someone else's yard to steal a chicken
Gets shot with a twelve-gauge right at the kitchen door

The wise thief has a doctor and a lawyer
Lives in a mansion, very peaceful
Even to talk to him, you need authorization
If you see the foolish thief, when he has nothing
He sleeps even in the middle of the square, in slums and shacks
And when the police arrive, he knocks down the boards on the ground

The wise thief even has a ham radio
Telephone, office, TV, and computer
He has over twenty secretaries who value him greatly
If you see the foolish thief, he's worse than a fool
Steals at night and during the day, he has no schedule
If he's going to steal from a baron, he steals from someone who earns a salary

The wise thief goes where the money is
He steals but doesn't kill and always gets away
And the one who lives with him is the law-abiding citizen
If you see the foolish thief, he lives in a daze
In the neighborhood where he lives, he hardly causes trouble
But when a robbery occurs, everyone points at him

The wise thief has more than one maid
There's one who cooks, serves cold water
One who washes his clothes, and one who cleans the house
If you see the foolish thief on the day he's caught
He gets beaten so much, he's completely messed up
He doesn't have a penny in his pocket to pay the lawyer

The wise thief goes to the park and to church
Goes to the club, goes to the beach, goes wherever he wants
And whoever is his friend has money, whiskey, and beer
If you see the foolish thief, he has a tough life
Steals shoes, underwear, pants, braids, and linen
Many don't even make it or survive because men put an end to him

The wise thief lives with a full belly
Owns land and farms and doesn't worry about anything
When he's arrested, he gets released, doesn't spend a day in jail
If you see the foolish thief, he looks pale and sick
When he steals a hundred cruzeiros, he goes to eat a hot dog
And the police arrive and shout that he's arrested again