Lua Branca

“Lua Branca” by Chiquinha Gonzaga is a poignant and emotional song that delves into themes of love, longing, and heartbreak. The lyrics are a heartfelt plea to the white moon, a celestial symbol often associated with romance and solace. The singer implores the moon to alleviate his sorrow and extinguish the burning passion that torments him. This request to the moon highlights the depth of his despair and his yearning for relief from his emotional pain.

The moon, referred to as “Lua branca de fulgores de encanto” (white moon of enchanting splendor), is depicted as a compassionate entity capable of providing comfort and understanding. The singer's appeal to the moon to “desce do céu” (descend from the sky) and “iluminar meu coração” (illuminate my heart) underscores his desperate need for emotional healing. The moon's light is metaphorically linked to compassion and hope, suggesting that the singer believes in the moon's power to bring solace to his troubled heart.

The song also reflects on past moments of love and tenderness, as the singer reminisces about nights when the moonlight shone upon him and his beloved. These memories are bittersweet, filled with the joy of love and the pain of abandonment. The imagery of the moonlight surprising him while he was “ajoelhado junto aos pés da minha amada” (kneeling at the feet of my beloved) evokes a sense of vulnerability and deep emotional connection. The repeated plea for the moon to have mercy on him, “tem dó de mim,” emphasizes the singer's profound sense of loss and his hope for some form of celestial intervention to ease his suffering.