Yá Yá Massemba

What a deep night, calunga
In the hold of a slave ship
What a long journey, candonga
Listening to the beat of the waves
Rhythm of a bird's heart
At the bottom of captivity
It's the semba of the world, calunga
Beating samba in my chest
Kawo kabiecile kawo
Okê arô oke
Who bore me was the belly of a ship
Who heard me was the wind in the void
From the dark belly of a hold
I will lower your yard
Epa lightning, axe, thunder
Epa warrior's justice
Ê semba ê
Samba á
The beat of the waves
In the longest nights
Taught me to sing
Ê semba ê
Samba á
Pain is the deepest place
It's the navel of the world
It's the bottom of the sea
In the sway of the waves
Okê aro
Taught me to beat your drum
Ê semba ê
Samba á
In the dark hold I saw the flash
Of the world's spin

What a deep night, calunga
In the hold of a slave ship
What a long journey, candonga
Listening to the beat of the waves
Rhythm of a bird's heart
At the bottom of captivity
It's the semba of the world, calunga
Beating samba in my chest
Kawo kabiecile kawo
Okê arô oke
Who bore me was the belly of a ship
Who heard me was the wind in the void
From the dark belly of a hold
I will lower your yard
Epa lightning, axe, thunder
Epa warrior's justice
Ê semba ê ê samba á
It's the sky that covered in cold nights
My loneliness
Ê semba ê ê samba á
It's endless ocean, without love, without brother
Ê kaô I want to be your drum

Ê semba ê ê samba á
I make the moon shine with splendor and brightness
Moonlight of Luanda in my heart

Navel of color
Shelter of pain
The first umbigada massemba yáyá
Massemba is the samba that gives

I will learn to read
To teach my comrades!