Herói Sem Medalha

I am a son of the countryside
From the great state of Minas Gerais
I was a hero without medals
In the profession of carter
Pulling logs from the bush
With twelve Pantanal oxen
I helped to pioneer
Our Brazilian backlands
Without vanity, I confess
From our immense progress
I was one of the pioneers

Just look at how fate
It changes a man's life
A nasty disease
My cattle consume
Only one crossbred ox remained
Whom it called werewolf
Because it's as black as coal
That's why I gave it that name
But shortly after
I sold that ox
So that the children don't go hungry

Bored with luck
Dalí, I decided to change
And in a big city
I went to live with my family
Because I am illiterate
I had to submit
Working in the slaughterhouse
So that the bread can be earned
Because I was a strong man
He was hitting the cattle being raised for slaughter
For comrades to bleed

Take a good look at our lives
How suddenly things change
I, who sometimes cried
When an ox became ill
There I was forced
Killing the innocent animal
But one day fate
It transformed me again
A coal-colored ox
To die in my hands
It was right in front of me

When I saw my ox cart
I couldn't contain my emotion
My eyes filled with tears
And the tears fell to the ground
The ox recognized me
And he licked my hand
Unable to save a life
From the pet ox
I asked for the bill and left
I gave up right away
Of this thankless profession