Matita Perê

In the garden of roses
Of dream and fear
Through the beds of thorns and flowers
There, I want to see you
Olerê, Olará, you catch me

Cold dawn of a strange dream
João woke up, a dog barked
João opened the door
The dream existed

That João would flee
That João would leave
That João would disappear from the world
Where not even God could find, Ierê

Morning night of a strong journey
Leading ahead a day of advantage
Palm leaf erases the passage
The ground, in the palm of the hand, the ground, the ground

And round morning of tall stones
Crossed the border of servitude
Olerê, I want to see
Olerê

And through bad paths of all kinds
Seeking life, finding death
Through the half rose of the North quadrant
João, João

A certain Chico called Antônio
On a bay horse that was an old donkey
Who in the cold bar had already crossed the river
There came Matias whose name is Pedro
Also Horácio, alias Simão
There one called Tião
Called João

Receiving a warning, he twisted his path
From Nor-Northeast to North-North
In the half-life of postponed deaths
A stranger called João

In the brightness of the waters
In the black desert
Losing nothing more
Brave fear
There I want to see you

Through seven paths of seventy fates
Seven hundred lives and seven thousand deaths
This one, João, João
And it gave clear day
And it gave dark night
And it gave midnight in the heart
Olerê, I want to see
Olerê

Passing seven mountains
Passing wild cane
In the swamp of souls
Everything ended
On the old path where the mud traps
There at the very end is good
João ended

In the garden of roses
Of dream and fear
In the brightness of the waters
In the black desert
There, I want to see you
Lerê, lará
You catch me