O tempo das romarias
Fê-lo Deus em Portugal.
Lá vai o Sol, todo em festa,
De arraial em arraial!
Oh que linda capelinha,
No meio do seu terreiro!
Parece um andor1 de neve,
Aos ombros do verde outeiro.
 
Chegam romeiros de longe,
Por devoção às romeiras2:
Dão-lhes anéis, dão-lhes doces;
Provam-se as frutas primeiras.
Tamborileiros, em ronda,
Atroam vale e montanha:
Vão-se os montes de arrancada...
Portugal de encontro à Espanha!
Há descantes; há derriços;
O povo torna a ser povo...
O' meu velho Portugal,...
Alegre de vinho novo!

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ an andor is an ornamented platform or float, used for carrying icons of saints in processions
² romeira has several meanings, perhaps all of them combined here: a female pilgrim, a pomegranate tree (historically associated with pilgrimages), and a type of cloak or mantle that was worn by pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. The cloak may have symbolised the pilgrimage, making it an object of worship in itself.

Text Authorship:

• by António Correia d'Oliveira (1879 - 1960) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Antonio Lima Fragoso (1897 - 1918), "A primeira romaria" [ voice and piano ], from Canções do Sol Poente, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Amanda Cole) , "The first pilgrimage", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Amanda Cole

This text was added to the website: 2012-04-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 91