The first pilgrimage | The time of the pilgrimages

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by António Correia d'Oliveira (1879 - 1960)

Translation © by Amanda Cole

A primeira romaria

Language: Portuguese (Português)

Our translations: ENG

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

The first pilgrimage

Language: English after the Portuguese (Português)

The time of the pilgrimages
Was made by God in Portugal.
There goes the sun festively
From village festival to village festival!
Oh what a beautiful chapel,
In the middle of its ground!
It looks like a float¹ of snow,
Perched on the shoulders of the green hill.

Out of devotion to female pilgrims² 
Male pilgrims arrive from afar,
They give them rings, they give them sweets;
They try the first-fruits.
Drummers, all around,
Thunder over valley and mountain:
Suddenly the mountains disappear...
Portugal meets Spain!
There are songs, there is festivity;
The people return to being people..
O my old Portugal...
Happy with new wine!

Text Authorship:

Translation from Portuguese (Português) to English copyright © 2012 by Amanda Cole, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Portuguese (Português) by António Correia d'Oliveira (1879 - 1960)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2012-04-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 108