Tropeiros

Troopers

Tropeiros

"Romanticism gave verses to the gaucho and history sang"O romantismo rendeu versos ao gaudério e a história decantou
bandeirantes but it was them, the birivas, who madebandeirantes mas foram eles, os birivas, que fizeram
the integration of these distant villages"a integração destes povoados tão distantes"

João Miguel was a trooper spent his life on the roadJoão Miguel era tropeiro gastou a vida na estrada
Taking wild mules from Rio Grande to SorocabaLevando mulada chucra do Rio Grande a Sorocaba
He learned in the corrals that luck is what we makeAprendeu nas arribadas que a sorte a gente é que faz
A proud biriva doesn't leave a mule behindUm biriva de vergonha não deixa mula pra trás

The Sorocabano machete carried without fanfareO facão sorocabano levado sem aparato
The wide-brimmed hat, the high bootsO chapéu de abas largas as botas de cano alto
The attire was modest, but the gaze was proudO trajar era modesto, mas a mirada era altiva
Going up or down the mountain João Miguel was a birivaSubindo ou descendo a serra João Miguel era biriva

(Put water in this godmother, godfather(Bota n'água esta madrinha, madrinheiro
As the troop follows in lineQue a tropa vai seguindo enfileirada
I'm on the ferry holding my cargoVou na balsa segurando o meu cargueiro
With the bags of crushed paçoca)Com as bruacas de paçoca bem socada)

Maria withered in life from home and hoeMaria murchou na vida de casa e cabo de enxada
With one eye on the children and the other on the roadCom um olho nas crianças e o outro fitando a estrada
João Miguel became a memory on the cross by the trailJoão Miguel virou lembrança na cruz à beira da trilha
And Maria was planted up on the hillE Maria foi plantada lá no alto da coxilha

João Miguel was a trooper, his grandchildren are troopers tooJoão Miguel era tropeiro, seus netos tropeiros são
Of barely tamed hopes that go astrayDe esperanças mal domadas que desgarrando se vão
The godmother of hope leads the way singingA esperança madrinha segue na frente entonada
And his cargo of dreams brings the bag fullE seu cargueiro de sonhos traz a bruaca lotada