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When Carnivals Come

Who sees me quiet, distant, believes I can't dance

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come

 

I'm just watching, thinking, feeling, listening, and I can't talk

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come

 

I see the porcelain legs of the girl who passes and I can't touch them

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come

 

How long have I been desiring your wet kiss tasting of passionfruit?

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come

 

Those who offend and humiliate me think I'll stand it forever

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come

 

Those who see me as a loser doubt I will ever react

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come

 

I see the day breaking, asking me to sing

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come

I have so much stifled, postponed joy, I want to cry out.

I'm saving myself for when Carnivals come.

 

Chico Buarque

"Quando o Carnaval chegar" / "When Carnivals come"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadness has no end, 

But happiness does. 

 

Happiness is like a feather 

The wind carries through the air 

Its flight is light but its life is short 

It needs to feel a breeze that never stops 

 

The happiness of a poor man is like 

The great illusion of carnival 

We work all year long 

For one moment in a dream, 

to play the part 

Of a king, a pirate or a gardener 

Then everything is over on Ash Wednesday 

 

 

Tom Jobim & Vinícius de Moraes

"A Felicidade"/ "Happiness"

 

 

 

Être heureux, c’est plus ou moins ce qu’on cherche

J’aime rire, chanter et je n’empêche

Pas les gens qui sont bien d’être joyeux

Pourtant s’il est une samba sans tristesse

C’est un vin qui ne donne pas l’ivresse

Un vin qui ne donne pas l’ivresse, non

Ce n’est pas la samba que je veux

 

J’en connais que la chanson incommode

D’autres pour qui ce n’est rien qu’une mode

D’autres qui en profitent sans l’aimer

Moi je l’aime et j’ai parcouru le monde

En cherchant ses racines vagabondes

Aujourd’hui pour trouver les plus profondes

C’est la samba-chanson qu’il faut chanter

 

On m’a dit qu’elle venait de Bahia

Qu’elle doit son rythme et sa poésie à

Des siècles de danse et de douleur

Mais quels que soient les sentiments qu’elle exprime

Elle est blanche de formes et de rimes

Blanche de formes et de rimes

Elle est nègre, bien nègre, dans son cœur

 

 

Baden Powel & Vinícius de Moraes

"Samba da Bênção" / "Samba Saravah"

"Quando o Carnaval chegar" - poorly translated (no rhymes, no rhythm, lots of mistakes) by myself

 

"A Felicidade" translated by Arto Lindsay

 

"Samba da Benção" - French version by Pierre Barouh (soundtrack of "Un Homme et une Femme", directed by Claude Lelouch (1966)

 

 

 

Click here for the slightly different variation in Portuguese.

 
COMMENTS
Fernandoaa said at 10:22 p.m. on Feb 27, 2009:
O carnaval tem mil e uma faces. Entre todas esta é a minha favorita. Onde a arte mistura com a fantasia e transforma tudo em alegria, mesmo que só por uns dias...
Tem mais?
Eduardo.affonso said at 10:28 p.m. on Feb 27, 2009:
Tem muito mais, GAÚ! Aguarde!
Welshchick said at 10:42 p.m. on Feb 27, 2009:
Well, at first I thought we were in Egypt but I see that it is very much Brazil... :^) Fascinating...totally unfamiliar to me. The Samba seems very intriguing and the film has me wanting to see that movie now~ Very nice Edu.
Wildthing said at 3:29 a.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nze8B39OB0k

This really has the wow factor, Eduardo. Great photography, with such poignant words to accompany them.
Hhwind said at 4:43 a.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Lovely shots with good composition, would be great to get to attend one of this carnival
Liliana said at 6:24 a.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Miro y miro y no dejan de asombrarme los detalles, me imagino las miles de manos que trabajaron en eso. Increíble la última foto: te hace dudar, parece tener vida. Pero, a la vez, asusta. El lugar desde donde se ve es de lo más original.
¿Qué representa la mujer alada embarazada: la naturaleza, la tierra, la vida o algo así? Pensé que esta versión sólo cambiaba los textos de lengua...¡pero hay otra fotos! ¡Buena idea!
Rita.Mandarino said at 6:44 a.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Essa magia toda don carnaval é fascinante. As esculturas dos carros alegóricos são uma arte única no mundo, eu acho. Ficou muito legal esse novo tabblo de carnaval.BTW , gostei da tradução.
Leftofcenter said at 7:55 a.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
yes, the wow factor (thanks Mike!)
Ira said at 8:53 a.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Last shot - my favorite. Perfect colours and very beautiful lines of face. Majestic show.
Chaitiamma said at 10:37 a.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
This is really the land of carnivals !!! Great shots !!!
Hollyridger said at 1:16 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Yes, Mike is right - you have reproduced the wow factor! Lots of fun, excellent photos. Well done!
AliDar said at 1:18 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
You do have a way of photographing peoples artwork and making something completely your own out if it. The perspectives and framing in these are excellent! I think you must have done very well with the translation, and if you didn't, well, what you came up with works perfectly with these photos. ... Maybe carnivals should happen more often, or we simply have to move to a breezy location. :)
21-gramm said at 1:51 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
wow, Eduardo!
Carnaval like life, i feel a great mood of happynes!
Tishfish said at 1:57 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Very nice ! ! ! ! !
Eduardo.affonso said at 2:08 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
DOREEN, DEN, NOREEN, NOE, DAVID, IRA, ANNELIES, TEO & MIKE: Thanks for your comments. Hope you could feel a little more what Carnivals mean for us in Brazil.

RHONDA: During Carnivals Brazil is a little bit Egypt, Hawaii, Africa, India, Mexico... That movie ("One man, one woman") is a classic from the 60's, you will like it, I'm sure.

LILIANA: Não tenho idéia do que signifque nenhuma dessas alegorias. Elas fazem parte de um enredo, e eu não me dei ao trabalho de pesquisar, fui atrás apenas das imagens. Ia fazer a variação só com a mudança do idioma, mas como tinha outras fotos, achei melhor mudar tudo (mantendo só o conceito e o leiaute).

RITA: Também acho que esse é um tipo de arte ainda a ser catalogado. Gosto de circular pela Presidente Vargas, vendo-os bem de perto, à luz do sol, ainda sem os figurantes, os adereços. Ainda bem que achei duas traduções "oficiais", ou penaria para fazê-las.

DAR: I wish people could really read these lyrics and get the feeling of Carnivals, four days when "nobody bdelongs to nobody", when "everything is allowed", a slave becomes a king, men get dressed as women, strangers kiss each other, all your repressed energy can be liberated. You are right: Carnivals should happen more often.
Debdog said at 6:25 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
i am so glad i could read the words in english,,,,,,,WOW!!!!!!!!!!! this really evokes the feeling of the Carnaval! it must be amazing in person :) excellent images here! wow again
Liliana said at 7:05 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Sobre la traducción de "Quando o Carnaval chegar": ¿ese "chegar" no tiene idea de fututo? Para nosotros iría en Subjuntivo ( "cuando llegue"). Yo sé que en inglés no hay un equivalente pero ¿se mantiene esa idea de futuro con "come"?¿O ese concepto se expresa sin la "s", de "comes"? Pura curiosidad lingüística (como verás, debo reforzar my English...):
EMA said at 8:07 p.m. on Feb 28, 2009:
Stunning phtos Eduardo. The subjects are so beautiful and perfect. Absolutely wonderful!
Swedfinn said at 8:12 a.m. on Mar 1, 2009:
we are so gratefull to you for sharing a hint of your Carnava atmosphere with us!!!!
Candlepower said at 1:34 p.m. on Mar 1, 2009:
Awesome shots! Never been to a Carnaval but it looks beautiful and fun!
Moorlerche said at 4:59 p.m. on Mar 1, 2009:
Thanks Edu for just another invitation to this great event. I am at a lack of words by now, feeling I would only repeat things already said a dozen times. Though one thing is truly different from your other carnival tabblos. Instead of the wild and weired you captured poetry, fairytales and sagas with above pictures. There are dreams in the eyes, even trance. They talk. I don't think I hear Samba here. It's more the panflute played by the greek god himself and who captures these various beings with his mystic tunes.
Gerardfotografeert said at 5:05 p.m. on Mar 1, 2009:
This is excellent, what a festiv off beautiful people, colours and line. Well don!
Eduardo.affonso said at 8:50 p.m. on Mar 1, 2009:
DEBBIE: I'm so glad you read the lyrics (most visitors didn't, I'sure - and they missed at least half the meaning of this tabblo).

LILIANA: Meu Inglês é bem precário quanto a essas nuances, mas acho que esse "come" (no presente) tem o sentido do nosso subjuntivo ("quando chegue o carnaval"). O "s" só existiria se tivesse usado "carnival" (aí seria terceira pessoa). Mas os americanos falam mais "carnivals" mesmo, no plura, sabe-se lá por que.

EDITE, JORMA, PAT & GERARD: I'm flattered, and so happy you enjoyed these images.

ANKE: I'm in the lack of words after reading your comment. (pause of several minutes, trying to find the proper words) It makes me very happy to know my photos have reached your sensibility. I really tried to capture not just the colors of Carnivals, but also their poetry - which comes from ancient traditions, from Roman pagan celebrations, Middle Age Christian festivals brought to the tropics by the Portuguese, and that got mixed here with African rhythms and sensuality. That's why Carnivals have so many facets, so many voices.
Liliana said at 9:12 p.m. on Mar 1, 2009:
¡No me di cuenta de que era "Carnivals", en plural, qué boba, perdón, tenés razón!
MARGALIT said at 9:37 p.m. on Mar 1, 2009:
excelent photos, carnival is realy fantastic subject and You do great work.
Pkeener said at 9:33 a.m. on Mar 2, 2009:
What I love about this, besides the Jobim ;) is that you have brought life to these inanimate objects. They seem so real. Your angles and use of light, sublime. I think the message rings true in any artist. The process of creating a piece of work is like a quest for perfection (happiness?) Which is rarely attained, but in that final moment, the last stroke of paint, the finishing touch to a Tabblo, we feel it. And that is what makes us want to do it again. The never ending search for that happy moment. In life, love, Art...
Loes said at 5:06 p.m. on Mar 2, 2009:
Beautiful pictures of this world-famous carnival in Rio!!
Abking said at 1:06 a.m. on Mar 4, 2009:
Otherworldly creatures, waiting to come to life like the rest of us, "When Carnivals come..."
Chilla said at 3:38 a.m. on Mar 4, 2009:
Eduardo, a wonderful image of your carnival in words and pictures. Fascinating portrayal of the history and spirit of the carnival and what it means to the people of Rio. Thank you for this.
Shenresi said at 3:55 p.m. on Mar 7, 2009:
wonderful tabblo, Eduardo with great shots!!! I like the first once which are looking like in Agypt made.
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