Capoeira Song of the Week: Se Pudesse Eu Voltava No Tempo IaIá

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The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

Per Risos's request...

Se Pudesse Eu Voltava No Tempo

(coro/chorus)

Se pudesse eu voltava no tempo iaiá

See pooh-DEH-see eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo TEHM-pooh ya-YA

If I could back in time Yaya

Se pudesse eu voltava no tempo ioiô

See pooh-DEH-see eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo TEHM-pooh yo-YO

If I could  back in time Yoyo 

Se pudesse eu voltava no tempo iaiá

See pooh-DEH-see eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo TEHM-pooh ya-YA

If I could back in time Yaya

Eu voltava no tempo ioiô

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo TEHM-pooh yo-YO

I would go back in time Yoyo  

Eu voltava no tempo iaiá

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo TEHM-pooh ya-YA

I would go back in time Yaya

(solo/lead verses)

Eu voltava para ver Mestre Bimba jogando,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr MEHS-tree BEEM-bah zhoh-GAHN-dooh

I would go back to see Mestre Bimba playing,

Eu voltava para ver seu Pastinha tambem,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr seh/oo pahs-TEEN-yah tahm-behng

I would go back to see Pastinha also,

Eu voltava para ver seu Traira,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr seh/oo trah-EE-rah

I would go back to see your Traira,  

Eu voltava para ver Waldemar,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr wahl-deh-MAHRH

I would go back to see Waldemar

Eu voltava para ver Besouro Mangangá,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr bee-ZOH-rooh mahng-gahng-GAH

I would go back to see Mangangá Beetle,

Se pudesse

See pooh-DEH-see

If I could

Eu voltava para ver Atenilo jogando,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr ah-teh-NEE-loo zhoh-GAHN-dooh

I would return to see Atenilo playing,

E ouvir cantar Mucungé,

ee oh-VEERH cahn-TAHRH moo-koon-ZHEH

And hear Mucungé sing,

Eu voltava para ver Caiçara,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr kigh-SAH-rah

I would return to see Rascal,

Eu voltava para ver Paraná,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr pah-rah-NAH

I returned to see Paraná,

Eu voltava para ver Onça Preta e Aberré,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr OHN-sah PREH-tah ee ah-beh-HEY

I returned to see Leopard and Aberrê,

Se pudesse 

See pooh-DEH-see

If I could

Eu voltava para ver a luta do Batuque, 

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr ah LOO-tah dooh bah-TOOH-key

I returned to see the fight of Batuque ,

Eu voltava para ver o brilho da navalha,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah PAH-rah vehr oo BREEL-yooh dah nah-VAHL-yah

I returned to see the flash of the razor

Na Bahia para ver Mestre Noronha,

nah bah-EE-ah PAH-rah vehr MEHS-tree noh-ROHEENG-ya

In Bahia to see Mestre Noronha,

No Recife para ver Nascimento Grande,

nooh heh-SEE-fee PAH-rah vehr nah-see-MEHN-tooh GRAHN-jeeh

In Recife  to see Nascimento Grande,

E no Rio para ver o Manduca da Praia,

ee nooh HEE-ooh PAH-rah vehr oo mahn-DOOH-cah dah PRIGH-ya

And in Rio to see Manduca da Praia,

Se pudesse

See pooh-DEH-see

If I could

Eu voltava no tempo de sinhá,

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo TEHM-pooh deeh seeng-YA

I would go back in time mistress,

Para ver como tudo aconteceu,

PAH-rah vehr KOH-mooh TOO-dooh ah-kohn-teh-SEH/OO

To see how it all happened, 

Se pudesse eu voltava no tempo,

See pooh-DEH-see eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo TEHM-pooh

If I could go back in time,

Eu voltava no engenho e na senzala

Eh/oo vohl-TAH-vah noo ehng-ZHENG-yoo ee nah sehn-ZAH-lah

I would return to the plantation and slave quarters

Para ver como a capoeira nasceu,

 PAH-rah vehr KOH-mooh ah kah-pooh-EY-rah nah-SEH/OO

To see how capoeira was born,

Se pudesse

See pooh-DEH-see

If I could