Konde Palmanhã Manchê When Morning Breaks

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Translated

Konde Palmanhã Manchê

Ó Konde

Ó Konde palmanhã manchê

Konde note ftcha ftchode

E palmanhã manchê

C’pê plantode na tchon

E terra na coraçon

Konde sangue rasgâ na corpe

Arve de broçe aberte

E smente gritâ na rotcha

Tambor de boca verde

E daquel som

Ma quell sangue soldode

Nascê boca

boca centrodeboca rasgodeNa roda de sol

Ó Konde palmanhã manchê

Sem dsuspère pundrode

Na bandêra de porta

Sem lanterna cindide

Na robe de burre

Pa naufroge de navi

Sem navi quebrode

Na boca de pove

E mar bem olte! brobe!

dsusperodeBen quebrâ na Praia Grande

Sês broçe gorde de pecode

E mar bem

Na se luxe

E na se grandèza!

Se mostre

De mar erguide na pêto

Se mapa bronque

Desenhode n’alma

Bem bidê na colónia dnha boca

Tod’aquel negoce dnha sangue ultramarine

Ó Konde palmanhã manchê

E Criste bem dsê morada

El bem ta bem

Pa broçe direita de Monte Cara

C’se cobe d’enxada

Ma se calçon drill

C’se pê na tchon

Ma se dede quebrode

Bem sentâ

Na pedra radonde dnôs fogon

Sem tchuva na mon

Sem fraqueza na sangue

E sem corve na coraçon

Ó Konde

Ó Konde palmanhã manchê

When Morning Breaks

Oh when

Oh when the morning breaks

And the night becomes more night

When the morning breaks

With its feet on the ground

And the earth in its heart

When blood flows from the body

Like a tree with open arms

And the seed shouts from the rock

Like a green-mouthed drum

And from that sound

That warrior’s blood

Mouths are born

centred mouths

torn mouthsIn the wheel of the sun

Oh when the morning breaks

Without hanging its despair

On the flag of the door

Without lighting torches

On the donkeys’ tails

To bring wrecks

Without shipwrecks

On the people’s tongues

Then the desperate sea – very high –

Bravo!Will come to break on Praia Grande

On its fat sinful arms

And the sea will come

In its luxury

In its grandeur

Showing its mast

On the heart’s rough seas

Its white map

Drawn on the soul

Will come to drink in my colonized tongue

All the history of my ultramarine blood

Oh when the morning breaks

And Christ descends from his dwelling

And comes

To the right arm of Monte Cara

With the handle of his hoe

And his drill shorts

Barefoot

With a split finger

And sits down

At our round cooking-stone

With no rain in his hand

No weakness in his blood

No crow in his heart

Oh when

Oh when the morning breaks

Original Poem by

Translated by

Daniel Hahn with Sean O’Brien Language

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