Unlike the rest of the world the Lovers´ day (Dia dos Namorados) in Brazil is on 12 of June.
Celebrating this day let us introduce you to a poem “Amar!” (engl. to love) of famous Portuguese poet Florbela Espanca. Love (port. “amor”) is the theme that prevailed in her poesy together with passion, desire, suffering, solitude and “saudade”.
Amar!
Eu quero amar, amar perdidamente!
Amar só por amar: Aqui… além…
Mais Este e Aquele, o Outro e toda a gente…
Amar! Amar! E não amar ninguém!
Recordar? Esquecer? Indiferente!…
Prender ou desprender? É mal? É bem?
Quem disser que se pode amar alguém
Durante a vida inteira é porque mente!
Há uma Primavera em cada vida:
É preciso cantá-la assim florida,
Pois se Deus nos deu voz, foi pra cantar!
E se um dia hei de ser pó, cinza e nada
Que seja a minha noite uma alvorada,
Que me saiba perder… pra me encontrar…
Love!
I want to love, to love heedlessly!
To love for the sake of loving: Here…there…
This one, That one, Another, and everyone.
To love! To love! And love no one!
To remember? To Forget? Makes no difference.
To hold or let go? Is it wrong? Is it right?
Who says that we can love someone
Through our entire life, is a liar!
There is one Spring in each life:
You must sing it like that blooming
Because if God gaves us voice, it was for us to sing!
And if one day I shall be dust, ashes, and nothing
then may my night be a dawn,
and may I get lost… that I can find myself…
This poem shows love in the breathtaking form searching for which turns out to be the vital importance and last constanly.
The character of the poem – the feminine “I” is free from social limitations whereas it express the wish to love varios people without binding anybody.
Este e Aquele, o Outro e toda a gente. Amar! Amar! E não amar ninguém! (engl. This one, That one, Another, and everyone. To love! To love! And love no one!)
There is no right or wrong forced by society for her. Her own position is that love can not be eternal:
Quem disser que se pode amar alguém Durante a vida inteira é porque mente! (engl. Who says that we can love someone Through our entire life, is a liar!)
The spring is probably used as a metaphor of youth. This way the third strophe points to necessity to take advantage of youth when we are young.
The feminine figure shown in the poem is sensitive, erotic woman, expressing her restlessness and inner desire to love intensively in spite of the limitations that she is mortal.
If you want to read Portuguese and Brazilian literature in original start learning Portuguese on our intensive Portuguese course in Brazil.