Alceu Valenca was born in countryside Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. He is considered the most successful artist in achieving an aesthetic balance between traditional northeastern Brazilian music and a broad range of electronic sounds and effects from pop music. One can find traces of maracatu, coco and "repentes de viola" (improvising fast-paced Brazilian folk music) in most of his songs. Alceu was able to utilize the electric guitar the electric bass, and lately even a synthesizer was added to his broad scope of musical instruments.
Because of that, Alceu was able to recreate Northeastern traditional music, like baiao, coco, toada, maracatu, frevo, caboclinhos, embolada and repentes: all sung with a sometimes rock sometimes alternative sounding music background. His music and his themes are intangible, universal and unlimited. However, his aesthetic basis is genuinely Brazilian Northeastern music.
Pétalas
Alceu Valença Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
São cores vivas, pousam sobre as "onze horas"
Nas rosas claras, violetas e jasmins
Um beija-flor traindo a rosa amarela
Beijou a bela margarida infiel
Papoula e dália estão cravadas de ciúmes
E o beija-flor beijando flores a granel
Pétalas, asas amarelas
Pétalas, espinho seco
Folha, flor, lagarta
Pétalas
As flores voam e voltam na outra estação
Só serei flor quando tu flores no verão
In this song, Alceu Valença uses the metaphor of a garden to convey a story of love and infidelity. He describes the colorful butterflies flying over his garden and landing on the "eleven o'clock" flowers, which are a type of morning glory plant. The roses, violets, and jasmines also add to the beauty and ambiance of the garden. However, amidst all these lovely flowers, there is a love triangle taking place between the rose, the yellow rose, and the beautiful unfaithful daisy. The hummingbirds are also part of the story, as they are seen as betrayers of the lovers. The flowers are described as jealous, and the whole scene is filled with emotions of love, passion, and heartbreak.
The singer also talks about the temporary nature of things in the garden. The petals fall off, and the thorns remain. Leaves, flowers, and caterpillars come and go with changing seasons. The only constant is the fact that the flowers will only bloom when their lover blooms in the summer. This last line is a poetic way of talking about being incomplete without one's loved one.
Overall, this song portrays the beauty and fragility of love within the framework of nature. The beauty of fluttering butterflies and blooming flowers is accompanied by the melancholy of heartbreak and betrayal and serves as a reminder of the transience of life.
Line by Line Meaning
As borboletas voam sobre o meu jardim
Butterflies fly over my garden.
São cores vivas, pousam sobre as "onze horas"
They are bright colors, landing on the marigolds.
Nas rosas claras, violetas e jasmins
On the light roses, violets, and jasmines.
Um beija-flor traindo a rosa amarela
A hummingbird betrays the yellow rose.
Beijou a bela margarida infiel
Kissed the beautiful, unfaithful daisy.
Papoula e dália estão cravadas de ciúmes
Poppy and dahlia are filled with jealousy.
E o beija-flor beijando flores a granel
The hummingbird kissing the flowers in bulk.
Pétalas, asas amarelas
Petals, yellow wings.
Pétalas, espinho seco
Petals, dry thorn.
Folha, flor, lagarta
Leaf, flower, caterpillar.
Pétalas
Petals.
As flores voam e voltam na outra estação
The flowers fly and come back in another season.
Só serei flor quando tu flores no verão
I'll only be a flower when you blossom in the summer.
Contributed by Eli J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Camila Nobre
Petalas
Alceu Valença
As borboletas voam sobre o meu jardim
São cores vivas, pousam sobre às onze horas
Nas rosas claras, violetas e jasmins
Um beija-flor traindo a rosa amarela
Beijou a bela margarida infiel
Papoula e dália estão cravadas de ciúmes
E o beija-flor beijando flores a granel
Pétalas, asas amareladas
Pétalas, espinho seco
Folha, flor, lagarta
Pétalas
As flores voam e voltam noutra estação
Só serei flor quando tu flores no verão
Camila Nobre
Petalas
Alceu Valença
As borboletas voam sobre o meu jardim
São cores vivas, pousam sobre às onze horas
Nas rosas claras, violetas e jasmins
Um beija-flor traindo a rosa amarela
Beijou a bela margarida infiel
Papoula e dália estão cravadas de ciúmes
E o beija-flor beijando flores a granel
Pétalas, asas amareladas
Pétalas, espinho seco
Folha, flor, lagarta
Pétalas
As flores voam e voltam noutra estação
Só serei flor quando tu flores no verão
Antonio Fabricio
Pura poesia e inspiração fantástica
Laércio Oliveira da Costa
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Rodrigo Lira
Oh música linda, me traz paz. Obrigado Senhor por sentir essa sensação!
Luciele Marques
Como não amar essas músicas meu Deus ❤
Naiana Pereira
Não tem como. Alceu diz "a", eu já sigo cantando junto..rs
yvis Lemos
Não to conseguindo acreditar que só agora eu ouvi essa música🤤
Karol Santos
OXENTE, eu também. Só hoje!!que delícia.
Isa
Não tem como não abrir um sorriso ao ouvir qualquer uma dessas poesias cantadas pelo Alceu! Obrigada por me fazer feliz, meu querido :)
Isa
@Tallita Rios sim!!! Chorar é amor que transborda! ❤️