Zebra
Cesária Évora Lyrics


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Zebra djiam sabé ma bu ca é
Passro raro també não
Di rapina bo ca é
Cuzé qui bo é
Qui ta matan nha pensar

Zebra djiam sabé ma bu ca é
Passro raro també não
Di rapina bo ca é
Cuzé qui bo é
Qui ta matan nha pensar

Mi djan screbé pa céu
Mi djan papiá cu mar
Djan manda recado pa lua
Ma ninguém inda ca flan
Cuzé qui bo é

Mi djan screbé pa céu
Mi djan papiá cu mar
Djan manda recado pa lua
Ma ninguém inda ca flan
Cuzé qui bo é

Si bu corpo tem
Ternura mi 'm ca conchel
Si bu boca tem mel'm ca purbal
Nes dístância qu'm ta vivé
Cuzé qui bo é
Qui ta matan nha pensar

Si bu corpo tem
Ternura mi 'm ca conchel
Si bu boca tem mel'm ca purbal
Nes dístância qu'm ta vivé
Cuzé qui bo é
Qui ta matan nha pensar

Mi djan screbé pa céu
Mi djan papiá cu mar
Djan manda recado pa lua
Ma ninguém inda ca flan
Cuzé qui bo é

Mi djan screbé pa céu
Mi djan papiá cu mar
Djan manda recado pa lua
Ma ninguém inda ca flan
Cuzé qui bo é

...

Mi djan screbé pa céu
Mi djan papiá cu mar
Djan manda recado pa lua
Ma ninguém inda ca flan
Cuzé qui bo é

Mi djan screbé pa céu
Mi djan papiá cu mar
Djan manda recado pa lua




Ma ninguém inda ca flan
Cuzé qui bo é

Overall Meaning

The song Zebra by Cesaria Evora is in Cape Verdean Creole and is a melancholic ballad about unrequited love. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and pain felt by the singer who is hopelessly in love with someone who does not reciprocate those feelings. The singer addresses the object of their affection as a zebra, an elusive and mysterious creature, and compares themselves to a bird who communicates with the sea and the moon. The repeated refrain, "cuzé qui bo é qui ta matan nha pensar" translates to "what you are is killing me inside" and serves as a reminder of the singer's agony caused by unrequited love.


The song is a testament to Cesaria Evora's ability to capture raw emotions and convey them through her soulful voice. The lyrics are poetic and the melody is hauntingly beautiful, creating a mood that resonates with listeners even if they do not understand the language. The song is a reflection of the pain caused by unrequited love, a feeling that is universal and timeless.


Line by Line Meaning

Zebra djiam sabé ma bu ca é
Zebra, I know you're not mine


Passro raro també não
Rare, like a bird that doesn't exist


Di rapina bo ca é
You can't be stolen


Cuzé qui bo é
What are you?


Qui ta matan nha pensar
That's killing me to think about it


Mi djan screbé pa céu
I'm writing to the sky


Mi djan papiá cu mar
I'm talking to the sea


Djan manda recado pa lua
Sending messages to the moon


Ma ninguém inda ca flan
But no one is talking back to me


Cuzé qui bo é
What are you?


Si bu corpo tem
If your body has


Ternura mi 'm ca conchel
Tenderness, I haven't felt it


Si bu boca tem mel'm ca purbal
If your mouth has honey, I haven't tasted it


Nes dístância qu'm ta vivé
In the distance that I live in


Cuzé qui bo é
What are you?


Qui ta matan nha pensar
That's killing me to think about it




Contributed by Matthew E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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