Despedida
Katia Guerreiro Lyrics


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Um dia, quando isso for
Deixar o teu corpo em flor
E se aproximar do fim

Queria partir, sem te ver
Sentir o mundo morrer
Lá longe, dentro de mim
Depois, em vez de esquecer-te
Tornar em sonhos, rever-te
Lá longe, na solidão

De ver-te sozinho assim
Ver-te só dentro de mim
Dentro do meu coração

É que não posso partir
Sem me partir dos teus olhos
Antes do adeus derradeiro

É que partir sem te ver




É duas vezes morrer
De alma e de corpo inteiro

Overall Meaning

In Kátia Guerreiro's song "Despedida" (Farewell), the singer expresses her desire to depart from her loved one without actually seeing them one last time. The lyrics contemplate the inevitability of death as the singer meditates on the idea of leaving her body behind and becoming one with nature - leaving her body "em flor" (as a flower). However, she cannot bear to part without seeing her loved one's face one last time, so she imagines herself dreaming about them in solitude ("na solidão"). She cannot leave without making a permanent impression on his heart and hers - she must "partir sem me partir dos teus olhos" (depart without separating from your eyes). The song is a melancholic portrayal of missing those you love and the longing for a final farewell that never materializes.


The lyrics for "Despedida" were written by Pedro Homem de Mello, one of Portugal's most respected poets and one of the most frequently performed authors in Portuguese music. Kátia Guerreiro, a fado singer from southern Portugal, popularized the song in 2006 as part of her album "Nas Mãos do Fado." The song features the traditional Portuguese guitar and a string arrangement that adds to the mournful tone of the melody. The song is a popular choice for funeral and farewell services due to its reflective and emotive lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

Um dia, quando isso for
One day, when this happens


Deixar o teu corpo em flor
Leaving your body in bloom


E se aproximar do fim
And approaching the end


Queria partir, sem te ver
Wanted to leave without seeing you


Sentir o mundo morrer
Feeling the world die


Lá longe, dentro de mim
Far away, inside of me


Depois, em vez de esquecer-te
Then, instead of forgetting you


Tornar em sonhos, rever-te
Return in dreams, see you again


Lá longe, na solidão
Far away, in solitude


De ver-te sozinho assim
To see you alone like this


Ver-te só dentro de mim
To see you only inside of me


Dentro do meu coração
Inside my heart


É que não posso partir
It's just that I can't leave


Sem me partir dos teus olhos
Without breaking from your eyes


Antes do adeus derradeiro
Before the final goodbye


É que partir sem te ver
It's just that leaving without seeing you


É duas vezes morrer
Is like dying twice


De alma e de corpo inteiro
With soul and body whole




Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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