As the composer of over 400 songs, including the classics "Samba, Agoniza M… Read Full Bio ↴As the composer of over 400 songs, including the classics "Samba, Agoniza Mas Não Morre" (recorded by Beth Carvalho in 1978) and "Cântico à Natureza/Quatro Estações do Ano" ("Primavera"), Nelson Sargento is associated with the history of samba beginning in 1934 when he was parading at the Azul e Branco samba school at the age of ten. He was a member of A Voz do Morro, recording albums with Paulinho da Viola, Zé Kéti, Elton Medeiros, Jair da Costa, Anescarzinho, and José da Cruz. He also wrote anthological sambas with Cartola, Carlos Cachaça, Daniel Gonzaga, and Darcy da Mangueira, having had success with "Nas Asas da Canção" (with Ivone Lara), "Falso Amor Sincero," "Vai Dizer a Ela" (with Carlos Marreta), and "Idioma Esquisito." His first samba-enredo was "Rio São Francisco" (with Alfredo Português in 1948), for Mangueira. His "Cântico à Natureza" (samba-enredo considered one of the ten best-ever presented by Mangueira; was co-written with his stepfather Alfredo Português and Jamelão) was presented by Mangueira at the Carnival of 1955 and received second place in the competition; the song was recorded by Jamelão and earned success. Sargento participated in historic shows with Rosa de Ouro (1965) and was also a part of the Os Cinco Crioulos, recording albums with both groups. The international career of this wallpainter began in 1990 when he went to Japan for the first time, having also recorded and released albums in that country. Sargento, a primitivist painter who has realized several individual exhibitions, also wrote books (Prisioneiro do Mundo and Um certo Geraldo Pereira) and acted in movies (O Primeiro Dia, by Walter Salles/Daniela Thomas; the awarded documentary Nelson Sargento da Mangueira, by Estevão Pantoja; and Orfeu do Carnaval, by Cacá Diegues, among others). ~ Alvaro Neder, All Music Guide

Cantico A Natureza
Nelson Sargento Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh primavera adorada
Inspiradora de amores
Oh primavera idolatrada
Sublime estação das flores

Oh primavera adorada
Inspiradora de amores
Oh primavera idolatrada

Sublime estação das flores

Brilha no céu o astro rei com fulguração
Abrasando a terra anunciando o verão
Outono estação singela e pura
É a pujança da natura
Dando frutos em profusão

Inverno, chuva, geada e garoa
Molhando a terra preciosa e tão boa
Desponta a primavera triunfal
São as estações do ano
Num desfile magistral

A primavera matizada e viçosa
Pontilhada de amores
Engalanada, majestosa
Desabrocham as flores
Nos campos, nos jardins e nos quintais
A primavera é a estação dos vegetais

Oh primavera adorada
Inspiradora de amores
Oh primavera idolatrada
Sublime estação das flores

Oh primavera adorada
Inspiradora de amores
Oh primavera idolatrada
Sublime estação das flores

Brilha no céu o astro rei com fulguração
Abrasando a terra anunciando o verão
Outono estação singela e pura
É a pujança da natura
Dando frutos em profusão

Inverno, chuva, geada e garoa
Molhando a terra preciosa e tão boa
Desponta a primavera triunfal
São as estações do ano
Num desfile magistral

A primavera matizada e viçosa
Pontilhada de amores
Engalanada, majestosa
Desabrocham as flores
Nos campos, nos jardins e nos quintais
A primavera é a estação dos vegetais

Oh primavera adorada
Inspiradora de amores
Oh primavera idolatrada
Sublime estação das flores

Oh primavera adorada
Inspiradora de amores

Oh primavera idolatrada
Sublime estação das flores

Overall Meaning

The song "Cântico À Natureza" by Nelson Sargento & Chico César is a hymn to nature and the cycle of the seasons, with a special emphasis on the joys of spring. The lyrics describe the various seasons of the year, with their different qualities and characteristics, and the way they give rise to the renewal and regeneration of life on Earth.

The opening lines celebrate spring as the most beloved and inspiring season, the "sublime season of flowers" that brings love and beauty into the world. The song then goes on to describe the other seasons: the hot and sunny summer, the gentle and pure autumn, and the cold and rainy winter. Each season has its own role to play in the natural cycle, from the abundance of fruit and foliage in the summer to the cleansing and refreshing rains of winter.

The refrain repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the glory and wonder of spring, with its array of colors, scents, and sounds. The final verse returns to the idea of spring as the season of new growth and beginnings, with plants and flowers bursting forth in fields, gardens, and backyards. The song ends on a note of gratitude and reverence for nature, and an acknowledgement of our dependence on its cycles and rhythms.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh primavera adorada
Beloved spring, opening the doors to love and inspiration

Inspiradora de amores
Inspiring the greatest emotion of all, love

Oh primavera idolatrada
Idolized spring, the revered season

Sublime estação das flores
Sublime season of flowers, breathtaking and magnificent

Brilha no céu o astro rei com fulguração
The shining sun in the sky with its brightness

Abrasando a terra anunciando o verão
Burning the earth, announcing the upcoming summer

Outono estação singela e pura
Autumn, a simple and pure time of year

É a pujança da natura
Nature's strength, its great force and power

Dando frutos em profusão
Providing fruits in abundance

Inverno, chuva, geada e garoa
Winter, rain, frost and drizzle

Molhando a terra preciosa e tão boa
Moistening the precious and fertile land