From a musical family, Vinicius began writing poetry early in life. At the age of 14, he became friends with the brothers Paulo and Haroldo Tapajós and, with the latter, composed "Loura ou Morena", his first song. In 1929, Vinicius enrolled in law school in Rio de Janeiro. Then, starting in 1932, he wrote lyrics for ten songs that were recorded by the Tapajós brothers. Upon completing his studies, he published his first two collections of poetry Caminho Para a Distância (1933) and Forma e Exegese. Later, in 1935, he became a cinema censor for the Ministry of Health and Education. During this time, he wrote his third book Ariana, a Mulher (1936).
Vinicius then headed to England (1938) with an English government scholarship to study literature at Oxford University and while there he wrote Novos Poemas. At that time he was married by proxy. In 1941, during World War II, Vinicius returned to Rio and began to write film reviews and other pieces for newspapers and magazines. Two years later, he joined Brazil's diplomatic service and released his book Cinco Elegias. In 1946, he was sent to Los Angeles as vice-consul on his first diplomatic assignment and released Poemas, Sonetos e Baladas.
In 1950 Vinicius returned to Brazil upon his father's death. His first samba (composed with musician Antônio Maria), was Quando Tu Passas por Mim, released in 1953, which was the same year in which he moved to France as second secretary to Brazil's embassy.
The next year he wrote lyrics for some of Cláudio Santoro's chamber music pieces and also staged his play Orfeu da Conceição, which was later adapted to cinema as Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro, Marcel Camus, 1959. The play won the IV São Paulo Centennial Contest in 1954. During production he was introduced to a relatively unknown pianist, Antônio Carlos Jobim, who was commissioned to write the music for the play. Jobim composed the music for Se Todos Fossem Iguais a Você, Um Nome de Mulher, and several other songs included in the production.
Following a return to his diplomatic duties in France and Uruguay, Vinicius released his books Livro de Sonetos and Novos Poemas II.
In 1958, the singer Elizeth Cardoso released her album Canção do Amor Demais, marking the beginning of bossa nova. This record consists wholly of compositions by the either Jobim or Vinicius, or both. The recording also featured a relatively unknown João Gilberto on two tracks. With the release of this record Vinicius's--and his collaborators--can be said to have truly begun.
The songs of Jobim and Vinicius were recorded by numerous Brazilian singers and performers of that time. Renditions of many Jobim-Vinicius numbers on João Gilberto's first three albums would firmly establish the sound and the core repertory of the bossa nova and would influence a new generation of singers and songwriters, especially in Rio de Janeiro. Among these songs are all time hits such as Garota de Ipanema, Insensatez and Chega de Saudade.
Meanwhile, Black Orpheus won an Academy Award for best foreign film in 1960, and also was awarded with the Palme d'Or at the Cannes International Film Festival, and the 1960 British Academy Award.
Vinicius' songs Para uma Menina com uma Flor and Samba da Bênção (music by Baden Powell) were included on the soundtrack of A Man and a Woman (Un Homme et une Femme, Claude Lelouch, 1966), another Cannes film festival winner.
In the '60s and '70s, Vinicius continued collaborating with many renowned Brazilian singers and musicians, particularly Baden Powell, with whom he penned a series of songs with a heavy Afro-Brazilian influence and which came to be known collectively as the Afro-Sambas. His last steady music partner was Antonio Pecci Filho, better known as Toquinho. With Toquinho he released a series of very popular and influential albums.
Hundreds of international performers have recorded more than 400 of Vinicius' songs.
Vinicius de Moraes died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 9, 1980 at the age of 66. He is buried in Rio's São João Batista Cemetery.
Soneto de Separação II
Vinícius de Moraes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silencioso e branco como a bruma
E das bocas unidas fez-se a espuma
E das mãos espalmadas fez-se o espanto
De repente da calma fez-se o vento
Que dos olhos desfez a última chama
E da paixão fez-se o pressentimento
De repente não mais que de repente
Fez-se de triste o que se fez amante
E de sozinho o que se fez contente
Fez-se do amigo próximo, distante
Fez-se da vida uma aventura errante
De repente, não mais que de repente
Vinicius de Moraes's Soneto de Separação II is a poem that vividly describes a sudden change in emotions in a relationship. It begins with a shift from laughter to tears, which is described as silent and white as mist. The second line describes a change from intimacy to separation – the union of two mouths now made into foam, while hands that were once held out in embrace are now spread apart in shock.
The next stanza describes a transformation from calmness to a turbulant wind that extinguishes love's final spark in a lover's eye, and from passionate love to melancholic foreboding. The final line of this stanza poignantly evokes a moment's transition from motionless blissful obsession to a painful - seemingly unending - drama.
The final stanza brings everything together, as a sudden change can become all-encompassing, turning love into sorrow and happiness into loneliness – even a close friend can become a stranger. The last line sums it up succinctly "de repente, não mais que de repente" meaning "suddenly, no more than suddenly". It's a beautifully melancholic piece that examines heartache that arrives like a train without warning and sticks around for the long haul.
Line by Line Meaning
De repente do riso fez-se o pranto
Suddenly, laughter turned into tears
Silencioso e branco como a bruma
Quiet and white as the mist
E das bocas unidas fez-se a espuma
And from the united lips, foam was made
E das mãos espalmadas fez-se o espanto
And from the spread hands, astonishment was made
De repente da calma fez-se o vento
Suddenly, calm turned into wind
Que dos olhos desfez a última chama
Which extinguished the last flame from the eyes
E da paixão fez-se o pressentimento
And from passion, a premonition was made
E do momento imóvel fez-se o drama
And from the still moment, drama was made
De repente não mais que de repente
Suddenly, no more than suddenly
Fez-se de triste o que se fez amante
What was made love, turned into sadness
E de sozinho o que se fez contente
And from being happy alone, it turned lonely
Fez-se do amigo próximo, distante
Turned the close friend into distant
Fez-se da vida uma aventura errante
Turned life into a wandering adventure
De repente, não mais que de repente
Suddenly, no more than suddenly
Contributed by Micah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@eliezerbarbosa3085
Nada é mais doce do que o próprio autor recitando sua obra.
@Nelsinhoviolao
Muito boa mesmo a animação, cara!!! O próprio Vinicius recitando também é de chorar!
@deniesterdarochabarbosa6629
Sempre fui fã de Vinícius de Moraes recitando os seus próprios sonetos, ficou como uma obra de arte para as novas gerações, para a eternidade.
@barbaranovaes6320
Só uma alma sensível como Vinicius para descrever uma separação de forma tão tocante...
@ferreirasilva7443
Hoje é o Aniversário do Centário de vida deste grande poeta. O conheci na 7ª Série e me apaixonei por este soneto... Foi logo na época em que vivi meu primeiro amor. Esteve no meu Expressão de Si na faculdade e agora compartilho essa linda animação de André Tanaka. :) <3
@marcelosnapple
Meus parabéns... não entendo como alguém consegue negativar esse trabalho...
@DupinPat
O soneto é perfeito e trabalho da animação ficou fantástico!
@alctorres
Meu amigo, eu estava deslogado do youtube e fiz questão de me logar para parabenizá-lo!
Ótimo trabalho!!!!
@heyvitoriabarromeu1583
Esse poema tinha na minha lição de casa , e eu acho muito lindo admiro muito
@olavo67
Belíssimo. Vinicius aprovaria.