The anthem of Brazil, or Brazilian National Anthem, was composed by musician Francisco Manuel da Silva and has lyrics by Joaquim Osório Duque Estrada.
The verses come from a poem by Duque Estrada, written in 1909. As it is a work from the beginning of the last century, many of the words used have fallen into disuse in modern Brazilian Portuguese, as effulgent, and therefore are not easy to understand.
See the meaning of ebullient.
Furthermore, the style of the text is Parnassian, a literary period in which metaphors and complex constructions predominated, which require careful reading to understand their meaning.
See too: Parnassianism and meaning of the Brazilian Flag Day.
Interpretation of the Brazilian National Anthem
Part I
They heard the placid shores from Ipiranga
From a heroic people the resounding cry
And the sun of Liberty, in blazing rays
It shone in the sky of the Fatherland at that moment
The first stanza describes the tranquil shore of the Ipiranga River, in São Paulo, where Dom Pedro I traveled his path when he proclaimed the independence of Brazil. The author speaks in the echo of the heroic cry of the Emperor as a representative of the entire Brazilian people, and in how the country became enlightened by freedom, because it is no longer a Portuguese colony and is finally a nation. The use of expressions linked to light can be related to the Enlightenment, a current of thought that defended power through reason.
See too: Enlightenment
If the pledge of this equality
We managed to conquer with a strong arm
In your bosom, O Freedom
Death itself defies our chest!
Pledge in this context is understood as a guarantee, a right. So it is said of the right to equality as a State firmly achieved by the commanders of Brazil. And at the heart of this freedom is the heart challenged to death by the deed. This last part can refer to the phrase "Independence or Death", which would have been said by Emperor D. Peter I.
O beloved Fatherland
Worshiped
Save! Save!
A salute to the country adored and revered by its people.
Brazil, an intense dream, a vivid ray
From love and hope to the earth descends
If in your beautiful sky, smiling and clear
The image of the Cruise shines
The country is a dream come true, like a ray of light that brings love and hope to the people who live there. In the beautiful, clear and hopeful sky is the constellation of Cruzeiro do Sul, which shines absolutely. The word smiley, in this context, refers to promises and not smiles.
Giant by nature
You are beautiful, you are strong, fearless colossus
And your future mirrors that greatness
Due to its geography and its great extension, it is a beautiful territory, which shows natural resistance and is a fearless giant. And in the days that follow, all this greatness will be reflected.
adored land
Among other thousand
it's you, Brazil
O beloved Fatherland!
Among all other places in the world, Brazil is the most loved by those who live in these lands.
Of the children of this soil you are a gentle mother
Beloved homeland
Brazil!
Brazil is like a generous mother to all Brazilians who love their homeland.
Part II
Eternally lying in a splendid cradle
To the sound of the sea and the light of the deep sky
Fulguras, oh Brazil, flower of America
Illuminated in the sun of the New World!
The cradle is a metaphor for where Brazil, a young homeland, lies down. And this would be Latin America, a great continent. The forces of nature, such as the sky and the sea, are present, and are part of the scenario of what is the adornment, an ornament, for America, and it shines when lit by the sun of this area of the discoveries.
See the meaning of Splendid Cradle.
Than the brightest land
Your smiling, beautiful fields have more flowers
"Our forests have more life"
"Our life" in your bosom "more loves"
Brazil's eye-catching fields offer promise and possibilities, in addition to being decorated with lots of flowers. What gives more life to the lands, and together with that life offers welcome to those who live in their midst.
The original quotation marks in "Our forests have more life", "our life" and "more loves", serve to mark excerpts borrowed from the poem Canção do Exílio, by Gonçalves Dias.
O beloved Fatherland
Worshiped
Save! Save!
Brazil, of eternal love, be a symbol
The labar that bears stars
And say the blonde green of this streamer
- Peace in the future and glory in the past
May the country's flag, ornamented with the stars that represent its states, be a symbol of the commitment and loyalty of its people. And may the green and yellow of their colors represent past achievements and a peaceful future. Here, the term blond-green means green and yellow, as the blond color was associated with a yellow-brown hue of the leaf when it began to dry.
But if you raise the strong club from justice
You will see that a son of yours does not run away from the fight
Don't even fear, who loves you, death itself
And in case of a not so peaceful future, and you need to raise arms in favor of justice for your people. The country can count on Brazilians, who face difficulties and do not give up fighting for their rights, and are not afraid to die for the love of their country.
adored land
Among other thousand
it's you, Brazil
O beloved Fatherland!
Of the children of this soil you are a gentle mother
Beloved homeland
Brazil!
See also: meaning of the independence of Brazil.