Cucurrucucu Paloma [English translation]

They say that at night

he did nothing but cry,

they say he didn't eat

he did nothing but drink.

They swear that the very sky (heavens) 1.

trembled on hearing his weeping,

how he suffered for her,

that even in his death, he went calling her

Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, he sung,

ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, he groaned.

Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, he sung,

of a mortal passion he died.

That, very early in the morning

a sad 'paloma' goes to sing to him 2.

to the empty small house

with its little doors open wide;

they swear that that 'paloma'

is nothing other than his soul,

that he is still waiting

for the wretched to return.

Coo coo ru coo coo paloma, coo coo roo coo coo, don't cry,

the stones never, ever, paloma,

what can they know of love?

Coo coo roo coo coo, coo coo roo coo coo,

Coo coo roo coo coo, coo coo roo coo coo

coo coo roo coo coo, paloma, don't cry no more.

• Artist:Caetano Veloso