Que linda falua
Que linda falua
What a Pretty Boat
Children's Song
Children's Song
(Portuguese)
(English)
Que linda falua
Que lá vem, lá vem!
É uma falua
Que vem de Belém.
Vou pedir ao senhor barqueiro
Quem me deixe passar
Tenho filhos pequeninos
Que não posso sustentar.
Passará, passará
Mas algum ficará
Se não for a mãe da frente
É o filho lá de trás.
What a pretty boat
That comes, that comes!
It's a boat
That comes from Bethlehem.
I'll ask mister sailor
To let me pass
I have little children
That I can't sustain.
You will pass, you will pass
But some will stay
If it's not the front mother
It'll be the back son.
Game Instructions
This music refers to the boat, called "falua" that made the crossing between Lisbon and the South side, the Tejo River crossing that today is accomplished by two bridges, one train and a couple of ferryboats. This was associated with a game that may be worthwhile to explain here:
A "front" Mother is followed by a queue of children. Two kids make a bridge and, singing this song, the long line of mother and children pass under the bridge. On the last line the bridge falls over the last kid and then the bridge offers two options that the kid has to choose (like "banana or strawberry" or, on our grownup version "vodka or rum"). Each side of the bridge is one of the options and the kid must go behind the option he has chosen. The longest bridge side wins.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Carolina Vargas for contributing and translating this song and for the game instructions.
Obrigada!