“Andorinha que Vais Alta”🚋Ceramic Swallow, Bababobo, Souvenirs and Handicraft Shop in Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal🛺
- BabaBobo
- Apr 16
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 18
📜"Andorinha que vais alta" is one of the famous "Quadras ao Gosto Popular" by Fernando Pessoa, published in 1934 in the work Mensagem and later compiled in the poet's archives.
🥹The poem, marked by Saudade and simplicity, depicts the desire of the poetic “I” to receive something it lacks, in a loving or existential search.
✒️The Poem...
Andorinha que vais alta,
Swallow that goes high,
Porque não me vens trazer
Why don't you come and bring me
Qualquer coisa que me falta
Anything I'm missing
E que te não sei dizer?
That I can't tell you?
Tenho um lenço que esqueceu
I have a scarf that forgot
A que se esquece de mim.
The one who forgets me.
Não é dela, não é meu,
It's not hers, it's not mine,
Não é princípio nem fim.
It is neither the beginning nor the end.
Duas horas vão passadas
Two hours have passed
Sem que te veja passar.
Without me seeing you pass.
Que coisas mal combinadas
What poorly combined things
Que são amor e esperar!
Are love and hope!
Houve um momento entre nós
There was a moment between us
Em que a gente não falou.
during which we did not speak.
Juntos, estávamos sós.
Together, we were alone.
Que bom é assim estar só!
How good it is to be alone!
— Fernando Pessoa🧑🎨
🗝️Key points
🎨Theme: Pessoa's poetry, particularly the quatrains, uses simple symbols such as the swallow and the scarf to express complex feelings.
🎨Desire/Lack: The lyrical “me” expresses a vague and inaccessible desire (“a thing I don’t have”).
🎨Simplicity: The form is traditional and popular, approaching popular Portuguese lyrics.
🎨Popular link: The swallow is an emblematic symbol in Portugal associated with spring and the home, often made of ceramic, it decorates the interiors or facades of houses.
Our Ceramic Swallows🚋Bababobo, Souvenirs and Handicraft Shop in Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal🛺
We strive to promote local crafts...
😌Final thoughts…
If you would like to find out more, we invite you to visit this page: "💝The Lisbon Swallow: Unraveling Its Story, Traditions, and Symbolism💝The Lisbon Swallow: Unraveling Its Story, Traditions, and Symbolism".
