Que Deus Me Perdoe [English translation]

If my closed soul

Could show itself,

And what I suffer in silence

If it could tell,

All the people would see

How damned I am

How I fake so much happiness

How much I cry as I sing...

God forgive me

If it's a crime or a sin

But this is who I am

And running from the fado*,

I was running from myself.

Singing, I scream

And nothing hurts me

So, if it's a sin

To love the fado

God forgive me.

When I sing, I don't think

About what's bad in life,

I don't even belong to myself,

Nor evil strikes me.

I even want the truth

And dream - an enormous dream -

That all is happiness

And there's no sadness.

* Fado (Portuguese word for "destiny", "fate") is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure.

The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word "saudade" which symbolizes the feeling of loss (a permanent, irreparable loss and its consequent life lasting damage)

• Artist:Amália Rodrigues