"Onde Canta O Sabia (Where the Sabia... " a Rio de Janeiro Travel Page by tijuca

Send Photo to a Friend

Click here - Campeao de terra e mar!

God Don't Let Me Die Without Returning to Rio

"Roll down--roll down to Rio --
Roll really down to Rio!
Oh, I'd love to roll to Rio
Some day before I'm old!" - Rudyard Kipling

That about says it all for me. Saudades do Rio e aquele povo brasileiro. I was once fortunate to live in Rio for about four years in my youth. Since then, I've returned four times. While there is so much to see in Brasil, I limit my fun to Rio. I believe you would all love Rio and everything Brazilian. It would do the entire world good to absorb a little of the Carioca attitude toward life, too.

Links to all things Brazilian and about Rio can be found on this alumni site: American School of Rio de Janeiro.

A book written in the 1930's, "Where the Sabia Sings," detailed the life of a young U.S. citizen in Brazil. The title comes from a universally loved poem written about Brazil, "Cancao do Exilio." It's the Brazilian equivalent of our singing "America the Beautiful." Here it is:

Cancao do Exilio

"Minha terra tem palmeiras,
Onde canta o Sabia;
As aves, que aqui gorjeiam,
Nao gorjeiam como la.

Nosso ceu tem mais estrelas,
Nossas varzeas tem mais flores,
Nossos bosques tem mais vida,
Nossa vida mais amores.

Em cismar, sozinho, a noite,
Mais prazer encontro eu la;
Minha terra tem palmeiras,
Onde canta o Sabia.

Minha terra tem primores,
Que tais nao encontro eu ca;
Em cismar, sozinho, a noite,
Mais prazer encontro eu la;
Minha terra tem palmeiras,
Onde canta o Sabia.

Nao permita Deus que eu morra,
Sem que eu volte para la;
Sem que desfrute os primores
Que nao encontro por ca;
Sem qu'inda aviste as palmeiras,
Onde canta o Sabia."
by Goncalves Dias