Spirit Voices

(album: The Rhythm Of The Saints - 1990)

We sailed up a river wide as a sea
And slept on the banks
On the leaves of a banyan tree
And all of these spirit voices rule the night

Some stories are magical, meant to be sung
Song from the mouth of the river
When the world was young
And all of these spirit voices rule the night

By moon
We walk
To the brujo's door
Along a path of river stone
Women with their nursing children
Seated on the floor
We join the fevers
And the broken bones

The candlelight flickers
The falcon calls
A lime-green lizard scuttles down the cabin wall
And all of these spirit voices
Sing rainwater, sea water
River water, holy water
Wrap this child in mercy heal her
Heaven's only daughter
All of these spirit voices rule the night
My hands were numb
My feet were lead
I drank a cup of herbal brew
Then the sweetness in the air
Combined with the lightness in my head
And I heard the jungle breathing in the bamboo

Saudac~oes (Greetings!)
D'a lic'enca um momento (Excuse me, one moment)
Te lembr'o (I remind you)
Que amanh~a (That tomorrow)
Ser'a tudo ou ser'a naoa (It will be all or it will)
(be nothing)
Depende, cora,c~ao (It depends, heart)
Ser'a breve ou ser'a grande (It will be brief or it will)
(be great)
Depende da paix~ao (It depends on the passion)
Ser'a sujo, ser'a sonho (It will be dirty, it will)
(be a dream)
Cuidado, cora,c~ao (Be careful, heart)
Ser'a 'util, ser'a tarde (It will be useful, it will be)
(late)
Se esmera, cora,c~ao (Do your best, heart)
E confia (And have trust)
Na for,ca do amanh~a (In the power of tomorrow)

Lord of the earthquake
My trembling bed
The spider resumes the rhythm
Of his golden thread
And all of these spirit voices rule the night