Alecrim Dourado
Portuguese Nursery Rhyme
Original Lyrics
Alecrim, alecrim dourado,Que nasceu no campoSem ser semeado.Alecrim, alecrim dourado,Que nasceu no campoSem ser semeado.
Foi meu amorQue me disse assim:Que a flor do campo é o alecrim.Foi meu amorQue me disse assim:Que a flor do campo é o alecrim.
English Translation
Rosemary, golden rosemary,That grew in the fieldWithout being sown.Rosemary, golden rosemary,That grew in the fieldWithout being sown.
It was my loveWho told me this:The flower of the field is rosemary.It was my loveWho told me this:The flower of the field is rosemary.
History and Meaning
“Alecrim Dourado” is a Brazilian cantiga de roda, a song children can sing while moving in a circle. Its little story begins with rosemary growing in the field without anyone sowing it. The singer then remembers who told them about it: someone they love.
What does Alecrim Dourado mean?
Alecrim means rosemary, dourado means golden and campo here means a field or the open countryside. Sem ser semeado means “without being sown.” Golden is the song's description; it needn't be read as the colour of rosemary flowers.
How can you sing it with children?
Hold hands and take slow steps around a circle. One person can sing the first three lines and everyone can echo them. Pause before the final alecrim and let the group finish the line. A small group can play the same echo game without making a circle.
The Brazilian wording follows the Céu Azul municipal classroom sheet, with the indicated repeat written out. Palmas's municipal schools list Alecrim in a collection of public-domain children's songs. For a circle song that calls a player into the middle, try Ciranda, Cirandinha.
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info