Nós as Meninhas

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of young girls, "as meninhas," preparing to join their mothers on a pilgrimage to San Simon. The scene is set with the mothers going to burn candles, a ritualistic act for themselves and for their daughters. The girls, however, are focused on a different kind of anticipation: the dance. They will dance "i" – likely meaning there or in that place – with their mothers present, a communal and perhaps supervised revelry. The core tension lies between the solemnity of the mothers' religious duty and the youthful exuberance of the girls. While the mothers are engaged in burning candles for protection and well-being, the girls' primary action is dancing, described as "bailaremos i." This contrast highlights a generational difference in focus, where spiritual observance for the elders is intertwined with the immediate joy and social interaction for the young. The repetition of "E elas enton" and "Queimen candeas por nós e por si" emphasizes the ongoing nature of the ritual and its dual purpose. Similarly, the repeated refrain "E nós meninhas e nós meninhas / Bailaremos i" underscores the girls' unwavering intention to dance. The lyrics suggest that the presence of "nossos amigos" (our friends/boyfriends) adds another layer, as they will come to watch the girls dance, described as "fremosas en cós" (beautiful in their adornments) and "moças de bon parecer" (girls of good appearance). This creates an effective blend of tradition and youthful energy. The act of dancing becomes a central, almost defiant, expression of the girls' vitality amidst the more somber religious context. The lyrics capture a moment where sacred duty and secular celebration, the concerns of mothers and the desires of daughters, coexist and perhaps even complement each other, all set against the backdrop of a community gathering.