ArtWay

Quality is the first norm for art, but its final norm is love and truth, the enriching of human life, the deepening of our vision.

Articles

Palavrantiga - Rookmaaker

Palavrantiga is a gospel band from Brasil and 'Rookmaaker' is the title of one of their songs. Watch and listen to this song written by songwriter Marcos Almeida, that starts with the line: ‘Eu leio Rookmaaker, você Jean Paul Sartrê.’

Rookmaaker
 
 
Eu leio Rookmaaker, você Jean Paul Sartrê.
A cidade foi tomada pelos homens.
Na cidade dos homens tem gente que consegue ler,
mas os outros estão néscios pra Ti.
 
I read Rookmaaker, you read Jean Paul Sartre
The city is taken by men
In the city of men there are people who can read,
but others are oblivious to You
 
Eu canto Keith Grenn, você canta o que?
A cidade está cheia de sons.
Na cidade dos homens tem gente que consegue ouvir,
mas os outros estão surdos pra Ti.
 
I sing Keith Green. What do you sing?
The city is full of sounds.
In the city of men there are people who can hear,
but others are deaf to You
 
Vem jogando tudo pra fora.
A verdade apressa minha hora.
Vem revela a vida que é nova.
Abre os meus olhos agora.
 
Come and throw it all away
Truth rushes through my lifetime
Come and show me new life
Open my eyes.
 
Eu fico com a escola de Rembrandt você no dadaísmo de Berlim.
A cidade está cheia de tinta.
Na cidade dos homens tem gente que consegue ver,
mas os outros estão cegos pra Ti.
 
I am for the Rembrandt school. You are for Berlin Dada.
The city is covered with ink.
In the city of men there are people who can see,
but others are blind to You
 
Eu monto o paradoxo no palco. Você anda zombando da Cruz.
A cidade está cheia de atores.
Na cidade dos homens tem gente que consegue dizer,
mas os outros estão mudos pra Ti.
 
There is a paradox on stage: you've been mocking the Cross.
The city is full of actors.
In the city of men there are people who can speak,
but others are mute to You
 
Vem jogando tudo pra fora.
A verdade apressa minha hora.
Vem revela a vida que é nova.
Abre os meus olhos agora.
 
Come and throw it all away
Truth rushes through my lifetime
Come and show me new life
Open my eyes.
 
Toda vez que procuro pra mim algo pra ler, ouvir, olhar e dizer,
Senhor sabe o que eu quero.
Não me furto a certeza: és a Vida que eu quero
 
Every time I look for something to read, listen see and say
Lord, you know what I really want
I have no doubt: you are the Life I want.
 
*******
 
Translation: Fernando Guarany Jr
 
On YouTube you can find quite a few different versions of this song, also the original version by the band (Palavrantiga) and many covers. There is also a radio interview with Marcos Almeida on YouTube, in which Marcos Ameida explains who Rookmaaker is and why he has written this song. In 2010 Rookmaaker's Art Needs No Justication was published in Portuguese in Brasil and in 2012 Modern art and the Death of a Culture will come out.