ALENCAR

O Guarani 7.76 · 7.76

A little temple of Brazilian nature

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Tudo nesta recâmara lhe falava dele: suas aves, seus dois amiguinhos que dormiam, um no seu ninho e outro sobre o tapete, as penas que serviam de ornato ao aposento, as peles dos animais que seus pés rogavam, o perfume suave de benjoim que ela respirava; tudo tinha vindo do índio, que, como um poeta ou um artista, parecia criar em torno dela um pequeno templo dos primores da natureza brasileira.

Everything in this chamber spoke to her of him: her birds, her two little friends that slept — one in its nest, the other on the rug — the feathers that adorned the room, the animal-skins her feet brushed, the soft scent of benzoin she breathed; everything had come from the Indian, who, like a poet or an artist, seemed to create around her a little temple of the beauties of Brazilian nature.

Word by word

TudoTU-duEverythingnestaNESH-tain thisrecâmarahe-KA-ma-rachamberlhelyeherfalavafa-LA-vaspokedeleDE-leof him:suasSU-ashheravesA-veshbirds,seusSE-ushherdoisdoyshtwoamiguinhosa-mee-GEE-nyushlittle friendsquekethatdormiamdor-MEE-angslept,umoongonenonuin itsseuseooitsninhoNEE-nyunesteeeandoutroOH-truthe othersobreSO-breonouthetapeteta-PE-terug,asashthepenasPE-nashfeathersquekethatserviamser-VEE-angserveddedeasornatoor-NA-tuadornmentaoowto theaposentoa-po-ZEN-turoom,asashthepelesPE-leshskinsdosdushof theanimaisa-nee-MAISHanimalsquekethatseusSE-ushherpéspeshfeetrogavamho-GA-vangbrushed,outheperfumeper-FOO-mescentsuaveSWA-vesoftdedeofbenjoimben-zho-EENGbenzoinquekethatelaE-lasherespiravahesh-pee-RA-vabreathed;tudoTU-dueverythingtinhaTEE-nyahadvindoVEEN-ducomedodufrom theíndioEEN-dyuIndian,quekewho,comoKO-mulikeumoongapoetapwe-Tapoetouohorumoonganartistaar-TEESH-taartist,pareciapa-re-SEE-aseemedcriarkree-ARto createemengaroundtornoTOR-nuarounddelaDE-laherumoongapequenope-KE-nulittletemploTEN-plutempledosdushof theprimorespree-MO-reshbeautiesdadaofnaturezana-tu-RE-zanaturebrasileirabra-zee-LAY-raBrazilian.

The setting

Everything in this chamber spoke to her of him: her birds, her two little friends that slept, one in its nest and the other on the rug, the feathers that adorned the room, the animal-skins her feet brushed, the soft scent of benzoin she breathed; everything had come from the Indian, who, like a poet or an artist, seemed to create around her a little temple of the beauties of Brazilian nature.

A note on this passage

Peri as artist: he has made her room a shrine of the forest — birds, feathers, skins, perfume. It is a portrait of his love expressed in gifts of nature, and of Alencar's own project — to build, out of Brazilian nature, a little temple of national beauty. ('rogavam' is a scan slip for roçavam, brushed; frozen as published.)

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