Aula De Natação Lyrics in English by Cristina Branco

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Aula De Natação by Cristina Branco from Portuguese to English.
Conheci-o a dez de Maio
I met him on the tenth of May
Na visita a Miradaire
On a visit to Miradaire
'É o João'
'It's João'
Anunciou um amigo meu
Announced a friend of mine
Era um género desportista
He was a sporty type
Sorridente educado
Smiling, polite
Fez questão de vir saudar-me à entrada do liceu
He made a point of greeting me at the school entrance
Perguntou no seu jeito embaraçado
He asked in his awkward way
'Hoje às oito passas lá no pavilhão?'
'Tonight at eight, will you stop by the pavilion?'
Foi assim
That's how
Que dei por mim
I found myself
Num cantinho da bancada de betão
In a little corner of the concrete stands
Sozinha à espera do fim da aula
Alone waiting for the end of the class
De natação
Of swimming
Mal arranjou um bom emprego
As soon as he landed a good job
E eu cheguei ao fim do curso
And I finished my degree
Ofereceu-me um anel de noivado
He offered me an engagement ring
Assentámos na cidade
We settled in the city
Um casal com dois rapazes
A couple with two boys
Por um ano de trabalho
For one year of work
Vinte dias no algarve
Twenty days in the Algarve
E uma noite ele lembrou-se esperançado
And one night, hopeful, he remembered
'Era bom se os miúdos já nadassem no Verão'
'It'd be great if the kids could already swim this summer'
Foi assim que dei por mim
That's how I found myself
Num cantinho da bancada de betão
In a little corner of the concrete stands
Sozinha à espera do fim
Alone waiting for the end
Da aula de natação
Of the swimming class
Quinze anos e um dia de casados
Fifteen years and a day married
Assinámos no registo os papeis
We signed the papers at the registry
Ele disse que se tinha apaixonado
He said he'd fallen in love
O que eu disse já não sei
What I said I no longer know
Partilhámos os haveres
We split the assets
Para ele a Passat
The Passat for him
O timesharing e um lote em Meais
The timeshare and a lot in Meais
Para mim o apartamento
The apartment for me
A custódia dos rapazes
Custody of the boys
Rugas, varizes, duas hérnias discais
Wrinkles, varicose veins, two herniated discs
E o programa de hidroginástica
And the water-aerobics program
Fui lá hoje à primeira sessão
I went there today for the first session
Foi assim que dei por mim
That's how I found myself
Num cantinho da bancada de betão
In a little corner of the concrete stands
Sozinha à espera do fim
Alone waiting for the end
Da aula de natação
Of the swimming class
Foi assim que dei por mim
That's how I found myself
Num cantinho da bancada de betão
In a little corner of the concrete stands
Sozinha à espera do fim
Alone waiting for the end
Da aula de natação
Of the swimming class
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“Aula De Natação” is a witty slice-of-life story that unfolds from the concrete bleachers of a swimming pool. The narrator first meets João on 10 May during a school visit, and what begins with a shy invitation to watch his swim class quickly turns into the classic progression of courtship, marriage and family life. Holidays in the Algarve, a modest car, two sons and a predictable routine paint a picture of ordinary middle-class dreams. Yet every milestone is punctuated by the same image: she is seated alone, waiting for the lesson to finish, watching rather than participating.

That recurring scene becomes a playful yet poignant metaphor for a life spent on the sidelines. Decades pass, the couple eventually divorces and the narrator’s “bench view” remains unchanged, highlighting her quiet resignation as well as her resilience. Cristina Branco mixes humor with melancholy to question how easily people slip into passive roles, letting time swim by. The result is a relatable, bittersweet commentary on choices, expectations and the courage it takes to finally dive into your own lane.

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