Nuvem Cigana Lyrics in English by Milton Nascimento
Ventania translates to "strong wind" or "gale". It's a more evocative and less common word for wind than the everyday "vento", making it stand out.
In "Nuvem Cigana", Milton Nascimento uses "Ventania" to describe the essence of the nomadic cloud, emphasizing its free-spirited, ever-moving nature. It's a beautiful personification that captures the song's theme of freedom and movement.
"Nuvem Cigana" is an invitation, not a declaration. Milton Nascimento keeps circling back to se: "Se você quiser, eu danço com você no pó da estrada" (If you want, I'll dance with you in the dust of the road). Nothing here is demanded — the dancing, the sun on green hair, the fearless heartbeat all wait on the other person saying yes first.
The title line never actually appears in full sentences; it arrives in fragments instead: "Meu nome é nuvem, pó, poeira, movimento" (My name is cloud, dust, dirt, movement). A gypsy cloud has no fixed address — it moves with the wind, and the song's loose, wandering structure moves the same way, drifting between road, sun, and heart without settling into a single scene.
