Fado Português Lyrics in English Sara Correia

Picture the Atlantic on a quiet day: the sails hang limp, the sky seems to melt into the water and a lone sailor leans against the rail of his fragile boat. From his chest rises a melody overflowing with saudade—that uniquely Portuguese blend of longing, love and melancholy. In "Fado Português," Sara Correia retells the mythical birth of fado itself, saying it was first sung in just such a moment, when a homesick mariner gazed toward the distant coasts of Spain and the golden sands of Portugal. His tears blur his vision, yet his voice carries across the calm sea, stitching together images of his homeland’s valleys, orchards and mountains with the bittersweet desire to return.

As the song unfolds, the sailor makes a passionate promise to his mother and to Maria—he will either bring his beloved to the altar or surrender his life to the ocean’s depths. This vow captures the fatalism so often found in fado: love and loss are intertwined, destiny is as vast as the sea and every note is tinged with both beauty and pain. By repeating the scene with “another sailor, another day,” Correia reminds us that this cycle of yearning is timeless; each new voice keeps the tradition alive. Listening to her rich vocals, you are invited aboard that quiet vessel to feel the ache, the hope and the soul of Portugal all at once.