A minha Pátria é uma montanha
Olímpica, tamanha!
Do seio azul do Atlântico brotada
E aos astros com vigor arrernessada
Pelo braço potente do Criador,
Sobranceia cem léguas em redor.
E tão alta que acima do seu cume
Só o plaustro de Apolo coruscante,
Só o bando estelar de águias de lume
E a mente ousada de um Camões ou Dante!
Como é formosa
E majestosa
A minha amada
Terra natal!
Quer do Sol sob a clâmide doirada,
Quer da Lua sob a lúcida cambraia,
é tão formosa que não tem rival!
Além das nuvens alevantada,
O bravo Oceano a seus pés desmaia!
Para a gloria do mando fê-la Deus
Altiva e forte, generosa e brava:
Assim foram outrora os filhos seus!
Se lhe palpita o coração robusto,
Em derredor tudo estremece logo:
Pálida e fria de pavor a Brava,
E, em ânsias, Santiago e o Maio adusto.
Fala... e as palavras fluem em torrentes
De lavas rugidoras e candentes...
Na verdade, escutai! — chama-se Fogo!
Quando vier, Pátria amada,
A morte p'ra me levar,
Deixa-me a fronte cansada
Em teu seio repousar!
Por Pedro Cardoso
About Me
Introducing Cape Verde
Most people only know Cape Verde through the haunting mornas (mournful songs) of Cesária Évora. To visit her homeland – a series of unlikely volcanic islands some 500km off the coast of Senegal – is to understand the strange, bittersweet amalgam of West African rhythms and mournful Portuguese melodies that shape her music.
It’s not just open ocean that separates Cape Verde from the rest of West Africa. Cool currents, for example, keep temperatures moderate, and a stable political and economic system help support West Africa’s highest standard of living. The population, who represent varying degrees of African and Portuguese heritage, will seem exuberantly warm if you fly in straight from, say, Britain, but refreshingly low-key if you arrive from Lagos or Dakar.
Hot Top Picks For Cape Verde
1 Mt Fogo
Huff to the top of this stunning, cinder-clad mountain, the country’s only active volcano and, at 2829m, its highest peak.
2 Mardi Gras
Down quantities of grogue, the rumlike national drink, and dive into the colour and chaos in Mindelo.
3 Santo Antão
Hike over the pine-clad ridge of the island, then down into its spectacular canyons and verdant valleys.
4 Windsurfing
Head to the beaches of Boa Vista, and fill your sail with the same transatlantic winds that pushed Columbus to the New World.
5 Traditional music
Watch musicians wave loved ones goodbye with a morna or welcome them back with a coladeira.
6 Cidade Velha
Becomes Cape Verde's first World Heritage site in June 2009.
The town of Ribeira Grande de Santiago, renamed Cidade Velha (Old Town) in the late 18th century, was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics.
Located in the south of the island of Santiago, the town features some of the original street layout impressive remains including two churches, a royal fortress and Pillory square with its ornate 16th century marble pillar.
It’s not just open ocean that separates Cape Verde from the rest of West Africa. Cool currents, for example, keep temperatures moderate, and a stable political and economic system help support West Africa’s highest standard of living. The population, who represent varying degrees of African and Portuguese heritage, will seem exuberantly warm if you fly in straight from, say, Britain, but refreshingly low-key if you arrive from Lagos or Dakar.
Hot Top Picks For Cape Verde
1 Mt Fogo
Huff to the top of this stunning, cinder-clad mountain, the country’s only active volcano and, at 2829m, its highest peak.
2 Mardi Gras
Down quantities of grogue, the rumlike national drink, and dive into the colour and chaos in Mindelo.
3 Santo Antão
Hike over the pine-clad ridge of the island, then down into its spectacular canyons and verdant valleys.
4 Windsurfing
Head to the beaches of Boa Vista, and fill your sail with the same transatlantic winds that pushed Columbus to the New World.
5 Traditional music
Watch musicians wave loved ones goodbye with a morna or welcome them back with a coladeira.
6 Cidade Velha
Becomes Cape Verde's first World Heritage site in June 2009.
The town of Ribeira Grande de Santiago, renamed Cidade Velha (Old Town) in the late 18th century, was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics.
Located in the south of the island of Santiago, the town features some of the original street layout impressive remains including two churches, a royal fortress and Pillory square with its ornate 16th century marble pillar.