This is a poem given to me in Florianópolis by a homeless man who was also a recovering alcoholic.
It warns about the misuse of the Brazilian spirit cachaça – made from fermented sugar cane juice and best-known around the world as the starting point for the nation’s most famous drink, the caipirinha.
Because of its reputation as something drunk by the homeless, it is often sold with no mention of the word “cachaça” on the front of the bottle, if at all – and is instead known by its respective brand name.
I asked the homeless man if I could put it on my blog, to which he happily agreed. A couple of months later, I just stumbled across the paper in my room. I’ve added a simple translation.
| Cachaça
Gerador de desgraças Cachaça Corda que enlaça Cachaça Animal feroz que das prateleiras Cachaça Um dia já foi barco no meu cais |
Cachaça
Generator of woes Cachaça The rope that entangles you Cachaça A wild animal that Cachaça One day it was already a boat at my dock |
Ben Tavener 