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Personalized lyrics

The Dress in the Box

O vestido guardado

A classical-style song for Maria

A christening dress kept for years
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Written for the name MariaYours to sing or record
A baby wearing headphones, eyes closed, listening peacefully to music.

A special gift for Maria

The recording

O vestido guardado

The Dress in the Box · 3:29

Music style

Classical-style

Strings and piano behind a clear, unhurried voice - closer to an art song than a pop song.

Listen on

From the album A Rede e o Mar: Portuguese Home & Sea Songs

Yours to keep

The Dress in the Box lyrics

Lyrics

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Maria o vestido brancoMaria the white dressEstava guardado na caixaWas kept in the boxFoi da tua bisavóIt belonged to your great-grandmotherE depois da tua mãeAnd after that to your motherO tecido amarelouThe fabric has yellowedMas o ponto continuaBut the stitching is still holdingAlguém bordou cada florSomebody embroidered every flowerNuma cozinha sem pressaIn a kitchen with no hurryAntes da luz elétricaBefore electric lightAntes de qualquer retratoBefore any photographNinguém sabe mais o nomeNobody knows the name any moreDa mulher que costurouOf the woman who sewed itMaria o vestido é teuMaria the dress is yoursPor um dia e depois voltaFor one day and then it goes backMaria o vestido é teuMaria the dress is yoursE depois espera outraAnd after that it waits for anotherUm dia abres a caixaOne day you will open the boxE vês o mesmo tecidoAnd see the same fabricTalvez vistas outra meninaPerhaps you will dress another girlTalvez fique só guardadoPerhaps it will simply stay thereMas as mãos que bordaramBut the hands that embroidered itJá te tinham imaginadoHad already imagined youMaria o vestido é teuMaria the dress is yoursPor um dia e depois voltaFor one day and then it goes backMaria o vestido é teuMaria the dress is yoursE depois espera outraAnd after that it waits for another

Where the name comes from

Maria traces back to the Hebrew Miriam, one of the oldest and most widespread names in the world - but its original meaning is genuinely uncertain, with 'beloved,' 'wished-for child' and 'bitterness' all proposed by different scholars over the centuries.

Why this moment matters

A christening dress that waits in a box for years, then comes out for one more child, is exactly the kind of object that makes a family feel continuous.

The story behind this song

The christening dress comes out of its box after years of waiting, pressed and ready for one more small wearer.

Make one for your family

This one is yours to read and sing. We write and record a song around your own details - nicknames, keepsakes, the night they arrived - in the genre and language you pick.

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New songs for Maria

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From the library

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