Marilia de Dirceo

A lyrical voice bursts into a sun‑drenched pasture, where Marilia declares herself more than a simple shepherdess. She balances the rhythm of daily chores—milking, weaving, tending vines—with a bold confidence in her own talents, from playing the small harp to crafting verses that even the mythic Alceste envies. The poem’s refrain, “Graças, Marilia bella, gràcias á minha Estrella,” stitches together a proud self‑portrait that celebrates both earthly abundance and a shining inner star.

The narrative expands into a tender, almost theatrical courtship, as Marilia paints an ideal lover with sky‑dark hair, ivory teeth and eyes that outshine sunrise. Her descriptions weave together pastoral motifs, classical allusions, and a playful contest between desire and duty. Listeners are drawn into a fragrant world of rolling hills, buzzing flutes, and gentle banter, where love is both a soothing lullaby and a spirited dance across the meadow.