As Mãos

The song "As Mãos" by Manuel Alegre is a profound reflection on the duality of human capability, symbolized through the metaphor of hands. The lyrics emphasize that hands are the instruments through which we create and destroy, make peace and wage war. The repetition of the phrase "Com mãos" (With hands) at the beginning of several lines reinforces the centrality of human agency in shaping the world around us. The hands that craft poems and cultivate the earth are the same that can cause destruction and conflict.

The song also touches on the theme of creation and transformation. The hands are depicted as the force behind every creation, from the simplest to the most complex, including art, architecture, and nature itself. The imagery of hands in the fruit and the word, and as the essence of a city or a flower, suggests that everything man-made or touched by human effort contains the essence of humanity. The reference to hands as both a song and a weapon encapsulates the potential for both beauty and harm.

Finally, the song concludes with a powerful message of hope and empowerment. The hands that have the power to change the world are also the ones that can begin the journey towards freedom. This is a call to action, an acknowledgment that the capacity for positive change lies within our grasp. The lyrics of "As Mãos" serve as a reminder of the responsibility that comes with this power and the possibility of using it for the greater good.