Vadiar

• To hang around, to chill out, to do nothing. In the old days, it was used as a synonym for capoeira.

Foi agora que eu cheguei, me mandaram me chamar
Para ver os angoleiros, pra podermos vadiar
I just arrived, they sent for me
To see the angoleiros, to hang out and play

Valente, Valentão

• Brave, tough guy, bully.

Esse nego é valente / Olha o nego sinhá
This guy is brave / Look at the guy, lady

Ô me dá meu dinheiro, valentão
Que no meu dinheiro ninguém põe a mão
Give me my money, tough guy
Because no one puts a hand on my money

Valor

• Value.

Quem não conhece a capoeira, não sabe o seu valor
Whoever is unfamiliar with capoeira, doesn’t know its value

Vamos

• Let’s, let’s go.

Vamos jogar capoeira, vamos tocar berimbau
Let’s play capoeira, let’s play berimbau

Vaqueiro

• Cowboy.

Ponha lá vaqueiro / Ponha o jaleco de couro
Put it on, cowboy / Put on the leather jacket

Vencer

• To win, to conquer.

Ê ê ê ê / Eu venci a batalha de Camungerê
Hey hey hey hey / I won the battle of Camungerê

Vender

• To sell.

Ô nega que vende aí? Vende arroz do Maranhão
Hey girl, what are they selling over there?
They’re selling rice from the state of Maranhão

Ver

• To see.

Vim da Bahia pra lhe ver, vim da Bahia pra lhe ver
I came from Bahia to see you, I came from Bahia to see you

Verga

• The wooden arc of the berimbau. 

Viagem

• Journey.

Adeus adeus / Boa viagem
Farewell, farewell / Good journey

Vir

• To come.

Vim da Bahia pra lhe ver, vim da Bahia pra lhe ver
I came from Bahia to see you, I came from Bahia to see you

Viola, Violinha

• Berimbau with a small cabaça and stiff verga; it has the highest, sharpest sound, and its role is to improvise and play variations.

Tim tim tim lá vai viola / Lá vai viola, lá vai viola
Tim tim tim goes the viola / Goes the viola, goes the viola

Voar

• To fly.

Pomba voou, deixa voar
The dove flew, let it fly

Você

• You.

Quando eu saio você entra / Quando eu entro você sai
When I retreat, you advance / When I advance, you retreat

Volta

• Turn, return, round.

Ô iaiá mandou dar uma volta só
The master’s daughter ordered one more round

Iê volta do mundo
Turn of the world