Havia um muro alto entre nossas casas.

There was a high wall between our houses.

Difícil de mandar recado para ela.

Difficult to send her a message.

Não havia e-mail.

There was no email.

O pai era uma onça.

Her father was a jaguar.

A gente amarrava o bilhete numa pedra presa por um cordão

We tied notes to a rock bound to a rope

E pinchava a pedra no quintal da casa dela.

and I threw the rock into her backyard.

Se a namorada respondesse pela mesma pedra

It was glorious.

Era uma glória!

But sometimes the note got stuck in the branches of the guayaba tree

Mas por vezes o bilhete enganchava nos galhos da goiabeira

and then it was agony.

E então era agonia.

So it was in the time of jaguars.

No tempo do onça era assim.