"A felicidade" ("Happiness") is a bossa nova song by Antônio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes, composed in 1958 for the French film Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus).
The lyrics compare happiness to a drop of dew, a feather floating in the wind, and the poor escaping their reality in the fantasies of Carnaval, emphasizing the transitory nature of each.
The final stanzas reference the "namorada" (girlfriend/sweetheart) of the character singing the song, without touching directly on the theme of impermanence and loss.
Jobim and Vinícius collaborated on several songs for the 1956 stage play, Orfeu da Conceição, but French producer Sacha Gordine wanted new material for the film version.
According to author Ruy Castro, "The duo wrote three songs, mostly over the telephone, given that Vinicíus was now working for the Itamaraty in Montevideo: 'A felicidade,' 'Frevo,' and 'O nosso amor.'"