{"id":18580,"date":"2019-11-22T21:05:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T20:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=18580"},"modified":"2019-11-24T19:41:54","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T18:41:54","slug":"bella-ciao-goodbye-beautiful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/bella-ciao-goodbye-beautiful\/","title":{"rendered":"Bella Ciao – Goodbye beautiful"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ciao, belli!<\/em><\/p>\n

Given last weeks blog post and the cultural discussion surrounding la seconda guerra mondiale<\/em> and partigiani,\u00a0<\/em>I decided to write about a famous Italian song, Bella Ciao.<\/em><\/p>\n

A lot of you have heard the song, sono quasi certa.\u00a0<\/em>But for those of you who have not, this song is an old folk song that was actually adopted to represent the Anti-Fascist tides that you see so pointedly in the movie I wrote about last week,\u00a0Le Quattro Giornate di Napoli.\u00a0<\/em>To Italians, it represents freedom and resistance and the struggle against the Nazi forces during WWII.<\/p>\n

Its origins lie not in Anti-Fascism, however; it was inspired by the struggles of the working class women in paddy fields during the late 19th century and adapted and modified by partisans. These women were known as mondine,<\/i>\u00a0which is derived from the word\u00a0monda,<\/i> or paddy weeding. The mondine\u00a0<\/em>were expected to weed to allow for the healthy rice plants to grow during months typical for flooding – April through June. As you can imagine, these women were bent over for hours, knee-deep in water, exposed to the elements during peak sunlight. It was tedious and the pay was low, yet the padroni,<\/em> or supervisors, were able to readily find women who needed the job, and therefore the poor conditions and poor pay continued. Here are the original lyrics, in both Italian and English:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Alla mattina appena alzata<\/em>
\no bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao, ciao, ciao<\/em>
\nalla mattina appena alzata<\/em>
\nin risaia mi tocca andar.<\/em><\/p>\n

E fra gli insetti e le zanzare<\/em>
\no bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\ne fra gli insetti e le zanzare<\/em>
\nun dur lavoro mi tocca far.<\/em><\/p>\n

Il capo in piedi col suo bastone<\/em>
\no bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\nil capo in piedi col suo bastone<\/em>
\ne noi curve a lavorar.<\/em><\/p>\n

O mamma mia o che tormento<\/em>
\no bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\no mamma mia o che tormento<\/em>
\nio t’invoco ogni doman.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ed ogni ora che qui passiamo<\/em>
\no bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\ned ogni ora che qui passiamo<\/em>
\nnoi perdiam la giovent\u00f9.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ma verr\u00e0 un giorno che tutte quante<\/em>
\no bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\nma verr\u00e0 un giorno che tutte quante<\/em>
\nlavoreremo in libert\u00e0.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\n

In the morning I got up
\noh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
\nIn the morning I got up
\nTo the paddy rice fields, I have to go.<\/p>\n

And between insects and mosquitoes
\noh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
\nand between insects and mosquitoes
\na hard work I have to work.<\/p>\n

The boss is standing with his cane
\noh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
\nthe boss is standing with his cane
\nand we work with our backs curved.<\/p>\n

Oh my god, what a torment
\noh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
\noh my god, what a torment
\nas I call you every morning.<\/p>\n

And every hour that we pass here
\noh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
\nand every hour that we pass here
\nwe lose our youth.<\/p>\n

But the day will come when us all
\noh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
\nbut the day will come when us all
\nwill work in freedom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Whether representing Anti-Fascism or the grueling conditions of the working class, this song speaks deeply to the Italian struggle for survival throughout the years. Here are the lyrics below of the adapted and well known version, as well as an English translation and a link to listen to the song on Youtube.<\/p>\n

Una mattina mi sono alzato<\/em>
\nO bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\nUna mattina mi sono alzato<\/em>
\nE ho trovato l’invasor <\/em><\/p>\n

O partigiano portami via<\/em>
\nO bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\nO partigiano portami via<\/em>
\nCh\u00e9 mi sento di morir <\/em><\/p>\n

E se io muoio da partigiano<\/em>
\nO bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\nE se io muoio da partigiano<\/em>
\nTu mi devi seppellir <\/em><\/p>\n

E seppellire lass\u00f9 in montagna<\/em>
\nO bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\nE seppellire lass\u00f9 in montagna<\/em>
\nSotto l’ombra di un bel fior<\/em><\/p>\n

Tutte le genti che passeranno<\/em>
\nO bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\nE le genti che passeranno<\/em>
\nMi diranno: “Che bel fior!”<\/em><\/p>\n

“\u00c8 questo il fiore del partigiano<\/em>
\nO bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao<\/em>
\n\u00c8 questo il fiore del partigiano<\/em>
\nMorto per la libert\u00e0”<\/em><\/p>\n