{"id":506,"date":"2010-09-09T18:55:11","date_gmt":"2010-09-09T18:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=506"},"modified":"2010-09-09T18:55:11","modified_gmt":"2010-09-09T18:55:11","slug":"giovinezza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/giovinezza\/","title":{"rendered":"Giovinezza"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking through some family photos the other day, I came across one of my father taken in 1930 in which he is proudly wearing the uniform of the Balilla<\/strong> (Opera Nazionale Balilla<\/b> or ONB<\/strong>, Mussolini’s paramilitary fascist youth group). For more info see this link: <\/font>Opera Nazionale Balilla<\/font><\/a><\/p>\n

My father, who is now 89, remembers those innocent days of his youth with a tinge of nostalgia. One of his most enduring memories is of the time that he was taken to Rome with other Balilla<\/strong> cadets to be led into the huge imposing office of ‘Il Duce’<\/strong> (Mussolini), in order to be presented to the great man himself!<\/font><\/p>\n

My father’s photo seems to sum up perfectly the song Giovinezza<\/strong> (Youth), which was the unofficial inno dalla patria <\/strong>(national anthem) of Italy from 1924 to 1943 during the years of the fascist regime. <\/font><\/p>\n

The original Giovinezza<\/strong>, however,<\/font> was actually a student song entitled Il Commiato<\/strong> (The Farewell) or Inno dei Laureandi<\/strong> (The Graduates Hymn), with lyrics by Nino Oxilia and music composed by Giuseppe Blanc. Very popular at the beginning of the last century, Giovinezza<\/strong> was sung by graduates at the university of Torino both as a nostalgic farewell to their carefree student life, and as a celebration of their vigor, youth and boldness. <\/font><\/p>\n

Here are the original lyrics:<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Son finiti i giorni lieti
degli studi e degli amori
o compagni, in alto i cuori
e il passato salutiam<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

The pleasant days are finished
of studies and of loves
oh companions lift up your hearts
and let’s say farewell to the past<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

\u00c8 la vita una battaglia,
\u00e8 il cammino irto d’inganni,
ma siam forti, abbiam vent’anni,
l’avvenire non temiam<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Life is a battle,
the road is paved with tricks,
but we are strong, we’re twenty years old, we don’t fear the future<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Giovinezza, giovinezza,
primavera di bellezza!
Della vita nell’asprezza,
il tuo canto squilla e va!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Youth, youth,
spring of beauty!
In the hardship of life,
your song rings and goes!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/font><\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/font>Over the years, the lyrics were rewritten several times, becoming increasingly patriotic until in 1924 Mussolini commissioned a new set of lyrics from Salvator Gotta. If you’re feeling brave, you may wish to read them!:<\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Salve o popolo d’eroi
Salve o patria immortale
Son rinati i figli tuoi
Con la fe’ nell’ideale<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Hail, people of heroes,
Hail, immortal Fatherland,
Your sons were born again
With faith in the Ideal.<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Il valor dei tuoi guerrieri,
La virt\u00f9 dei pionieri
La vision dell’Alighieri
Oggi brilla in tutti i cuor<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Your warriors’ valour,
Your pioneers’ virtue,
Alighieri’s vision,
Today shines in every heart<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Giovinezza, Giovinezza,
Primavera di bellezza
Della vita nell’asprezza
Il tuo canto squilla e va!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Youth, Youth,
Spring of beauty,
In the hardship of life
Your song rings and goes!<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

E per Benito Mussolini,
Eja eja alal\u00e0
E per la nostra Patria bella,
Eja eja alal\u00e0<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

And for Benito Mussolini,
Hip hip hooray
And for our beautiful Fatherland,
Hip hip hooray<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Dell’Italia nei confini
Son rifatti gli italiani;
Li ha rifatti Mussolini
Per la guerra di domani<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

In the Italian borders,
Italians have been remade
Mussolini has remade them
For tomorrow’s war<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Per la gloria del lavoro
Per la pace e per l’alloro,
Per la gogna di coloro
Che la patria rinnegan<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

For labor’s glory,
For peace and for the laurel,
For the shame of those
Who repudiated our Fatherland<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

I Poeti e gli artigiani
I signori e i contadini
Con orgoglio d’italiani
Giuran fede a Mussolini.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

The poets and the artisans,
The lords and the countrymen,
With an Italian’s pride
Swear fealty to Mussolini<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Non v’\u00e8 povero quartiere
Che non mandi le sue schiere
Che non spieghi le bandiere
Del fascismo redentor.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

There’s no poor suburb
That doesn’t send its ranks,
That doesn’t unfurl the flags
Of the redeeming Fascism<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

During the fascist years Giovinezza<\/strong> was played at public gatherings, sporting<\/font><\/p>\n

events, in cinemas, and so on, and there were often unpleasant consequences for those who didn’t remove their hats and join in. In fact, Mussolini’s Blackshirts were always ready to ‘rough up’ those, including foreigners, who didn’t show the proper respect.<\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

In the 1930s, Giovinezza<\/strong> became the official inno <\/strong>of the Italian army, and the school day was required to begin with either Giovinezza<\/strong>, or Balilla<\/strong>, which was the official song of the ONB<\/strong>.<\/font><\/p>\n

The metamorphosis of Giovinezza<\/strong> gives us a fascinating insight into the social and political development of Italy in the first half of the 20th century.<\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking through some family photos the other day, I came across one of my father taken in 1930 in which he is proudly wearing the uniform of the Balilla (Opera Nazionale Balilla or ONB, Mussolini’s paramilitary fascist youth group). For more info see this link: Opera Nazionale Balilla My father, who is now 89, remembers…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11251,11250,11248,11249],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-balilla","tag-commiato","tag-giovinezza","tag-inno-dei-laureandi"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t