The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #3566   Message #18819
Posted By: Ezio
07-Jan-98 - 09:43 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
I was away for a few days - I'm sorry I'm late in replying to some messages.
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FERRARA:

i) you're right - the refrain is
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao

ii) the right name of Italy's troops is ALPINI. They are soldiers specialized to fight at mountainside. Until a few years ago they had thousand mules - used as ... mountain trucks! By the way, in my youth I served 15 months as ALPINO!

iii) I've no doubt that BORRACCIA (it's pure italian, not dialect) is the flat metal bottle that soldiers use to bring water. As Alpini had (and stll have!) a great fame as wine drunkers, their borraccia is their wine-cellar (CANTINA) too!
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JON W.

i) 'Evviva evviva il reggimento...' is part of a song named (not sure) 'Sul cappello'. I can remember some verses:

Sul cappello sul cappello che noi portiamo
C'e' una lunga penna nera
che a noi serve che a noi serve da bandiera

Su pei monti su pei monti che noi saremo
coglieremo coglieremo le stelle alpine
per donarle per donarle alle bambine

Evviva evviva il reggimento evviva evviva il Sesto degli Alpini

TRANSLATION
On that hat that we are wearing
there's a long black feather
that we use as our flag

When we will be on the mountains
we will pick edelweiss
to give them to young girls

Hurrah to the regiment, hurrah to the sixth regiment of Alpini
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Thank you to you all

Ezio