Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 05 May 20 - 04:00 AM

This thoroughly debunks the idea that Ziganoff was the composer. Some fascinating stories about where it really came from.

http://riowang.blogspot.com/2008/12/bella-ciao.html

Subject: ADD Version: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 May 20 - 06:34 PM

Oooh, there's more:

… traditional melody, possibly after Mishka Ziganoff; Italian lyrics, as yet still anonymous; English performance lyrics below, Barbara Dane & Larry Vellani.

From Mishka Ziganoff (1889 – 1967) to Giovanna Daffini (1914 – 1969) to the Modena City Ramblers (1991 to today)-- more about the origins of the melody …

Italian lyrics, as performed by Mebanesville (www.Mebanesville.com)
BELLA CIAO

‘Sta mattina mi sono alzato
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Una mattina mi son svegliato
Io ho trovato l'invasor

O partigiano porta mi via
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
O partigiano porta mi via
Che mi sento di morir

E se io muoio da partigiano
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
E se io muoio da partigiano
Tu mi devi seppellir

Mi seppellire lassù la montagna
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Mi seppellire lassù la montagna
Sotto l'ombra di un bel fiore

Tutti quelli che passeranno
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
E le genti che passeranno
Mi diranno: "Che bel fior"

È questo il fiore del partigiano
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
È questo il fiore del partigiano
Morto per la libertà

Adaptation for English-language performance
… Barbara Dane (b. 1927) & L. D. Vellani (b. 1951)

One morning early I heard the rifles
Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Ciao, Ciao
One morning early I heard the rifles
I knew the enemy was near

O partigiano, oh freedom fighter … Bella Ciao 3v …
O partigiano, oh freedom fighter we must resist or we will die

And leave my body upon the mountain … Bella Ciao 3v …
And leave my body upon the mountain, and when the people pass they’ll say

The brightest flower of all the mountains … Bella Ciao 3v …
Is the one who died to make us free

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 May 20 - 06:10 PM

Somebody just sent me a Facebook message with all sorts of stuff to explore:
Joe, thnx for your interest in Bella Ciao ... Here's a bit of the backstory & how I try to bring it into voice ...

RAI3, 25 Aprile 2016
http://www.radio3.rai.it/dl/portaleRadio/media/ContentItem-87a17f81-0873-4ffb-9c4b-52faad935b70.html

I think he wants me to scroll down to this podcast: https://www.raiplayradio.it/playlist/2020/04/Belle-storie-Donne-e-uomini-nella-resistenza-03795403-e189-449d-bd31-5b4b397e37c5.html

ADD Editore, 25 Aprile 2016, Carlo Pestelli
http://www.left.it/2016/04/25/bella-ciao-piccola-storia-della-canzone-di-tutti/

Bella Ciao di Wiki.it
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_ciao

Mishka Ziganoff, 1889 - 1967
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mishka_Ziganoff

Vasco Scansani, Gualtieri, RE, 18 Aprile 2015
http://gazzettadireggio.gelocal.it/reggio/cronaca/2015/04/18/news/bella-ciao-1.11259485

Vasco Scansani e Giovanna Daffini, 1914 - 1969
http://video.repubblica.it/mondo/giovanna-marini-bella-ciao-il-canto-mondiale-delle-resistenze/189766/188712?ref=HREC1-1 Aa

Modena City Ramblers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modena_City_Ramblers

https://left.it/2016/04/25/bella-ciao-piccola-storia-della-canzone-di-tutti/

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Monique
Date: 18 Feb 19 - 08:27 AM

Only the 2 ½ first bars sound alike, so can we consider that the tunes are really similar and can we deduce from the first notes that one tune derives from the other? Tough question!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 18 Feb 19 - 06:58 AM

Thanks for the link, Monique. I was aware of La me nòna l'è vecchierèlla. Still not answered: how we got such similar music from Italian and from Yiddish sources.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Monique
Date: 18 Feb 19 - 02:17 AM

The Italian ethnomusicologist Roberto Leydi wrote that the tune comes from the traditional children's song La mia nonna l'è vecchiarella from Northern Italy. You can put this Italian article into an online translator to read about it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 18 Feb 19 - 01:01 AM

There's a klezmer tune called Koilen ("Coal"), dating back to at least 1919, sounding amazingly close to Bella Ciao. How and when the tune got from klezmer to Northern Italy, or from Northern Italy to klezmer, is a mustery to me.

Here's a recording, with links to discussions of the two pieces. The recording is an instrumental, but there are also Yiddish lyrics going back to (at least) 1919, at https://www.loc.gov/resource/ihas.200182349.0/?sp=1

Probably worth reading the discussion here: http://riowang.blogspot.com/2008/12/bella-ciao.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: leeneia
Date: 02 Jan 19 - 10:44 PM

Thanks, Geoff.

I am finding the site which Uke linked in 2012 to be a good source of tunes for my accordion playing. I've written out two of them so far.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 31 Dec 18 - 09:19 AM

Italian priest leads singing of Bella Ciao

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Uke
Date: 10 Mar 12 - 06:40 PM

While looking for the tune for "E le stellette" (a.k.a. "Ed il capello"), I came across this webpage which has an image of the sheet music:

http://www.mobrici.it/CANZ_POP/canzmontagn1.htm


Thought it might be of help to others, too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Monique
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 06:23 PM

If some Italian wants to write down the lyrics to Passan le penne nere...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 03:57 PM

I am looking for the lyrics to another alpine song   I remember
Passan le penne neri
son giorni di gran festa
e voi regazze perdete la testa
son?????????

son bianche e celestini e
e voi bambini butatele giu

o lioli o la
o lioli o la

passan le penne neri che festa si fa

a href="mailto:[e-mail]">[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: GUEST,Marymac90
Date: 28 Jul 08 - 11:21 AM

The crowd of non-violent activists that I hung with in the
70's and 80's used to sing this tune in English as a "zipper"
song--add your own verse that fits the format.

We are women, and we are marching
Bella ciaou, bella ciaou, bella ciaou ciaou ciaou
We are marching for liberation
We want a revolution now!

We are women, and we are working
Bella ciaou, bella ciaou, bella ciaou ciaou ciaou
We are working for liberation
We want a revolution now!

We are mothers, and we are caring,
Bella ciaou, bella ciaou, bella ciaou ciaou ciaou
We are caring for liberation
We want a revolution now!

For marching and working, you can substitute singing, crying,
or any other verb that conveys something you are doing to
help bring about a (non-violent) revolution. For women, you
can substitute daughters, families, workers, children,
whatever!

Peace,

Marymac

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: NormanD
Date: 28 Jul 08 - 06:04 AM

There is a contemporary version recorded by the British band Chumbawamba. You can hear it, and download (free) Here: fourth song down

Their re-written lyrics:

The world is waking outside my window
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Drags my senses into the sunlight
For there are things that I must do

Wish me luck now, I have to leave you
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
With my friends now up to the city
We're going to shake the gates of hell

And I will tell them - we will tell them
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
That our sunlight is not for franchise
And wish the bastards drop down dead

Next time you see me I may be smiling
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
I'll be in prison or on the TV
I'll say, "the sunlight dragged me here!"

Their version is a commemoration to Carlo Giuliani (March 14, 1978 -- July 20, 2001), an Italian anti-globalist who was shot and killed by police during the demonstrations against the Group of Eight summit that was held in Genoa from July 19 to July 21, 2001.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: Gulliver
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 10:05 PM

Above translation, second verse should be: " I feel I'm about to die".
Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian folk song)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 06:11 PM

I know he sang Le Chant des Partisans, which is a different song. If he recorded Bella Ciao too, that'd be well worth hearing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: GUEST,Anouck
Date: 26 Jul 08 - 08:19 PM

Yves Montand ( an Italian immigrant born Ivo Livi that became a very famous french singer ) has a version I always liked .

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Bella Ciao (Italian)
From: GUEST,renzo
Date: 08 Jul 06 - 01:07 AM

At the risk of being lumped in with the "Idiots", I have done my own translation of the lyrics I found above and which match exactly the words sung by a group called "les Italiens"...available at MSN Music.


Una mattina, mi son svegliato
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Una mattina mi son svegliato
Ed ho trovato l'invasor.

O partigiano portami via
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
O partigiano portami via
Che mi sento di morir.

E se io muoio da partigiano
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Se io muoio da partigiano
Tu mi devi seppellir.

Mi seppillirai lassu in montagna
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Mi seppillirai lassu in montagna
Sotto l'ombra d'un bel fior.

E la gente che passeranno
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
E la gente che passeranno
Mi diranno, "che bel fior"

Quest' e il fiore del partigiano
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Quest'e il fiore del partigiano
Morto per la Liberta.
________________________________________________________________

One morning I awoke
(O sweetheart goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
One morning I awoke
To find the enemy upon me.

O comrade, carry me away
( O sweetheart, farewell, farewell,farewell)
O comrade carry me away
I'm about to die.

And if I die for my country
(O my love, adieu)
And if I die for my country
You must bury me.

Bury me up there on the mountain
( O sweetheart, goodbye!)
Bury me up there on the mountain
In the shade of a beautiful flower.

And the people who pass by
( O my dear one, so long)
And the people who pass by
Will say 'what a lovely flower!'

This is the flower of the partisan
( O sweetheart goodbye!)
This is the flower of the partisan
Who died for Freedom !

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 02:00 AM

and montagna* yea another typo...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 01:31 AM

sorry, that't partigiano*

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: GUEST,Italian Boy
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 01:30 AM

I would like to say that you are all complete idiots, and that all of your lyrics and translations are completely messed.

Here is Bella Ciao

Una mattina mi son svegliata
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
Una mattina mi son svegliata
Ed ho trovato l'invasor

Un partiggiano portami via
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
Un partiggiano portami via
Perché mi sembra di morir

E se io muoio sulla mantagna
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
E se io muoio sulla mantagna
Tu mi devi seppellir

E tu mi devi seppellire
O bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
E tu mi devi seppellire
sotto l'ombra di un bel fior

E tutti quelli che passeranno
O bella ciao o bella ciao o bella ciao ciao ciao
E tutti quelli che passeranno
E poi diranno che bel fior

E tutti quelli che passeranno
E poi diranno che bel fior

the translations for it from before are good enough, same meaning for the most part.

Here is the song, listen to it and see how right I am.
http://www.freewebs.com/usono/BellaCiao.mp3

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 05 Apr 04 - 03:45 AM

Ed il cappello - a song I like very much, and which I taught my boy scouts some 45 years ago.

Corrections:
capello = hair; cappello = hat.

Additions:
Instead of stellette ... we sang:
E le stiletti ... son portastecchi[ni] = and the stilettoes we carry are our thoothpick holders.
La penna nera ... e la bandiera di noi Alpin' = the black feather we wear is the flag of us Alpnini [mountaineer troops].

The giverna [ammo pouch] can't be the ashtray, it must hold something more substantial. My experience is: cigarette case, tobacco pouch [did it myself]. Compare what Cpt Bluntschli said in Shaw's Men and Arms: Only the young soldiers carry ammunition in their pouches, the old ones chocolate: It is light and highly nutritious.
Short wordlist I made for my convenience:
borraccia (per soldati, cowboy) water-bottle, flask
gavetta (Mil) mess tin
lavandino (del bagno) washbasin (Brit), washbowl (Am); (della cucina) sink
giberna cartridge case
zaino rucksack (Brit), backpack (Am)
dispensa (mobile) sideboard

Ezio - A fine troop you have served in; congratulations. I also had the good luck to be conscrpted into one of the finest batallions of light infantry (only four in the entire army thence).

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: GUEST,MaRiOneTTe
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 09:59 PM

oHH       WOW    hour Search Lirics of this bellissima SonG

aNd      BiNGOOOO !!!!!!!

GRaZieeeee      

n________n !

`___`

          ^o^ ^-^    muCHAs GRACIAs   a Tutti e Tutte

scuse not mencione mi beLLo name   ,,,,, n__^

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 11:26 PM

This ain't Bill D, it's Ferrara, and I am most grateful to Nigel for "Bellow Meow."

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 08:08 PM

refresh

Subject: Lyr Add: Bella Chow
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 06:25 AM

I knew the scansion seemed familiar. I've heard similar at a Filk convention, and just dug out the tape, for an amusing parody.
Nigel

BELLA CHOW
Lyrics: Cynthia McQuillin   Tune:trad.

We have kitties, and when they're hungry
They bellow "meow," bellow "meow," bellow "meow, meow, meow!"
We have kitties, and when they're hungry
They really let us know.

They leap upon us and lick our fingers
And bellow "meow," bellow "meow," bellow "meow, meow, meow!"
They leap upon us and lick our fingers,
How shamelessly they plead.

Out in the kitchen where all the food is
They bellow "meow," bellow "meow," bellow "meow, meow, meow!"
Out in the kitchen where all the food is
They pace the floor and howl.

The hungry kitties have stopped complaining
No bellow "meow," bellow "meow," bellow "meow, meow, meow!"
The hungry kitties have stopped complaining,
We'd better find out why.

We discover they've found the pot roast
Bellow "meow," bellow "meow," bellow "meow, meow, meow!"
We discover they've found the pot roast
That we left out to thaw.

We'll order pizza from our favourite restaurant
Bellow "meow," bellow "meow," bellow "meow, meow, meow!"
We'll order pizza from our favourite restaurant,
A place called "Bella Chow!"


Notes: Transcribed from "Bedlam Cats" #UP008C; from Unlikely Publications. P.O. box 8542, Berkeley CA. 94707-8542

NP

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Wolfgang
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 05:35 AM

Volksleider

grin: I'm not in the business of correcting typos (except in titles and in proper names), but a typo with an outcome that makes sense and is funny that's something different:

Volkslieder - folk songs

Volksleider - folk sufferer (or, with a bit of creative phantasy: 'sorry, folks'

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: MMario
Date: 24 Oct 02 - 03:02 PM

never mind...(duh! sorry - brain cell is all covered with fuzzy stuff.)

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Oct 02 - 02:44 PM

psssst, Mario, it's at Volksleider......lyrics which have melody clickit at the top........

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: MMario
Date: 24 Oct 02 - 02:42 PM

can anyone send me the pollywogs for this and we will put a midi up?

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ferrara
Date: 24 Oct 02 - 02:18 PM

Looks fine. Lovely, Max....

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ferrara
Date: 24 Oct 02 - 02:17 PM

Sing Out published a version of Bella Ciao, that was sung by women working in the arborio rice fields, in about the 1930's. They worked under forced labor conditions similar to those in some Chinese factories today.... It's a very powerful song.

I promised the words to Bonnie Milner about 2 years ago and in my own inimitable fashion have just realized that she'll probably be at NOMAD this weekend so finally typed them up. So, I'll take Bonnie a copy, and maybe even a tape, and here they are for any of you who would like them.

The English translation is my own. It is very singable and yet is almost a literal translation. IMHO it's worlds better than the translation in Sing Out.... :-)

OK Max, I'm counting on those automatic linebreaks! This was copied from MS-word, if it doesn't work I'll re-post - Rita

********

BELLA CIAO

Alla mattina, appena alzata
        O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Alla mattina, appena alzata
In risaia mi tocca andar'

E tra gli insetti e le zanzare
E' uno duro lavor

Il capo in piedi, col suo bastone,
E noi curve a lavora'

O mamma mia, o che tormento
Io t'invoco ogni mattin'

Verra' un giorno che tutte quante
Lavoreremo in liberta'

At early morning before the daybreak
        Oh love farewell, love farewell, love farewell, goodbye
At early morning before the daybreak
Into the rice fields I must go.

Between the insects and the mosquitoes
The work is bitter hard and long.

The boss stands upright and holds a truncheon
While we curve our backs and slave

Oh mamma mia this life is torment
Every morn you'll hear me cry

There'll come a morning when every woman
Will live and work in liberty.

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Fedele
Date: 21 Apr 00 - 05:44 PM

And the last interesting time I heard it, it was being sung by Kurdish demonstrators in Rome during Abdullah Ocalan's staying in Italy. Fausto Bertinotti, an Italian politician, went to the Celio square to meet the demonstrators and they sang this song to thank him for his support to their cause.

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Fedele
Date: 19 Apr 00 - 04:32 PM

1. It's nice to see that people care about Italian folk songs. About "sul cappello", everything was said in the latter messages is right. 2. Few things about Bella Ciao: what was said is right. The song has always been very very very popular; it had a renewed life in 1994: in 1993 the rock-folk band "Modena City Ramblers" from Modena recorded an Irish-folk-like version of this song beginning with the English music "The Lonesome Boatman" and including an Irish reel (don't remember the name by now), it became very popular and Bella Ciao was loudly sung in every demonstration against the right-wing Berlusconi government, including neo-fascist politicians, in 1994-1995. So it became a real leftist anthem, while before that time it was known as a mere anti-fascist song, the lyrics being poetic but not so politics. I remember Bella Ciao being sung by Modena City Ramblers, by me and by other 400,000 people at the annual free May 1st Concert in Rome in 1996, 10 days after the left-wing coalition had won the elections. 3. I'll start a thread with Bandiera Rossa (Avanti Popolo)

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: GUEST,Frank Hamillton
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 06:16 PM

Anyone for a rousing chorus of "Avanti Popolo"? Marcelllo Mastrioanni was magnificent in the movie "The Organizer".

Frank

Subject: Lyr Add: STELLUTIS ALPINIS
From: GUEST,GINA DELLA SHIAVA DALL' OKLAHOMA CITY, OK.-
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 12:29 PM

Perfavore non rovinate le canzoni folcloristiche italiane e friulane, chiedete ai alpini per canzoni e parole di canzoni folcloristiche del nord italia incluso " se tu vens casu' tas cretis", quel mazzolin dei fiori etc. Here are the words of "STELLUTIS ALPINIS:"

Se tu vens cassu' ta cretis,
La' che lor mi an soterat,
Al e' un splaz plen di stellutis,
Dal mio' sanc 'l e' stat bagnat.

Par segnal, une crosute
Je' scolpide li' tal cret:
Fra che stelis nas l' erbute,
Sot di lor jo duar cuiet.

Ciol su, ciol une stelute:
Je a' ricuarde il nostri beb.
Tu i daras une bussadute,
E po platile in tal sen.

Quan che a ciase tu ses sole
E di cur tui preis par me,
Il mio' spirit a tor ti svole:
Jo' e la stele sin cun te.

I hope I finally wrote the right version in Furlan. This song is wanted by many Italian immigrants and ex- Alpini around the world. I hope I could help a bit. Grazie e Buona Pasqua 2000 dall' Oklahoma- USA.

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: judy
Date: 17 Jan 98 - 10:25 PM

Jon W: Thanks very much for the offer. Music coming as JPEGs. Check your email.

Thanks again judy

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Jon W.
Date: 14 Jan 98 - 10:44 AM

Ezio, thanks for the link. I was finally able to listen to it. Too bad they only put on 17 seconds of it.

Judy, if you can email, snail mail, or fax me the music of "Ed il Cappello" I could translate to ABC and post it. Use the "Send a personal message" thingie if you want my address or fax number.

Jon W.

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: judy
Date: 12 Jan 98 - 05:26 PM

Thanks, judy

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ezio
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 08:53 AM

Portacicche is a composed word (porta+cicche). 'Cicche' is the plural of 'cicca' (popular for sigarette-end). Porta is the verb 'to carry' or 'to hold'. Therefore, portacicche is someway similar to 'ASH-TRAY'

Bye Ezio

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: judy
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 12:01 AM

Ezio: Thank you so much for the translation of "Ed Il Capello" (and the spelling correction too). The word you couldn't translate was because my zippy little fingers mangled the word.
The line should have read:
E le giberne che noi portiamo
Son portacicche di noi solda

Thanks again. I'm enjoying your additions to the forum

judy

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ezio
Date: 08 Jan 98 - 09:35 AM

This is especially for JON W.

Just found on the net: a few seconds of the song "SUL CAPPELLO". This is the URL:

http://www.naonis.com/ana/cd.html

Click on the link "Sul cappello".

Bye

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ezio
Date: 07 Jan 98 - 10:24 AM

JUDY.

Hello! Here you are a very rough (but I'm doing my best!) translation of the song you sent on 29 Dec 1997:

Ed il capello che noi portiamo
..........And the hat that we (use to) wear
Cio-e l'ombrella, cio-e l'ombrella
..........It is the umbrella the umbrella
Ed il capello che noi portiamo
..........And the hat that we use to wear
Cio-e l'ombrella, di noi solda
..........It is the umbrella of we soldiers

E tu biondina capricciossa garibaldina tru la la
..........And you little blonde naughty girl 'garibaldina'
.......... [right spell: capricciosa]
Tu sei la stella, tu sei la stella
..........You are the star you are the star
E tu biondina capricciossa garibaldina*tru la la
..........And you little blonde naughty girl 'garibaldina'
.......... [garibaldina means follower of Garibaldi - the Italian hero of XIX century]
Tu sei la stella, di noi solda
..........You are the star of we soldiers

E le stellette che noi portiamo
..........And the little stars we are wearing
.......... [stellette are small signs of the Italian Army - they are embossed in the collar badge]
Son disciplina di noi solda
..........they symbolize the discipline of we soldiers

E tu biondina (etc.)
..........And you little blonde ...

E la boraccia che noi portiamo
..........And the flask that we carry
L'e la cantina di noi solda
..........It's the wine-cellar of we soldiers

E la gavetta che noi portiam
..........And the mess-tin that we carry
L'e il lavandino di noi solda
..........It's the sink of we soldiers

E le giberne che noi portiamo
..........And the cartridge-pouches that we carry
Son ortacicche di noi solda
..........Are ???? of we soldiers

E questo zaino che noi portiam
..........And this backpack that we carry
L'e la dispensa di noi solda
..........It's the sideboard of we soldiers

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ezio
Date: 07 Jan 98 - 09:43 AM

I was away for a few days - I'm sorry I'm late in replying to some messages.
---------------------------------
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!
---------------------------------
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
------------------

Thank you to you all

Ezio

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Jon W.
Date: 05 Jan 98 - 12:50 PM

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: judy
Date: 04 Jan 98 - 04:54 PM

I guess we'll just have to write some new words to those wonderful tunes; the folk process will strike again. Avanti!

judy

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ferrara
Date: 04 Jan 98 - 07:56 AM

Well, I have to (possibly) recant about la boraccia. I remembered that in Neapolitan, at least, the usual slang for drunkard is "umbriaco." So what is boraccia? My mind still insists it's drunkard, but until one of us finds an appropriate dictionary....

Judy, I sympathize. Someone gave me a beautiful record of a song called "Colorado," played on the Paraguayan harp. However I'm told that this is also a fascist song, and makes many people flaming mad to hear it. No fair. Good music should always be pure-minded, politically correct, right-thinking and wholesome.

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: judy
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 01:46 PM

Ferrara: Yes, "et tu biondind..." is the chorus. Thanks so much for the information about Ed Il Capello. I never mind collecting foreign songs without knowing the words. I'm sure I often mangle the pronounciation as I sing them to myself. But it is so much more interesting to know what the song is about.

It also helps one stay out of trouble. Once when hitchiking in Italy I sang a song about beautiful lips and kissing (I later found out). It gave my driver the wrong impression. Luckily nothing happened. Another time I sang a song to some French friends that had a terrific tune. It was a fascist song and they didn't appreciate it and suggested I drop that one.

judy

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Ferrara
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 10:21 AM

Jon, You're absolutely right; Cappello is hat, cappelli is hair.

You may not be able to translate this one with an Italian-English dictionary because it's probably in dialect. It doesn't look Neapolitan to me; if it was sung by Alpinisti, it would be in a more Northern Italian dialect.

There's one verse I think I've got. But you have to interpret, not just translate, because the whole thing is so tongue-in-cheek.

E la boraccia che noi portiamo / L'e la cantina di noi solda'

Boraccia means drunken woman. Cantina is bar, of course. So I think they're saying that the old drunk who travels with them is their bar, because she always has liquor.

I'm sure that solda' is dialect of some form for soldati or soldiers. Also, I know bits of the melody, but not all. How I wish I had paid more attention when I was younger!

Oh. The first couple of lines of Quell Mazzolin di Fiori are:

Quell mazzolin di fiori / Che vien' della montagna (2)

E guarda ben' che no'l se bagna / cca la voglio regolar'

The part before the slash is the call, after the slash is the response, which was sung by another group of marching men as they traveled.

Translation: That bouquet of flowers/ that come from the mountain/ Take care that they (aren't dropped, don't get wet), because I want to give them away.

I' voglio regolare/ a' mia bella Rosina ...

I want to give them to my pretty Rosina ...

That's all I remember. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the words are in a book somewhere in this house, maybe packed in a box....

A charming incident from WWI that my dad told about. The village was alarmed because there were deserters in the neighborhood. They pictured them as desperate bandidos, and everyone was cowering indoors. But curiosity is strong in Italian villages and word gets around quickly. When the deserters got there, they turned out to be about 18 years old, ragged, thin, tired, dirty and half-starved, and terrified that they would be caught and shot. The whole village rallied behind them, gave them food and warm clothes and fresh bread hot from the ovens. Dad said they kept saying, "This is the best bread we've ever tasted." When the MP's arrived later, looking for deserters, no one in the village had ever heard of such a thing. No deserters around here, no sir.

Subject: RE: ITALIAN FOLK SONG: Bella Ciao
From: Jon W.
Date: 02 Jan 98 - 11:15 AM

Ferrara, thanks for the explanation of "Ed il Capello." One thing, though--"capello" is singular and means cap or hat, whereas hair is always plural in Italian, "capelli." I've been trying to figure out the other objects in the song, but can't find my Italian-English dictionary. "Stellette" is probably star-shaped insignia. I'm totally lost on the rest of the verses except for one thing--the verb "portare" ("portiamo" being the first person plural form) can mean either to carry or to wear.

I hope Ezio sees this and provides a translation for the other objects.

I've heard of "Quel Mazzolin di Fiori," but can't recall any of it for certain. Is it the one where the chorus goes "Eviva, eviva, eviva il regimento, eviva, eviva, il sesto degli Alpin?"