This song began as a lament by women working in rice paddies of the Po Valley of Italy. The poor mondinas, mostly young women, worked long and tiring hours, leading them to launch many strikes and riots, and throw their energy behind revolutionary movements. Bella Ciao found new life as a partisan song against Mussolini’s fascist regime.
lyrics
Una mattina mi sono alzato
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Una mattina mi sono alzato
E ho trovato l'invasor
O partigiano, portami via
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
O partigiano, portami via
Ché 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
E seppellire lassù in montagna
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
E seppellire lassù in montagna
Sotto l'ombra di un bel fior
Tutte le genti che passeranno
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Tutte le genti che passeranno
Mi diranno: "Che bel fior"
Questo è il fiore del partigiano
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Questo è il fiore del partigiano
Morto per la libertà
The world is waking outside my window
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
The world is waking outside my window
for the enemy have come
Oh partisan, please take me with you
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Oh partisan, please take me with you
for I know my death is near
and if I die in the fight for freedom
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
and if I die in the fight for freedom
you will have to bury me
Oh bury me up upon the mountain
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Oh bury me up upon the mountain
under the shade of a blooming rose
and all those passing along my graveside
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
and all those passing along my graveside
stop and shed a tear for me
This is the grave of a fallen comrade
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
This is the grave of a fallen comrade
who died for liberty
credits
from In The Ruins They've Left Us, We'll Plant Gardens Still,
released December 23, 2020
Vocals: R Young, Emmett Doyle, and Jessica Garraway
Accordion: Sam Adams
Bass and Snare: R Young
Mandolin and Translation: Emmett Doyle
This album has been a powerful mix of hitting home and expanding my horizons. This is great music, both from and for the ongoing fight for universal human dignity. I don't know how he does it, but Emmett has a way of saturating each story he tells - even the ones far removed from his own experience - with a rich feeling of authenticity. Two thumbs up! jwberns
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