Bella Ciao

-

 O BELLA CIAO 


Una mattina mi son svegliato

o bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,

una mattina mi son svegliato

e 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,

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!»

E questo è il fiore del partigiano

o bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,

e questo è il fiore del partigiano

morto per la libertà.

E questo è il fiore del partigiano

morto per la libertà.


English translation


One morning I woke up  

oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,  

one morning I woke up  

and I found the invader.


Oh partisan, take me away,  

oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,  

oh partisan, take me away,  

for I feel that I am about to die.


And if I die as a partisan  

oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,  

and if I die as a partisan  

you must bury me.


And bury me up there in the mountains,  

oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,  

and bury me up there in the mountains  

beneath the shade of a beautiful flower.


All the people who pass by  

oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,  

all the people who pass by  

will say to me: “What a beautiful flower!”


And this is the flower of the partisan  

oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,  

and this is the flower of the partisan  

who died for freedom.


And this is the flower of the partisan  

who died for freedom.


Notes on translation


A few lines are translated naturally rather than word-for-word:


- “mi sento di morir” literally means something like “I feel like dying” or “I feel I may die,” but in context it can be rendered more naturally as “I feel that I am about to die.”

- “l’invasor” is a poetic/apocopated form of l’invasore.

- “genti” literally means “peoples” or “folk,” but here “people” is the most natural translation.


Mini Italian tutorial based on the lyrics


This song is great for learning Italian because it uses:


- common past tense forms

- object pronouns

- commands

- modal verbs

- simple but poetic vocabulary


 1. Key sentence patterns


 “Una mattina mi son svegliato”

This means:


- una mattina = one morning

- mi son svegliato = I woke up


Full meaning:

- One morning I woke up


Grammar:

- mi = reflexive pronoun, “myself”

- son = shortened poetic form of sono

- svegliato = past participle of svegliare / svegliarsi


Base form:

- svegliarsi = to wake up


Example:

- Mi sono svegliato presto. = I woke up early.  

- Mi sono svegliata presto. = I woke up early.  

  - Use svegliata if the speaker is female.


 “e ho trovato l’invasor”

- ho trovato = I found

- l’invasor(e) = the invader


Grammar:

This is passato prossimo, a very common Italian past tense:


- ho + past participle  

- trovare → trovato


Example:

- Ho trovato il libro. = I found the book.


 2. Important grammar from the song


 A. Passato prossimo

Used for completed past actions.


Examples from the lyrics:

- mi son svegliato = I woke up

- ho trovato = I found


Structure:

- essere / avere + past participle


Examples:

- Ho mangiato. = I ate / I have eaten.

- Sono arrivato. = I arrived / I have arrived.


Important:

Some verbs use essere, especially reflexive verbs and many movement/change verbs.


 B. Reflexive verbs

Example:

- svegliarsi = to wake up


In the song:

- mi son svegliato


Reflexive pronouns:

- mi = myself

- ti = yourself

- si = himself/herself/oneself

- ci = ourselves

- vi = yourselves

- si = themselves


Examples:

- Mi sveglio alle sette. = I wake up at seven.

- Ti svegli presto? = Do you wake up early?


 C. Imperative / command forms

Example:

- portami via = take me away


Breakdown:

- porta = take

- mi = me

- via = away


In Italian, object pronouns often attach to affirmative commands:

- porta + mi = portami


Examples:

- Dammi il libro. = Give me the book.

- Chiamami domani. = Call me tomorrow.


 D. Modal verb: dovere

Example:

- tu mi devi seppellir = you must bury me


- devi = you must / you have to

- infinitive here is poetic: seppellir instead of seppellire


Examples:

- Devo studiare. = I must study.

- Devi andare. = You have to go.


 E. “Se” clauses

Example:

- E se io muoio da partigiano = And if I die as a partisan


- se = if

- muoio = I die


Examples:

- Se piove, resto a casa. = If it rains, I stay home.

- Se vieni, sono felice. = If you come, I’m happy.


 3. Vocabulary from the lyrics


Here is the most useful vocabulary.


 Everyday words

- una mattina = one morning

- svegliarsi = to wake up

- trovare = to find

- sentirsi = to feel

- morire = to die

- passare = to pass by

- dire = to say


 Historical/poetic words

- partigiano = partisan

- invasore / invasor = invader

- libertà = freedom

- seppellire = to bury

- montagna = mountain

- ombra = shade/shadow

- fiore = flower

- genti = people, folk


 Useful expressions

- portami via = take me away

- mi sento = I feel

- lassù = up there

- sotto = under, beneath

- che bel...! = what a beautiful...!


 4. Poetic and shortened forms in the song


Italian songs and poetry often shorten words.


In the lyrics:

- son = sono

- invasor = invasore

- morir = morire

- seppellir = seppellire


These are not the most common forms in everyday speech, but Italians understand them easily in songs and poetry.


Everyday Italian would usually say:

- mi sono svegliato

- l’invasore

- morire

- seppellire


 5. Line-by-line grammar and vocabulary


 “Una mattina mi son svegliato”

- una mattina = one morning

- mi son svegliato = I woke up


Grammar:

- reflexive verb in the past


 “e ho trovato l’invasor”

- ho trovato = I found

- l’invasor = the invader


Grammar:

- passato prossimo with avere


 “O partigiano, portami via”

- o = oh

- partigiano = partisan

- portami via = take me away


Grammar:

- command + attached pronoun


 “che mi sento di morir”

- mi sento = I feel

- di morir = like dying / that I may die


Grammar:

- sentirsi di + infinitive can express feeling able/inclined to do something; here it has a poetic tragic sense


 “E se io muoio da partigiano”

- se = if

- io muoio = I die

- da partigiano = as a partisan


Grammar:

- present tense used in an if-clause


 “tu mi devi seppellir”

- tu = you

- mi = me

- devi = must

- seppellir = bury


Grammar:

- modal verb + infinitive


 “E seppellire lassù in montagna”

This line is elliptical/poetic. It connects with the previous thought:

- and bury me up there in the mountains


- lassù = up there

- in montagna = in the mountains / on the mountain


 “sotto l’ombra di un bel fior”

- sotto = under

- l’ombra = the shade

- di un bel fior = of a beautiful flower


Note:

- bel = shortened form of bello before certain nouns

- fior = poetic form of fiore


 “Tutte le genti che passeranno”

- tutte le genti = all the people

- che passeranno = who will pass by


Grammar:

- future tense: passeranno = they will pass


 “mi diranno: «Che bel fior!»”

- mi diranno = they will say to me

- che bel fior! = what a beautiful flower!


Grammar:

- future tense: diranno = they will say


 “morto per la libertà”

- morto = dead / who died

- per = for

- la libertà = freedom


 6. Main grammar points to learn from this song


If you study only a few things from these lyrics, focus on these:


1. Passato prossimo

   - ho trovato

   - mi sono svegliato


2. Reflexive verbs

   - svegliarsi

   - sentirsi


3. Imperative with pronouns

   - portami


4. Modal verbs

   - devi


5. Future tense

   - passeranno

   - diranno


6. Poetic contractions

   - son, morir, seppellir, fior


 7. Simple beginner lesson from the song


Here is a short lesson you can study.


 Useful verbs

- svegliarsi = to wake up

- trovare = to find

- portare = to carry / take

- sentirsi = to feel

- morire = to die

- seppellire = to bury

- passare = to pass

- dire = to say


 Useful nouns

- mattina = morning

- partigiano = partisan

- invasore = invader

- montagna = mountain

- ombra = shade

- fiore = flower

- libertà = freedom


 Useful phrases

- Mi sono svegliato/a. = I woke up.

- Ho trovato... = I found...

- Portami via. = Take me away.

- Mi sento... = I feel...

- Tu devi... = You must...

- Che bel...! = What a beautiful...!


 8. Practice exercises


Try these.


 A. Translate into English

1. Mi sono svegliato presto.

2. Ho trovato un fiore.

3. Portami via.

4. Tu mi devi aiutare.

5. Tutte le genti passeranno.


Answers:

1. I woke up early.

2. I found a flower.

3. Take me away.

4. You must help me.

5. All the people will pass by.


 B. Translate into Italian

1. One morning I woke up.

2. I found the flower.

3. You must bury me.

4. All the people will say...

5. I feel tired.


Possible answers:

1. Una mattina mi sono svegliato/a.

2. Ho trovato il fiore.

3. Tu mi devi seppellire.

4. Tutte le genti diranno...

5. Mi sento stanco/a.


 9. Cultural note


This song is strongly associated with the Italian Resistance and anti-fascist struggle during World War II. Because of that, some vocabulary is emotional, historical, and symbolic rather than purely conversational.


For language learning, it is useful because it mixes:

- simple grammar

- repetition

- memorable vocabulary

- poetic forms


 10. Short summary lesson


From this song, you can learn how to say:


- I woke up → mi sono svegliato/a

- I found → ho trovato

- take me away → portami via

- I feel → mi sento

- if I die → se muoio

- you must → tu devi

- they will pass → passeranno

- they will say → diranno




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