Italy

Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola: Quando l’Arca si Fermerà

November 19, 2010

When the Ark Lands – from Aggiungi un Posto a TavolaThe townspeople complete the arc and are prepared to sail away when the flood comes. La colomba tornerà e il sereno arriverà The dove will return, good weather will arrive ed ognuno sbar – che – rà quando l’arca si ferme – rà. and everyone [...]

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Aggiungi Un Posto a Tavola: La Ballata di San Crispino

November 14, 2010

The Ballad of San Crispino – The mayor, who is named for the village’s patron saint, Crispino, has hidden from everyone to escape the pressure to donate his stock of lumber to the ark-building effort. The whole village searches for him. Non si trova, non si trova, dove sarà, He can’t be found, where might [...]

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Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola: Ti Voglio

November 13, 2010

I Want You – from Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola – Consolazione the traveling prostitute weds Toto, the former idiot of the village (who has apparently been cured by divine intervention and/or sex). Ti voglio. Ti voglio. Che voglia di dire di sì. I want you, I want you, what desire to say yes E [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Vorrei Incontrarti Fra Cent’Anni

November 8, 2010

I Would Like to Meet You in 100 Years Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni I’d like to meet you in 100 years tu pensa al mondo fra cent’anni think about the world in 100 yars ritroverò i tuoi occhi neri I’ll find again your black eyes tra milioni di occhi neri among a million black eyes [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Caro Amico Ti Scrivo

November 7, 2010

Dear Friend, I Write to You Lucio Dalla Caro amico ti scrivo Dear friend I write to you così mi distraggo un po’ So I can distract myself a bit e siccome sei molto lontano And since you’re very far away più forte ti scriverò. I’ll write to you louder Da quando sei partito From [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Una Lacrima sul Viso

November 6, 2010

A Tear on Your Face – Bobby Solo Da una lacrima sul viso From a tear on your face Ho capito molte cose I’ve understood many things Dopo tanti e tanti mesi ora so After many, many months I now know Cosa sono per te. What I am for you Uno sguardo ed un sorriso [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Che Cosa C’è

November 3, 2010

What is It Gino Paoli & Ornella Vanoni Che cosa c’è What is it c’è che mi sono innamorato di te It’s that I’ve fallen in love with you c’è che ora non mi importa niente that now nothing matters to me di tutta l’altra gente about all the other people di tutta quella gente [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: La Fisarmonica

October 28, 2010

The Accordion Gianni Morandi, when he was very, very young… La fisarmonica The accordion stasera suona per te this evening plays for you per ricordarti un amore to remind you of a love uno di tanti anni fa, one from many years ago la fisarmonica. The accordion Ma tu non piangere But don’t you cry [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Luci a San Siro

October 25, 2010

Lights at San Siro Roberto Vecchioni San Siro is the sports stadium in Milan, home of the Milan football club. Hanno ragione, hanno ragione They’re right, they’re right mi han detto:”E’ vecchio tutto quello che lei fa, They told me “Everything you do is old parli di donne da buon costume, talk of well-behaved women [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Agnese

October 23, 2010

Ivan Graziani Se la mia chitarra piange dolcemente If my guitar gently weeps stasera non è sera di vedere gente This is not an evening to see people e i giochi nella strada and the games in the street che ho chiusi dentro al petto that I have closed within my chest mi voglio ricordare. [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Io Vagabondo

October 22, 2010

by I Nomadi Io un giorno crescerò One day I will grow [up] e nel cielo della vita volerò. and in the sky of life will fly Ma un bimbo che ne sa but what does a child know sempre azzurra non può essere l’età… age cannot always be sky blue Poi, una notte di [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Un Senso

October 20, 2010

Vasco Rossi. Voglio trovare un senso a questa sera I want to make sense of/find the reason for this evening anche se questa sera un senso non ce l’ha… even if this evening makes no sense Voglio trovare un senso a questa vita I want to find a reason for this life anche se questa [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Porta Portese

October 19, 2010

Another old favorite by Claudio Baglioni è domenica mattina It’s Sunday morning si è svegliato già il mercato the market is already awake in licenza son tornato e sono qua I’m returned on leave* and I’m here per comprarmi dei blue jeans to buy some blue jeans al posto di questa divisa in place of [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Ti Amo

October 18, 2010

Umberto Tozzi Ti amo*, un soldo I love you, a coin Ti amo, in aria I love you, [thrown] in the air Ti amo se viene testa I love you, if it comes down heads vuol dire che basta: it means enough lasciamoci. let’s leave each other Ti amo, io sono I love you, I [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Sei la Fine del Mondo

October 17, 2010

Another lovely song by Alex Britti. In un certo senso eccomi In a certain sense, here I am a parlarti dei miei guai to talk to you about my problems in un certo senso so in a certain sense I know cosa mi basta per vivere what is enough for me to live e ad [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Brava!

October 13, 2010

Bravo (said of or to a female, brava) translates as “great, good job, well done!” and/or praises the subject’s talents. It can also mean the opposite of evil (bravo/cattivo), or it can mean well-behaved. Brava! Brava! Sono tanto brava! Brava! Great, great, I’m so great! Sono tanto brava, sono brava … sono tanto brava faccio [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Luci-Ah

October 11, 2010

Another Battisti classic. Oggi è stata gran festa in paese sì lo so Today has been a big party in town, yes, I know ma non per questo si brucian le chiese, no no no. But the churches don’t burn for this, no La botte era grande, il vino era buono, The cask was large, [...]

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Some Lesser-Known Places to Visit in Italy

October 9, 2010

^ evening on Lake Como at Lecco A typical Italian beach Bergamo, Bergamo gallery Bormio again Campo Imperatore Cartoceto, Le Marche Castelli Chianti Greve Ferrari Museum gallery Tuscany gallery Chiavenna photo gallery Lake Como Region Lecco Mantova Maranello Milano ^ Castello Sforzesco, Milan Montepulciano Montorfano Pitigliano Rome San Pellegrino Siena Torino Venice Viterbo Volterra Walks canete [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Tu Vuo’ Fa’ o’ Talebano

August 22, 2010

“Gino the Chicken” was a phenomenon in Italy a few years ago. Today a reader comment on my translation of Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’Americano directed me to YouTube, where I ran across Gino’s version of the song, directed at Osama bin Laden: You Want to Be a Taliban Tienni la barba longa chiù d’un metro, [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: I Watussi

March 2, 2010

One of the most popular songs of all time in Italy, written and recorded by Edoardo Vianello. Outside of Italy, the lyrics don’t stand up to today’s politically-correct scrutiny, but keep in mind that, when this first came out in 1963, Americans were dancing "The Watusi," and it was still okay to call black people [...]

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