Category Archives: Italian songs
Learn Italian in Song: Brava!
Learn Italian in Song: Luci-Ah
Another classic by Lucio Battisti.
| Oggi é stata gran festa in paese si’ 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, the wine was good | ||
| lo sai anche tu | You know it, too | ||
| ti é tanto piaciuto che ci hai fatto il bagno non farlo mai piu’. | You liked it so much that you bathed in it, don’t do that again | ||
| La tua veste colore di fuoco é molto bella pero’ | Your flame-colored dress, however, is very lovely | ||
| troppo a lungo la’ sul campanile sventolo’ | But it waved from the church tower for too long | ||
| gli indumenti di pizzo ricaman la pelle ma mi sembra che tu | Lacy clothing embroiders the skin, but it seems that you | ||
| questa sera al chiaror delle stelle non li avevi piu’. | this evening by starlight didn’t have it anymore | ||
| Luci – ah! Luci – ah! | Lucia! | ||
| Di solito cosi’ non si fa! | Usually we don’t behave this way | ||
| Luci – ah! Luci – ah! (ripete) | Lucia! | ||
| Tu sapevi che il curato ogni giorno prega sempre per te | You know that every day the curate always prays for you | ||
| ma perché l’hai legato a lui intorno hai ballato, perché? | But why did you tie him up and dance around him, why? | ||
| E quando il figlio del tuo macellaio ti ha chiesto in sposa tu a lui | And when the son of your butcher asked to marry you | ||
| non dovevi rispondere che una bistecca non sei | You should not have answered him that you’re not a beefsteak | ||
| e siam d’accordo con te devi decidere tu il fidanzato che vuoi | And we’re agreed that you should decide on the fiance you want | ||
| comunque esageri un po’ con la richiesta che fai | But in any case your request is a bit beyond the pale | ||
| provarli tutti non puoi! | you can’t try them all! | ||
| Luci – ah! Luci – ah! Di solito cosi’ non si fa! Luci – ah! Luci – ah. | Lucia! | ||
| Ho l’impressione che se non smetti all’inferno tu finirai, | I have the impression that if you don’t stop you’ll end up in hell | ||
| ma se non altro quel luogo piu’ allegro ed umano renderai! | But if nothing else you’ll make that place happier and more human | ||
| Luci – ah! Luci – ah! Luci – ah! | Lucia! | ||
| Di solito cosi’ non si fa! Luci – ah! Luci – ah! Na, na na na | Usually we don’t behave this way |
Learn Italian in Song: Tu Vuo’ Fa’ o’ Talebano
“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 chiu’ d’un metro, | You wear your beard longer than a meter | ||
| nu turbantiello e ‘na casacca usata, | a little turban and a used cassock | ||
| passi spiritato su Al Jazeera | you appear possessed on Al Jazeera | ||
| comme ‘nu ‘uappo pe’ te fa’ guarda’: | like a Mafioso to get yourself looked ad | ||
| Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano, | You want to be a Taliban | ||
| siente a me, chi t’o fa fa’? | Listen to me, who forces you to? | ||
| Hai i precetti del Corano, | You have the precepts of the Koran | ||
| ma poi schianti l’aeroplano, | But then you crash airplanes | ||
| tutto il mondo vuo’ disfa’. | You want to undo the whole world | ||
| Tu skif’ ‘o rock’n roll, | You find rock ‘n’ roll disgusting | ||
| tu skif’ ‘o baseball, | You find baseball disgusting | ||
| ma i sordi p’a jihad | But the money for jihad | ||
| chi te li da’ ? | Who gives it to you? | ||
| U petrolio di papa’ ? | Daddy’s oil? | ||
| Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano, | You want to be a Taliban | ||
| ma si’ nato in Arabia: | but you were born in Arabia | ||
| Sient’ a me, non ce sta nient ‘a fa’, | Listen to me, there’s nothing to be done | ||
| capisc Osama’ , tu vuo’ fa’ ‘o taleba’, | Understand, Osama, you want to be a Taleban | ||
| Bin Laden ‘o taleba’. | Bin Laden the Taliban. | ||
| Ai maomettani parli comme a un prete, | To the Muslims you talk like a priest | ||
| ca si tu si’ mullah i’ so’ cinese, | But if you’re a mullah, I’m Chinese | ||
| e lieggi ‘nata vota ‘stu Curano, | Go read the Koran for once | ||
| lasciaci ‘n pace e vattene co’ Omar! | Leave us alone or go away with Omar | ||
| Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano, | You want to be a Taliban | ||
| attent’ a te, chi t’o fa fa’? | Look out, who makes you do it? | ||
| Spacci oppio co’ l’afgano | You push opium with the Afghans | ||
| dal confine pakistano, | from the Pakistan border | ||
| ce lo porti fino a qua. | you bring it to us all the way here | ||
| Tu skif’ ‘o rock’n roll, | You find rock ‘n’ roll disgusting | ||
| tu skif’ ‘o baseball, | You find baseball disgusting | ||
| ma i sordi p’a jihad | But the money for jihad | ||
| chi te li da’ ? | Who gives it to you? | ||
| L’eroina afganista’? | Afghan heroin? | ||
| Tu vuo’ fa ‘o talebano, talebano, talebano, | You want to be a Taliban | ||
| ma si’ nato in Arabia: | but you were born in Arabia | ||
| Sient’ a me, non ce sta nient ‘a fa’, | Listen to me, there’s nothing to be done | ||
| Capisc Osamà , tu vuo’ fa’ ‘o taleba’, | Understand, Osama, you want to be a Taleban | ||
| Bin Laden ‘o taleba’. | Bin Laden the Taliban. | ||
| Collin Pauell, Giorg’ Bush… | Colin Powell, George Bush… |
Learn Italian in Song: Domani 21/04/09
Tomorrow
Jessica aka @italylogue asked me a while ago to translate this song done as a fundraiser for survivors of the L’Aquila earthquake, but it slipped to the bottom of my inbox/to do list. However, I can claim that it’s appropriate to resurrect this request now that we’re almost at the anniversary of the song. The names shown in parentheses identify who is singing at each line – a handy guide for those of us not entirely al corrente (up to date) with Italian pop music.
