Tag Archives: Italian songs

Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola: Consolazione

February 23, 2007 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

All this God-inspired romance is interrupted by the arrival of a travelling prostitute named Consolazione –

Consolation – with that name, she could be a denizen of Dogpatch! – who distracts all the men from their wives, apparently because it’s their last chance for an extramarital fling.
Uomini, eccomi!		Men, here I am!
Eâ€™ arrivata Consolazione		Consolation has arrived.
Consolazione di nome e di fatto		“Consolation” by name and in fact
Per consolarvi ho certi argomenti		I have certain ways to console you
Prova per credere		Try it to believe it
Facciamo un patto		Let’s make a deal:
Se dopo voi non restate contenti		If afterwards you aren’t content,
Sulla parola di Consolazione vi rimborso la consumazione!		On the word of Consolation, your money back!

Mando il mondo in visibilio, tutti chiedono di me		I cause the world to …, everyone asks for me
Lâ€™avventura a domicilio		“Adventure at home”
Lâ€™ho inventata e sai perchÃ©		I invented it, and you know why
Ãˆ una vera vocazione		It’s a true vocation
A nessuno dico no		I don’t say no to anyone
E se vuoi consolazione		and if you want consolation
Me la chiedi		You ask me –
Te la do*		and I give it.

Se per colpa degli eventi		If because of [by fault of] events
sei piÃ¹ triste di un cipresso		you are sadder than a cypress
e la sera tu ti senti		And in the evening you feel
malinconico e depresso		melancholy and depressed
se per questa depressione		If because of this depression
il morale tuo sta giÃ¹		Your morale is down
tu vieni da tu vieni da Consolazione		You come to, you come to Consolation
e lei te lo ritira su!		And she’ll pull it back up for you!

Un due tre		One, two, three
UOMINI Prima a me		MEN: Me first!
Quattro cinque sei		Four, five, six
UOMINI Comincia da me		MEN: Start with me
sei sette otto, chi Ã¨ senza biglietto		Six, seven, eight. Who doesn’t have a ticket?
UOMINI io io io!		MEN: Me me me!

Si faccia pure sotto**, sotto sopra in qualsiasi posizione		Step right up [it’s done below], below, above, in any position
Lâ€™importante Ã¨ non dire mai di no		The important thing is never to say no
E se vuoi Consolazione		and if you want Consolation
UOMINI La vogliamo		MEN: We want it/her!
Aho ve la do!		Oh, and I’ll give it to you!
		dialog: Toto’ asks what she’s selling. “This!” she says, showing her breasts. “I only see a pair of zinne,” he responds. “What did you expect me to have – four?”
Mi vuoi esotica o nostrana		Do you want me exotic or local
turca greca russa o indÃ¹		Turk, Greek, Russian or Hindu
Preferisci lâ€™egiziana		Do you prefer the Egyptian
Faccio tutto, scegli tu!		I do everything, you choose!
E per te Consolazione egiziana diverrÃ		And for you Consolation will become Egyptian
TutankÃ tutankÃ tutankamera veniteme a trovÃ !		Tutan[khamen]… [everything in the room] – come up and see me!

UOMINI Consolazione ConsolaziÃ²-Ã²-Ã²		men: Consolation
Tu sei lâ€™ultima occasione		You’re the last chance/last sale
Non possiamo dire no		We can’t say no
Voglio la Consolazione		I want Consolation!

La volete?		You want it?

UOMINI Si!		Yes!

Io ve la dooooooooo, siiii		I’ll give it to you, yes!

UOMINI Consolazione consolazione, dammi tutto tutto dammi consolazione!		Consolation, give me everything, give me consolation.

* Te la do – “I’ll give it to you” – to give “it” is used as a euphemism for a woman to give sex. God, however, has something up his sleeve to take care of this little setback. Toto, the (unmarried) village idiot, has been hanging about the sidelines of this scene, too dense to know what to do with a woman. God suddenly gives him the necessary knowledge, and he shoulders aside the other villagers to reach Consolation, who takes one look at his, er, talents, and closes the door on everyone else, leaving them to go back to their wives. next: Notte Per Non Dormire 2

Italian songs

Learn Italian in Song: 7000 Caffé

February 12, 2007 Deirdre Straughan 2 Comments

written, recorded and copyrighted by Alex Britti

Here’s another great by Alex Britti – go out and buy his music! Sadly, his own brilliantly original music video has been removed from YouTube, but here’s a version with another fave of mine, Neri Per Caso.

7000 caffé,

7000 coffees

li ho gia’ presi percha’©

I’ve already drunk them because

sono stanco di stare al volante

I’m tired of being at the wheel

e vorrei arrivare entro sera da te

And I would like to arrive [at your home] by this evening

che aspetti me nel castello lassu’¹

Who are waiting for me in the castle up there

con la treccia gia’ sciolta

With your braid already undone

affacciata al balcone vestita di blu

Looking out from the balcony, dressed in blue

7000 caffé

7000 coffees

é l’effetto che ho

is the effect I have

quando arrivo al portone

When I arrive at the entry

e ti vedo gridare con gli occhi il mio nome percio’

And I see you call out my name with your eyes [therefore]*

vieni verso di me e io pazzo di te

You come towards me, and me crazy for you,

in un attimo ci diamo il bacio piu’dolce, piu’dolce che c’é

in a moment we give each other the sweetest, the sweetest kiss there is

Ritornello:

Chorus:

Ho bisogno di te perche sei bella e poi

I need you because you’re beautiful, and then

Ho bisogno di te come l’acqua il caffé

I need you like [water needs coffee / coffee needs water]**

come un mondo che gira e che, amore, se non vuoi,

Like a world that turns and that, love, if you don’t want

non finira’ mai

Will never end.

Ad esempio lo sai l’altra sera ero a casa

For example, you know, the other evening I was at home

cercavo da bere ma il frigo era vuoto

I was looking [for something] to drink but the fridge was empty

perché non ho fatto la spesa

Because I didn’t do the [grocery] shopping

tu non ci crederai – indovina che c’é

You won’t believe it – guess what?

ho trovato una tazza con l’ultimo dei 7000 caffé

I found a cup with the last of the 7000 coffees

Ora sto qui da solo e non dormo e non volo

Now I’m here alone and I don’t sleep and I don’t fly

mentre tu sei lontana

While you’re far away

ripenso a una scena di te senza velo

I think again of a scene of you “without veils” [nude]

non so bene cos’é, forse i troppi caffé

I don’t know what it is, maybe too many coffees

ma stanotte non riesco a dormire

But tonight I can’t sleep

e l’amore lo faccio da me.

And I’ll make love by myself.

* This word doesn’t seem to fit here – I suspect he just threw it in to fit the rhyme.** The meaning here is (probably deliberately) ambiguous.

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Learn Italian in Song: I Bambini Fanno Ooh

February 4, 2007 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

by Giuseppe Povia, 2006

This was a big hit last year. It’s so sweet it made me cry. The video is beautiful, too.

Linguistic note: Heavy (and appropriate) use here of the diminutive ending ino, which turns “noun” into “little noun”. This is often used as a form of baby talk when speaking to small children, as if everything in their lives is as little as they are. (I never used baby talk with any kid; I find it condescending, and suspect they do, too.)

E.g., topo = mouse, topolino = little mouse (which is also the name used for Mickey Mouse, a popular character in printed comics even today – it’s claimed that Mussolini said that they only thing he regretted about the embargo on US goods during WWII was that he could no longer see Topolino).

Quando i bambini fanno “oh” c’Ã¨ un topolino

When the children say “Oh, there’s a little mouse”

Mentre i bambini fanno “oh” c’Ã¨ un cagnolino

While the children say “Oh, there’s a little dog”

Se c’Ã¨ una cosa che ora so’

If there’s one thing I know now

ma che mai piÃ¹ io rivedrÃ²

But that I’ll never see again

Ã¨ un lupo nero che da un bacino

It’s a black wolf giving a little kiss

a un agnellino

To a little lamb

Tutti i bambini fanno “oh”

All the children say “Oh,

dammi la mano

give me your hand.

perchÃ¨ mi lasci solo,

Why do you leave me (all) alone?

sai che da soli non si puÃ²,

You know that alone you can’t

senza qualcuno,

Without someone

nessuno

no one

puÃ² diventare un uomo

can become a man.

Per una bambola o un robot bot bot

For a doll or a robot-bot-bot

magari litigano un po’

Perhaps they fight a bit.

ma col ditino ad alta voce,

But with their little finger, aloud

almeno loro (eh)

At least they

fanno la pace

Make peace.

CosÃ¬ ogni cosa Ã¨ nuova

In this way everything is new

Ã¨ una sorpresa

It’s a surprise

e proprio quando piove

And just when it rains

i bambini fanno “oh”

The children say “Oh!

guarda la pioggia

Look at the rain!”

Quando i bambini fanno “oh”

When the children say “Oh,

che meraviglia, che meraviglia!

What a marvel!

ma che scemo vedi perÃ², perÃ²

But what an idiot, however,

che mi vergogno un po’

That I feel a bit ashamed

perchÃ¨ non so piÃ¹ fare “oh”

Because I no longer know how to say “Oh”

e fare tutto come mi piglia,

And do everything as it takes me [just as I feel like]

perchÃ¨ i bambini non hanno peli

Because the children don’t have hairs

I bambini sono molto indiscreti

Children are very indiscreet

ma hanno tanti segreti

But they have many secrets

come i poeti

Like the poets.

nei bambini vola la fantasia e anche qualche bugia

In children, imagination flies, along with some lies

oh mamma mia, bada!

Oh, mamma mia, pay attention! [look out]

ma ogni cosa Ã¨ chiara e trasparente

But everything is clear and transparent

che quando un grande piange

so that when an adult cries

i bambini fanno “oh”

The children say “Oh,

ti sei fatto la bua

You hurt yourself [got a boo-boo]

Ã¨ colpa tua

It’s your fault.

Quando i bambini fanno “oh”

When the children say “Oh,

che meraviglia, che meraviglia!

What a marvel!

ma che scemo vedi perÃ², perÃ²

But what an idiot, however,

che mi vergogno un po’

That I feel a bit ashamed

perchÃ¨ non so piÃ¹ fare “oh”

Because I no longer know how to say “Oh”

non so piÃ¹ andare sull’altalena

I no longer know how to go on a swing

di un fil di lana non so piÃ¹ fare una collana

I no longer know how to make a necklace out of a piece of yarn

finchÃ¨ i cretini fanno(eh)

As long as the cretins say “eh”

finchÃ¨ i cretini fanno(ah)

As long as the cretins say “ah”

finchÃ¨ i cretini fanno “boh”

As long as the cretins say boh

tutto il resto Ã¨ uguale

All the rest is the same

ma se i bambini fanno “oh”

But if the children say “Oh,

basta la vocale

The vowel is enough.

Io mi vergogno un po’

I feel a bit ashamed

invece i grandi fanno “no”

Instead the adults say “No”

io chiedo asilo, io chiedo asilo

I ask asylum…

come i leoni

Like the lions

io voglio andare
a gattoni…

I want to go like big cats [on all fours].

e ognuno Ã¨ perfetto

And every one is perfect

uguale Ã¨ il colore

The color is the same

evviva i pazzi che hanno capito cos’Ã¨ l’amore

Hurray for the crazies who have understood what love is

Ã¨ tutto un fumetto di strane parole

It’s all a comic book with strange words

che io non ho letto

That I haven’t read

voglio tornare a fare “oh”

I want to go back to saying “Oh”

voglio tornare a fare “oh”

perchÃ¨ i bambini non hanno peli ne sulla pancia

ne sulla lingua…

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Italian culture, Italian songs

Learn Italian in Song: Azzurro

November 22, 2006 Deirdre Straughan 2 Comments

A version sung last summer by the victorious Azzurri (Italian national football team), apparently as a fundraiser for charity. The guy in the blue shirt is Gianni Morandi (not a football player).

Azzurro – Sky Blue

by Paolo Conte, made famous by Adriano Celentano

Cerco l’estate tutto l’anno

I look for summer all year long

e all’improvviso eccola qua.

And all of a sudden, here it is.

Lei é partita per le spiagge

She has left for the beaches,

e sono solo quassu’ in citta’ ,

And I’m alone up here in the city.

sento fischiare sopra i tetti

I hear whistling above the roofs

un aeroplano che se ne va.

a plane that’s leaving.

Refrain

Azzurro,il pomeriggio é troppo azzurro

Blue, the afternoon is too blue

e lungo per me.

And long for me.

Mi accorgo

I realize

di non avere piu’ risorse,

That I have no more resources

e allora

so now

io quasi quasi prendo il treno

I could almost take the train

e vengo, vengo da te,

And come, come to you

ma il treno dei desideri

But the train of our desires

nei miei pensieri all’incontrario va.

In my thoughts runs backwards.

Sembra quand’ero all’oratorio,

It’s like when I was at the oratorio*

con tanto sole, tanti anni fa.

With so much sun, so many years ago.

Quelle domeniche da solo

Those Sundays alone

in un cortile, a passeggiar…

Walking around in a courtyard

ora mi annoio piu’ di allora,

Nowadays I get more bored than I did then

neanche un prete per chiacchierar…

Not even a priest to chat with.

(refrain)

Cerco un po’ d’Africa in giardino,

I look for a bit of Africa in the garden

tra l’oleandro e il baobab,

Between the oleander and the baobab

come facevo da bambino,

As I did when I was a kid

ma qui c’é gente, non si puo’ piu’,

But there are people here, I can’t do that anymore

stanno innaffiando le tue rose,

They’re watering your roses

non c’é il leone,

But there’s no lion

chissa’ dov’é…

who knows where it is.

(refrain)

*Oratorio in this context means a youth center, run by and physically attached to a Catholic church. They offer after school and summer programs to keep neighborhood kids out of trouble if their parents have to work.

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Italian language, Italian songs, living in Italy

Learn Italian in Song: Translations of Italian Popular Songs

September 20, 2006 Deirdre Straughan 122 Comments

A friend told me that she learned Italian via song lyrics. My Italian husband, as a teenager, wanted to learn English so he could understand the lyrics to Jesus Christ Superstar. So, to aid in your Italian studies, I present side-by-side translations of some popular (with me, at least) Italian songs.

See my Amazon Italian music store if you’d like to honor these artists by buying their music.

These translation do not attempt to be elegant – they are intentionally very literal, to help you learn, and therefore do not do full justice to the linguistic beauties of the songs in the original.