BELLA CIAO

it was a song sang by Italian partizans in ww2. as the first small regions of Italy were liberated from fascist rule and
german occupation, many Italians rose up and fought the invader with what they had. no air or armoured support,
maybe a rifle or a pistol.

the song is about a man, leaving to fight the germans and dying while doing so. the partizan later in the song asks to
a fellow partizan to be buried under a beautiful flower. the lyric is:

Questa mattina mi son svegliato,

bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao!
Questa mattina mi son svegliato,
e ho trovato l’invasor.

Oh partigiano, portami via,

bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao!
Oh partigiano, portami via,
che mi sento di morir.

E se io muoio, da partigiano

bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao!

e se io muoio, da partigiano,

tu mi devi seppellir

e seppellire, lassù in montagna

bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao!

e seppellire, lassù in montagna

sotto l’ombra di un bel fior

e tutte le genti, che passeranno

o bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao

e tutte le genti, che passeranno

ti diranno che bel fior

e questo é il fiore

del partigiano

bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao!

e questo é il fiore
del partigiano

morto per la liberta!

and it translates to: (note: the word “Bella” is the feminine version of the adjective “bello” which means “beautiful”. so
Bella is a way to call a beautiful girl or woman, in a colloquial way)

This morning i woke up,

Hello beautiful, hello beautiful, beautiful hello, hello, hello

this morning i woke up

and found the invader

oh partizan, take me away

Hello beautiful, hello beautiful, beautiful hello, hello, hello

oh, partizan, take me away

that i feel i am dying

and if i die, as a partizan

Hello beautiful, hello beautiful, beautiful hello, hello, hello

and if i die, as a partizan,

you must bury me

and bury me, up in the mountains

Hello beautiful, hello beautiful, beautiful hello, hello, hello

and bury me, up in the mountains

under the shadow of a beautiful flower

and all the people passing by

Hello beautiful, hello beautiful, beautiful hello, hello, hello

and all the people passing by

will tell you “what a beautiful flower”

and this is the flower

Hello beautiful, hello beautiful, beautiful hello, hello, hello

and this is the flower

of the partizan
who died for our freedom