Bella Ciao was the song of the Italian partisans of the Second World War ; its melody is from a traditionnal Italian folk song, usually sung by women working in the rice fields, but the words were written in 1942 by members of the Italian Communist Party, whose names are forgotten now. At the time those partisans were fighting the Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini, for liberty... Though they had a peculiar vision of liberty : their Party had no qualms about killing people who had a different vision of liberty.
However the song is very beautiful ; and it quickly became one of the famous revolutionary songs of Europe, sung by all during the war, along with the Internationale. Indeed as the above write-up shows, it has been recently rediscovered by the anti-globalization movement.
Una mattina, Mi son' svegliato
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,
Una mattina, Mi son' svegliato
E ho trovato l'invasor'.
This morning i woke up
And I saw the invader
O partigiano, Porta mi via
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,
O partigiano, Porta mi via
Che mi sento di mori'.
O partisan take me away,
I feel I'm dying
Se io muio, Da partigiano
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,
Se io muio, Da partigiano
Tu mi devi sepelli'.
If I die, as a partisan
You'll have to bury me
Mi sepellirai, Lassù 'n montagna
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,
Mi sepellirai, Lassù 'n montagna
Sotto l'ombra d'un bel fior.
You'll bury me up on the mountain
In the shadow of a pretty flower
E la gente, Che passeranno
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,
E la gente, Che passeranno
Che dirà : O che bel fior' !
And the people as they pass by
Will say : What a pretty flower !
Quest' è il fiore, Della partigiano
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao,
Quest' è il fiore, Della partigiano
Morta per la libertà !
It is the flower of the partisan
Who died for liberty