Dear Readers,
Just in time for your end-of-year parties, here comes the lyrics of one of Italy’s 1950s favorites, Volare, so you, or any of your senior citizens’ relatives and friends, can sing along, or at least reminisce!
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The best-known Italian song in Italy and abroad, after Domenico Modugno sang it at the Sanremo’s Festival della Canzone Italiana in 1958, was Nel blu dipinto di blu, commonly known as Volare:
Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d’improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù
E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole
Ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù
Ma tutti i sogni nell’alba svaniscon perché
Quando tramonta la luna li porta con sé
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
Che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
E continuo a volare felice più in alto del sole
Ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu
La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Con te!
Flying (translated by Francesco Ciabattoni)
I think a dream like this will never come back:
I painted my hands and face blue
then I was suddenly seized by the wind
and began to fly in the infinite sky
Fly, oh oh! Sing, oh, oh, oh, oh!
in the blue-painted blue sky, so happy to be up there
And I flew, I flew happily
higher up than the sun, and higher yet,
while the world slowly faded away down there,
a sweet music was playing just for me…
Fly, oh oh! Sing, oh, oh, oh, oh!
in the blue-painted blue sky, so happy to be up there
But every dream vanishes at dawn because
when the moon sets she takes them away with her.
But I keep dreaming in your beautiful eyes,
that are blue like a star-spangled sky.
Fly, oh oh! Sing, oh, oh, oh, oh!
in the blue-painted blue sky, so happy to be up there
And I flew on, so happy
higher up than the sun, and higher yet,
while the world slowly faded away in your blue eyes
your voice is a sweet music that plays for me
Fly, oh oh! Sing, oh, oh, oh, oh!
in the blue-painted blue sky, so happy to be up there
In the blue of your blue eyes, so happy to be down there, with you!
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New Year’s Eve or La Festa di San Silvestro is not a public holiday in Italy. However, celebrations on the eve before the new year include firework displays, concerts, and parties throughout the country. Even costumes such as throwing your old things out of the window at midnight, representing out with the old and in with the new, still exist in southern Italy. On New Year’s Day, traditional cotechino con lenticchie, a spicy pork sausage and lentil soup, is typically served. It is believed to bring good luck to all who consume it. The lentils represent good fortune, and the pork prosperity and wealth. You can omit the spicy pork sausage and be happy with just the Buona Salute in the New Year!
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On January 6th, Italians and many others celebrate the Epiphany. In Italy, they refer to it as La Befana or Epifania. Befana is derived from the word Epifania, the Italian name for the religious festival of the Epiphany. La Befana is a benevolent old woman with magical powers who brings gifts to children in Italy on the eve of the Epiphany.
La Befana viene di notte (The Befana comes by night)
Con le scarpe tutte rotte (With her shoes all tattered and torn)
Col vestito alla romana (She comes dressed the Roman way)
Viva, viva la Befana! (Long life to la Befana!)
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