The Dead Spinal Cord
Title: Bella Ciao Singers: Modena City Ramblers
A friend of mine, one that I’d have never expected something like that, has sent to me this email:
I heard this song by mistake and i loved the music if you have time and if it is not ball breaking i want to ask you to translate it for me [...]
And then I replied:
You choosen probably the "spinal cord" of the Italy. The FORGOTTEN spinal cord. What has joined us against Fascists + Nazists during the Second World War. The origin is not sure, but it comes from the Partigians, people in the middle-north of Italy that has fightened (and death) for the Freedom against Mussolini and his stupid idea of joining Nazists. Today, in every young knows it... but only very old man REALLY UNDERSTAND what it means. Not because of the words (they are few and simple) but because of the "carried message", the "payload" of this song. Anyway, you can find a lot of translations here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_ciao Thanks for remembering me the "good part" of my beautiful country.
I don’t think I need to write more. My heart is already crying for it. And, yep, it’s not a “Dead Spinal Cord”: WE have SIMPLY FORGOTTEN it!
Bella Italia, Ciao.
Update of 12th August 2007: The same friend has added a translation in Arabic, based on the English one. Thank you Serage.