Bella Ciaos for the Red Rebels of Nepal!

Bella Ciao is a song of revolution. Its anonymous composer fought in the hills of Italy against the fascist Mussolini, who thought himself a Caesar and ended hung from a street post by the people he sought to rule.

They say you are East and we are West, but we, together, know the world is round. The hope and solidarity of millions are with the brave protesters in Nepal and the People's Liberation Army. For land and liberty, for communism! For a new world.

Bella Ciao (Rita Pavone)

Bella Ciao (Manu Chao)

Bella Ciao (Punkreas)

Bella Ciao (Spanish Revolution)

Bella Ciao (Tryo y Zebda)

Bella Ciao (Yves Montand)

Bella Ciao (PL)

And I"m looking for Chumbawumba's english remix...

Translations from the original Italian on the link...

The key variation in the original, which fairly fits the Italian partisans, is that is it alternately sung with the words "partisan" and "communist" depending on the crowd. Partisan is a term for the kind of ideologically motivated, left soldier that is informal but disciplined and commited. All communists are partisans, but not all partisans are communists.

Wikipedia lists the orginal Italian lyrics:

Una mattina, mi son svegliato
o bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
Una mattina mi son svegliato
e ho trovato l'invasor
O partigiano portami via
o bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
O partigiano portami via
ché mi sento di morir
E se io muoio da partigiano
o bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
e se muoio da partigiano
tu mi devi seppellir
E seppellire lassù in montagna
o bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
e seppellire lassù in montagna
sotto l'ombra di un bel fior
E le genti che passeranno
o bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
e le genti che passeranno
mi diranno che bel fior
È questo il fiore del partigiano
o bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao
è questo il fiore del partigiano
morto per la libertà

And notes in translation: rhymes could not be rendered in English, and several short Italian words (bella,ciao) translate into long English words (beautiful, goodbye), so that the result is "heavier" than in the original version.

This morning I awakened
Oh Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye Goodbye
This morning I awakened
And I found the invader
Oh partisan carry me away
Oh Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye Goodbye
Oh partisan carry me away
Because I feel death approaching
And if I die as a partisan
Oh Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye Goodbye
And if I die as a partisan
Then you must bury me
Bury me up in the mountain
Oh Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye Goodbye
Bury me up in the mountain
Under the shade of a beautiful flower
And those who shall pass
Oh Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye Goodbye
And those who shall pass
Will tell you what a beautiful flower it is
This is the flower of the partisan
Oh Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye beautiful Goodbye Goodbye
This is the flower of the partisan
Who died for freedom

Strijdliederen, a blog in Northern Europe, translates Bella Ciao like this:

Bella Ciao 
Translation by Antoinette Fawcett

I woke this morning and all seemed peaceful
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
I woke this morning and all seemed peaceful
But oppression still exists.

Oh freedom fighter, I want to fight too
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Oh freedom fighter, I want to fight too
Against their living death.

And if I die, a freedom fighter,
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
And if I die, a freedom fighter,
Then you’ll have to bury me.

Let my body rest in the mountains
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Let my body rest in the mountains
In the shadow of my flower.

And all the people who will pass by there
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
And all the people who will pass by there
Will show that lovely flower.

This is the blossom of those that died here
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
This is the blossom of those that died here
For land and liberty.

Bella Ciao 
The world is waking outside my window
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
Drags my senses into the sunlight
For there are things that I must do 

Wish me luck now, I have to leave you
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
With my friends now up to the city
We're going to shake the Gates of Hell

And I will tell them - we will tell them
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
That our sunlight is not for franchise
And wish the bastards drop down dead

Next time you see me I may be smiling
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
I'll be in prison or on the TV
I'll say, "the sunlight dragged me here!"

Comments

[Henrik]

Here is Norwegian version recorded in 2007 by the hiphop-ska orchestra Samvirkelaget ("the cooperative"):
http://www.divshare.com/download/3748883-82b

[Choisiogemi]

Thanks for the content!!!

[stella]

أغنية رائعة جدا ، تفخر بها الأجيال في إيطاليا و تعبر عن تاريخها و عظمة شعبها

[dgdfg]

Francesco De Gregori - Bella ciao album - (Il fischio del vapore)

[georgia simakou]

I am Greek and I live in Athens.
I am merely fifteen years old, but I am very concerned with what is going on around me. I cannot specify my political beliefs, since I like many things from communism, but also many things from anarchism. I am just in favour of justice, equality and real democracy. I have recently started reading the "Capital" by Marx. I consider knowledge of history and political philosophie essential for the progress of our society. I like learning about rebels throughout history and among my role models are Emiliano Zapata and Alekos Panagoulis.