Bella Ciao is a partisan song, sung by the anti-fascist partisans fighting Nazis
at the end of World War II. It is well-known and still sung by Italian factory
workers. (You can listen to a version here.) Activist folk songs inspire many
different lyrics, so I just made up some new ones (in English), in honor of
Emergency and Dr. Gino Strada.
“Bella” means beautiful, in Italian. “Ciao” means hello, or goodbye. So I guess
that “bella ciao” could be interpreted to mean “Have a nice day,” said with ironic
overtones.
We are doctors/ seeing patients./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella
ciao, ciao, ciao.
Seeing patients/ under fire./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao.
We are nurses./ Save the wounded./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella
ciao, ciao, ciao..
Doing triage,/ dodging bullets./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella
ciao
We are surgeons,/ operating./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao,
ciao, ciao.
Operations/ done by flashlight./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao.
We are trainees/ from the village./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella
ciao, ciao, ciao.
We survived the/ rape and pillage./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella
ciao.
I am learning:/ First stop the bleeding/ Bella ciao, bella ciao,
bella ciao, ciao, ciao.
I’m still looking/ for my mother./ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella
ciao.
See the flowers,/ pretty flowers/ Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella
ciao, ciao, ciao.
They’re still blooming/ in the rubble./ Bella ciao, bella ciao,
bella ciao.
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