Bella Ciao

A song of the Partisans who fought fascism in Italy. As they recruited people to fight against the despotism of Mussolini, they would sing this hymn to rally the people.

This song emphasises the universal human longing for freedom and equality.
Today, the torch is carried by those who wish to overthrow the oligarchy and its evils.

Dedicated to the brave warriors of the YPG and YPJ in Rojava, who are fighting fascism in the form of DAESH, to all anti-fascists wherever they fight, and to Stjepan Filipović, martyred by the Croatian Ustaše, whose immortal last words ring out through history:
'Death to fascism! Freedom to the people!'

•

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 io muoio da partigiano,
tu mi devi seppellir.

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
ti 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!»

«È questo il fiore del partigiano
morto per la libertà!»

•

English lyrics:
It is one morning that I awakened—
oh bella ciao! bella ciao! bella ciao! ciao! ciao!
It is one morning that I awakened
and I found the invader.

Oh my dear partisan, take me far—
oh bella ciao! bella ciao! bella ciao! ciao! ciao!
Oh my dear partisan, take me far,
for I know that death has me.

And if I die as a partisan—
oh bella ciao! bella ciao! bella ciao! ciao! ciao!
And if I die as a partisan,
I want you to bury me.

So bury me upon the mountain—
oh bella ciao! bella ciao! bella ciao! ciao! ciao!
So bury me upon the mountain
under the flower of beauty.

And all the people who pass my grave—
oh bella ciao! bella ciao! bella ciao! ciao! ciao!
And all the people who pass my grave
will tell me, 'What a lovely sight!'

'This is the flower that guards the fighter—
(oh bella ciao! bella ciao! bella ciao! ciao! ciao!)
This is the flower that guards the fighter
who died for all our liberty!'

'Oh yes, the flower that guards the fighter—
who died for all our liberty!'

•

Credits:
• Evangeline Sutherland
——vocals, production, guitar, translation
• Anonymous
——lyrics, composition

Rose with Teeth Music Feed

'Enlightenment, understood in the widest sense as the advance of thought, has always aimed at liberating human beings from fear and installing them as masters. Yet the wholly enlightened earth is radiant with triumphant calamity.'
—Dialectic of Enlightenment, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one true God. Amen.

The times are dark, and pestilence, famine, war, and death rule הַעוֹלָם הַזֶּ֗ה.
To listen to the still, small voice in our hearts is increasingly difficult as we view more and more chaos unfolding before us: neighbours distrusting neighbours, nations taking up arms against nations, man's inhumanity to man.

Yet to keep quiet and listen to that voice is to hear the proclamation of a new nation, the Kingdom of God, which is within all of us. Whether you call it hesychasm or דְּבֵקוּת, it shows a glimpse of הַעוֹלָם הַבָּא, which we can only pray to come soon.

In the meantime, let us show compassion to one another, comfort the suffering, and share in one another's joy.

On this Walpurgisnacht 2018:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one true God. Amen.

Personnel:
• Eva Gnostiquette (except where otherwise noted)
——vocals, guitar, synth, production, album art, design

Notes:
All lyrics written by Eva Gnostiquette except for 'Bella Ciao' (originally written by an anonymous anti-fascist), parts of 'Love Is a Contradiction if There Is No God' (some lyrics originally written by St. Athanasius), Movement IV of ‘A Guardian on the Threshold’ (written by Karl Marx; translated by Clemens Dutt), and 'Venceremos' (written by Claudio Iturra).
All music composed by Eva Gnostiquette except for the aforementioned 'Bella Ciao' and 'Venceremos'.
Cover art inspired by the work of David Tibet.

Dedicated to:
• My family
• My friends: three Carolines, Michael Orion Powell-Deschamps, Devin, Noiyeh, Nicole, Sam, Hannah, Kit, and many more
• And all who fought and continue to fight for freedom, equality, and unity

• No. of episodes: 27
• Latest episode: 2021-09-02
• Music

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