Transamerika – Bilingual Lyrics Italian/English

• By: Modena City Ramblers

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a captivating journey with Modena City Ramblers' "Transamerika," a powerful narrative set to music that tells the story of Che Guevara's formative travels through Latin America. This song is an excellent way to learn Italian through its vivid storytelling and rich vocabulary, offering insights into history, social awareness, and the band's unique "combat folk" style, making it a special piece for language learners and music enthusiasts alike.

[English]

You took off in style with Alberto and your motorcycle

We all came to say goodbye and see you off

With a blessing, a hug, a laugh, and a bottle

And the girls a tear and a kiss

In your luggage, there were two blankets and some mate

A 10-key and some wire

A map, a few books, a couple of addresses

Brothers, go with God!

Despite the falls and engine breakdowns

You crossed the continent

Begging for food and suffering cold and hunger

And you abandoned the motorcycle to be junk

You talked with resigned, impassive natives

With miners with poisoned lungs

With lepers buried in the hospital down in hell

And you took them with you in your memory

Goodbye, don't get lost

Stay as cheerful as you are

From Temuco's tracks

To the peaks of Abancay

Keep your eyes open always

Guard the last idea

We're getting ready to follow you

TRANSAMERICA

I heard that since then you've grown up

Victorious commander and then ministers

You've challenged dictators and mocked them for years

And now the whole world knows you

But we like to remember your desire to leave

Your motorcycle loaded with the impossible

Alberto's jokes, your thirst for adventure

It's a beautiful way to say freedom

Goodbye, this is the end of the line

I know you won’t come back

To Quebrada de lo Yuro

The butchers were waiting for you

They showed you to the journalists

They said, "Here he is, it's him"

Shadows reign over Valle Grande

TRANSAMERICA

Goodbye, sleep peacefully

Because it’s not the end

The adventure has started again

The last idea remains unchanged

And somewhere in the world

There’s someone like you

Who’s preparing a new journey

TRANSAMERICA

...

[Italian]

Sei partito alla grande con Alberto e con la moto

Siam venuti tutti quanti a salutarvi

Con un augurio, un abbraccio, una risata e una bottiglia

E le ragazze una lacrima ed un bacio

Nel bagaglio avevate due coperte e un po' di mate

Una chiave del 10 e fil di ferro

Una mappa, qualche libro, un paio di indirizzi

Hermanos, vayanse con Dios!

Nonstante le cadute e le rotture del motore

Avete attraversato il continente

E scroccato da mangiare e sofferto freddo e fame

E abbandonato la moto in rottami.

Hai parlato con gli indios rassegnati ed impassibili

Ai mineros dai polmoni avvelenati

Ai lebbrosi sepolti in ospedale giù all'inferno

E li hai portati nel ricordo con te

Addio, non perderti

Resta allegro come sei

Dalle piste di Temuco

Alle vette di Abancay

Tieni gli occhi sempre aperti

Custodisci l'ultima idea

Noi ci prepariamo a seguirti

TRANSAMERIKA

Ho sentito che da allora sei diventato grande

Comandante vittorioso e poi ministri

Che hai sfidato dittatori e per anni li hai beffati

E che adesso tutto il mondo ti conosce.

Ma a noi piace ripensare alla tua voglia di partire

Alla moto caricata all'impossibile

Agli scherzi di Alberto, alla sete di avventura

E' un bel modo per dire libertà

Addio, è il capolinea

So che non ritornerai

A Quebrada de lo Yuro

Ti aspettavano i macellai

Ti hanno mostrato ai giornalisti

Hanno detto "Eccolo, è lui"

Regna l'ombra su Valle Grande

TRANSAMERIKA

Addio, dormi tranquillo

Perché non finisce qui

L'avventura è ripartita

Resta intatta l'ultima idea

E da qualche parte del mondo

C'è qualcuno come te

Che prepara un nuovo viaggio

TRANSAMERIKA

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
partito /parˈtito/ B1	verb - departed
moto /ˈmoto/ A1	noun - motorcycle
abbraccio /abˈrattʃo/ B1	noun - hug
lacrima /ˈlakrima/ B2	noun - tear
bacio /ˈbatʃo/ B1	noun - kiss
bagaglio /baˈɡaʎʎo/ B2	noun - luggage
mappa /ˈmapːa/ A2	noun - map
libro /ˈlibro/ A1	noun - book
idea /iˈdɛa/ A2	noun - idea
avventura /avvenˈtura/ B1	noun - adventure
dittatore /dittaˈtore/ B2	noun - dictator
macellaio /matʃeˈlːaio/ B2	noun - butcher
viaggio /ˈvjaddʒo/ A2	noun - journey
freddo /ˈfreddo/ A2	adjective - cold
ombra /ˈombra/ B1	noun - shadow
tranquillo /tranˈkwillo/ B1	adjective - calm

Key Grammar Structures

• Sei partito alla grande con Alberto e con la moto

  ➔ Past participle used with 'sei' to form the passato prossimo (present perfect) tense.

  ➔ 'Sei' is the second person singular form of 'essere' (to be) in the present tense, used here with the past participle 'partito' to form the present perfect.

• Con un'augurio, un abbraccio, una risata e una bottiglia

  ➔ Use of indefinite articles 'un' and 'una' with nouns to indicate unspecified quantities or objects.

  ➔ The indefinite articles 'un' (masculine) and 'una' (feminine) are used to refer to unspecified objects or quantities.

• Hermanos, vayanse con Dios!

  ➔ Imperative form of 'yemarse' (to go) with reflexive pronoun attached for the command.

  ➔ 'Vayanse' is the formal imperative form of the verb 'irse', meaning 'go away' or 'depart', with the reflexive pronoun 'se' attached.

• Hai parlato con gli indios rassegnati ed impassibili

  ➔ Past tense 'hai parlato' (you have spoken) uses the auxiliary 'hai' with the past participle for present perfect tense.

  ➔ 'Hai' is the second person singular form of the auxiliary verb 'avere' in the present tense, combined with the past participle 'parlato' to form the present perfect.

• E le ragazze una lacrima ed un bacio

  ➔ Use of indefinite article 'una' before 'lacrima' (tear) and the conjunction 'ed' (and) linking nouns.

  ➔ 'Una' is an indefinite feminine article used before singular nouns like 'lacrima'. 'Ed' is a variant of 'e', meaning 'and', used before words starting with 'i' or 'hi' for euphony.

• Resta allegro come sei

  ➔ Use of the adjective 'allegro' (happy, cheerful) as a predicate complement, with 'come sei' (as you are) indicating comparison or state.

  ➔ 'Allegro' is an Italian musical term meaning cheerful and lively. 'Come sei' means 'as you are', used here to describe a state or condition.