This video is a continuation of looking at L’Italiano by Toto Cutugno as part of the 5th video in the learn Italian by music series for this song.
The other videos in this series can be viewed here:
FIFTH VIDEO – Toto Cutugno
Larry: Let’s get to Kathleen now. Kathleen, you’re up. Let’s read these four lines.
Kathleen: Oh, ok, same one. “Buongiorno Italia, buongiorno Maria, Con gli occhi pieni di…malinconia”.
Larry: There you go!
Kathleen: “Malinconia, Buongiorno dio, Lo sai che ci sono anch’io”.
Larry: Ok, before we get to that one, here goes a contraction we saw again, remember? We were talking about this before: col. This could be “con il” also, you might it also have it that way too.
Kathleen: Ok
Patti: And you said “con il” is “col”.
Larry: In this case they use “col”, but they can also say “con il caffè ristretto”.
Ann: Probably, he wanted the same number of [01:12]
Larry: Alright. So Kathleen read these four parts, so let’s see what he says.
(video plays)
Larry: Alright, so he says: “Buongiorno Italia, buongiorno Maria”. What’s that?
Kathleen: “With your eyes full of melancholy”.
Larry: “Con gli occhi pieni di malinconia”, yes.
Kathleen: Of sadness. “Buongiorno God, You know that I am here…” no, “that I am here also”.
Larry: Yes. “Lo sai che ci sono anch’io”. Yes, perfect.
Alright. Patti, you’re up next. I think that this is a repeat for you, too.
Patti: Ok.
Larry: Let’s see if you can get this verb right, now.
Patti: “Lasciatemi”.
Larry: “Lasciatemi”. “Lasciatemi”.
Patti: That’s what I said!
“Con la chitarra in mano, Lasciatemi cantare, Una canzone piano piano”.
Larry: Alright, let’s hear it!
(video plays)
Larry: Alright. And, so: “Lasciatemi cantare”, Patti. You know what does that mean?
Patti: “Let me sing with the guitar in hand”?
Larry: Yes.
Patti: “Let me sing a softly…easily?”
Larry: Yes, softly, easily. “Let me sing a song easily”, an easy song.
Patti: Ok.
Larry: And we’ve got Tony up here. I think that this is a repeat for you, too, Tony.
Tony: It is a repeat, yes.
“Lasciatemi cantare, Perché ne sono fiero, Sono un italiano, Un italiano vero”
Larry: Alright. Let’s hear it.
(video plays)
Larry: So, he said: “Lasciatemi cantare”. You know what that means, right?
Tony: “Let me sing, Because I am proud, I am an Italian, I’m a true Italian”.
Larry: Yes, and here it is easier to get the negative, “perché ne”, “ne sono fiero”. “Lasciatemi cantare perchè NE sono fiero”. He said “non sono fiero”, an alternative to a negative.
So: “Perché ne sono fiero, Sono un italiano, Un italiano vero”.
Kathleen: But if I was to sing it, I would put “italiana”, right?
Larry: That’s right.
Kathleen: “Un’italiana vera”.
Larry: Right, a female would say “italiana”.
Lydia: We will also say “fiera” instead of “fiero”.
Ann: “Fiera”, sì.
Larry: There you will be saying “fiera”.
Lydia: I thought so, yes.
Larry: You would be saying: “Un’italiana vera”.
Ann: “Italiana vera”.
Larry: Yes.
Kathleen: And “fiera”?
Larry: Yes.
Kathleen: Ok.
Lydia: I’m glad you brought that up.
Larry: Yeah, good one, good point.