Mina is possibly one of the most successful Italian singers of all time with 77 charting albums and 71 charting singles.  I’m not even sure how that’s possible!  She was the first “rock n’roll” female ever on Italian TV in 1959 and earned the nickname the “Tiger of Cremona” for the way she moved while performing.  In 1963, after getting pregnant during a relationship with a married man, she was banned from Italian TV and the Italian RAI attempted to ban her from radio as well, as many of her songs discussed smoking, religion and sex.  The ban doesn’t've seemed to have much of an effect in the end, as Mina became a staple of evening TV variety shows.  This video of her performing “Il Cielo in una Stanza” (The Sky in a Room), is from one of those.  I’ve put an English interpretation next to the Italian lyrics below.  Enjoy!!

Mina / Il Cielo in una Stanza
Quando sei qui con me (When you are here with me)
questa stanza non ha più pareti (this room has no more walls)
ma alberi, (but trees,)
alberi infiniti (infinite trees!)
quando sei qui vicino a me (when you are near me)
questo soffitto viola (This violet ceiling)
no, non esiste più (doesn’t exist anymore)
Io vedo il cielo sopra noi (I see the sky above us)
che restiamo qui (We rest here)
abbandonati (abbandoned)
come se non ci fosse più (as if nothing exists anymore)
niente, più niente al mondo. (nothing, nothing more on earth)
Suona un’armonica (the harmonica plays)
mi sembra un organo (I hear an organ)
che vibra per te e per me (that vibrates for you and me)
su nell’immensità del cielo. (in this immensity of sky)
Per te, per me: (for you, for me)
nel cielo. (in the sky)
image

Comments

comments

Tags

About the author

Jess

Turning my obsession with Italy into something I can pretend is constructive. Italy travel tips and stories for everyone.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *