Lyrics and English translation of "Nel blu dipinto di blu" by Domenico Modugno

In 1958, Nel blu dipinto di blu made history at the Sanremo Music Festival when Domenico Modugno took the stage with an electrifying performance. Unlike the traditional static singers of the time, Modugno opened his arms wide, his voice soaring as he sang of dreams and flight. The audience was mesmerized, and the song, with its unforgettable “Volare, oh oh…”, won first place. But its success didn’t stop there—it became an international sensation, reaching the top of the U.S. Billboard charts and earning Grammy Awards, forever marking it as one of the most iconic Italian songs of all time.

Lyrics and English translation of Nel blu dipinto di blu by Domenico Modugno

Nel blu dipinto di blu (In the blue painted blue)
by Domenico Modugno

Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più
I think that a dream like this will never return again

Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
I painted my hands and my face blue

Poi d’improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
Then suddenly I was taken away by the wind

E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito
And I began to fly in the infinite sky

Volare, oh oh
To fly, oh oh

Cantare, oh oh oh oh
To sing, oh oh oh oh

Nel blu dipinto di blu
In the blue painted blue

Felice di stare lassù
Happy to be up there

E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su
And I was flying, flying happily higher than the sun and even higher

Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva laggiù
While the world slowly disappeared down there

Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me
A sweet music was playing only for me

Volare, oh oh
To fly, oh oh

Cantare, oh oh oh oh
To sing, oh oh oh oh

Nel blu dipinto di blu
In the blue painted blue

Felice di stare lassù
Happy to be up there

Key vocabulary and verbs

“Nel blu dipinto di blu“, also known as Volare, is one of the most famous Italian songs ever. The lyrics evoke a sense of freedom, dream and happiness, and are perfect for enriching the Italian vocabulary with poetic words and expressions.

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1. Nouns

• Notte → Night
• Sogno → Dream
• Mano → Hand
• Viso → Face
• Magia → Magic
• Occhi → Eyes
• Cielo → Sky
• Azzurro → Blue (light blue, sky blue)
• Stelle → Stars
• Luci → Lights
• Sole → Sun
• Giorno → Day

2. Verbs

• Essere (ero, sei, sono) → To be (I was, you are, they are)
• Sognare (ho sognato) → To dream (I dreamed)
• Toccare (toccare il cielo) → To touch (to touch the sky)
• Volare (volavo, volare, volerò) → To fly (I was flying, to fly, I will fly)
• Dipinger (dipinto) → To paint (painted)
• Splendere (splendeva, splenderanno) → To shine (it was shining, they will shine)
• Accendere (si accendeva) → To light up (it was lighting up)
• Abbracciare (ti tenevo stretto) → To hug (I was holding you tight)
• Guardare (guardavo) → To look (I was looking)
• Scordare (mi scordai di tutto) → To forget (I forgot everything)

3. Useful expressions and concepts

• “Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più” → “I think that a dream like this will never return”
• “Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu” → “I painted my hands and face blue”
• “Volare, oh oh, cantare, oh oh oh” → “To fly, oh oh, to sing, oh oh oh”
• “Nel blu dipinto di blu, felice di stare lassù” → “In the blue painted blue, happy to be up there”
• “E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su” → “And I was flying, flying happily, higher than the sun and even higher”
• “Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù” → “While the world slowly disappeared far down below”
• “Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me” → “A sweet music was playing just for me”

“Nel blu dipinto di blu” è una canzone meravigliosa per imparare parole legate alla natura, ai sogni e alle emozioni. Prova a usare queste parole in frasi per descrivere un momento di felicità o un sogno indimenticabile!