Io sì (Seen) is a power ballad from the soundtrack of the 2020 film The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Sé) starring Sofia Loren. Diane Warren originally wrote the song with English lyrics, and Pausini later translated it into Italian with the help of her frequent collaborator Niccolò Agliardi. It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 93rd Academy Awards, making it the first song sung in Italian to receive the honour.
Like the film itself, Io sì (Seen) is a tribute to those marginalised by society, due to racism, sexism, homophobia, social status or any other kind of prejudice. You can follow along with the Italian lyrics and the English translation below.
Laura Pausini – Io sì (Seen) – Listen on YouTube
Laura Pausini – Io sì (Seen) – Italian Lyrics
Quando tu finisci le parole
Sto qui
Sto qui
Forse a te ne servono due sole
Sto qui
Sto qui
Quando impari a sopravvivere
E accetti l’impossibile
Nessuno ci crede
Io sì
Non lo so, io
Che destino è il tuo
Ma se vuoi
Se mi vuoi sono qui
Nessuno ti sente
Ma io sì
Quando tu non sai più dove andare
Sto qui
Sto qui
Scappi via o alzi le barriere
Sto qui
Sto qui
Quando essere invisibile
È peggio che non vivere
Nessuno ti vede
Io sì
Non lo so, io
Che destino è il tuo
Ma se vuoi
Se mi vuoi sono qui
Nessuno ti vede
Ma io sì
Chi si ama lo sa
Serve incanto e realtà
A volte basta quello che c’è
La vita davanti a sé
Non lo so io
Che destino è il tuo
Ma se vuoi
Se mi vuoi sono qui
Nessuno ti vede
Io sì
Nessuno ci crede
Ma io sì
Laura Pausini – Io sì (Seen) – English Translation
When you run out of words
I’m here
I’m here
Maybe you just need two
I’m here
I’m here
When you learn to survive
And accept the impossible
Nobody believes it
I do
I don’t know
What your fate is
But if you want
If you want me, I’m here
Nobody hears you
But I do
When you no longer know where to go
I’m here
I’m here
You run away or you raise the barriers
I’m here
I’m here
When being invisible
Is worse than not living
Nobody sees you
I do
I don’t know
What your fate is
But if you want
If you want me, I’m here
Nobody sees you
But I do
Those who love themselves know
You need enchantment and reality
Sometimes what is there is enough
The life ahead
I don’t know
What your fate is
But if you want
If you want me, I’m here
Nobody sees you
I do
Nobody believes it
But I do
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
