Nel blu’ dipinto di blu’, or Volare as it is more popularly known, is an Italian song performed by Domenico Modugno and written by Modugno and Franco Migliacci. Released as a single on February 1st 1958, it became one of the most popular Italian songs ever to be released worldwide, spending five consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Below you can watch the song on YouTube, follow along with the Italian lyrics and, if you are in doubt about the meaning, check out the English translation at the end of the article!
Volare – Domenico Modugno– Listen on YouTube
Volare – Domenico Modugno – Italian Lyrics
Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d’improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù
E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole
Ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù
Ma tutti i sogni nell’alba svaniscon perché
Quando tramonta la luna li porta con sé
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
Che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
E continuo a volare felice più in alto del sole
Ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu
La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me
Volare oh, oh
Cantare oh, oh
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Con te
Volare – Domenico Modugno – English Translation
I think a dream like this never comes back
I painted my hands and face blue
Then, suddenly, I was kidnapped by the wind
And I began to fly in the infinite sky
Flying, oh, oh
Singing, oh, oh
In the blue-painted blue sky
Happy to be up there
And I flew, I flew happily higher than the sun
And even higher
While the world slowly disappeared far down below
Sweet music was playing just for me
Flying, oh, oh
Singing, oh, oh
In the blue-painted blue sky
Happy to be up there
But all dreams in the dawn vanish because
When the moon goes down, it takes them with it
But I keep dreaming in your beautiful eyes
Which are blue like a star-studded sky
Flying, oh, oh
Singing, oh, oh
In the blue of your blue eyes
Happy to be up there
And I keep flying happily higher than the sun
And even higher
While the world slowly disappears into your blue eyes
Your voice is sweet music that plays for me
Flying oh, oh
Singing oh, oh
In the blue of your blue eyes
Happy to be down here
In the blue of your blue eyes
Happy to be down here
With you
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.
