Bella D'Estate Lyrics in English by MIKA, Michele Bravi

Zingari translates to "gypsies". It's a less common word in everyday Italian, making it stand out in the lyrics.

In "Bella D'Estate", MIKA uses zingari metaphorically to describe a carefree, transient lifestyle. He sings, "Noi siamo zingari di periferia" (We are gypsies from the outskirts), evoking an image of young lovers living on the fringes, with their fleeting games and emotions carried away by the night. This word adds a touch of romantic wanderlust and a sense of impermanence to the song's narrative.

This is a summer goodbye sung by someone trying very hard to sound fine about it. It opens with "È solo un addio" [It's only a goodbye] and "Credimi, io non ci penso mai" [Believe me, I never think about it], which is exactly what you say when you think about it all the time. Then he notices "Vedo che hai pianto" [I see that you've cried] and asks "Tu lo sapevi, ma da quando?" [You knew it, but since when?]. The chorus keeps sending the other person off: "Bella d'estate, vai via da me" [Summer beauty, go away from me]. Bella d'estate is the key phrase here: the person is beautiful, but only in a summer way, someone who belongs to one season.

The verses explain why it couldn't last. "Forse perché ti credevo felice così, proprio così, fra le mie braccia" [Maybe because I thought you were happy like this, just like this, in my arms], and "ci bastava arrivare fin qui" [it was enough for us to get this far]. The best image is the one about the two of them: "Noi siamo zingari di periferia" [We are gypsies from the outskirts], and "I nostri son giochi che durano poco, e la notte se li porta via" [Ours are games that don't last long, and the night carries them away]. Periferia means the edge of a city, the suburbs, so they're drifters on the margins, not people building a life. "Fin qui" (this far, up to here) comes back at the end with a twist: "Per tutti e due basterebbe tornare fin qui" [For both of us it would be enough to come back here]. He's saying goodbye and already wishing they could return. Learner tip: "vai via" is the everyday way to say "go away", and "ci bastava" is a handy pattern for "it was enough for us".