Ciao mama [English translation]

Bye mom,

I’m going, winning, and coming back;1

you can already put the lamb in the oven.

I’ve put on the woollen undershirt you gave me, (bye bye)2

bye mom, (bye bye) bye mom, (bye bye)

the team manager is calling me, (bye bye)

bye mom, I’ll win, you’ll see.

Bye mom,

the doctor says

that if I take on this climb

my appendix will get inflamed,

but at the top of the climb there’s fame, (bye bye)

bye mom, (bye bye) bye mom, (bye bye)

someone is calling me from the car, (bye bye)

bye mom, I’ll win, you’ll see.

I say goodbye to the supporters from the sports bar,

to Ninetta, to my friends, to boys and babies,

but, over anyone else,

a kiss and a greeting will fly to you.

(bye bye)

(bye bye)

Hi mom,3

did you see what a final sprint?,

I’m coming back home in a short while:

prepare an omelette.

We’ll have a bit of glory and a bit of dough, (hi hi)

it’s so good, (hi hi) hi mom, (hi hi)

for now, I just feel very hungry, (hi hi)4

hi mom, dish out macaroni.5

1. Reference to Julius Caesar’s sentence veni, vidi, vici.2. In the stereotype, Italian mothers are overly protective, so they always make sure their children (no matter how old they have grown) dress properly to avoid catching a cold.3. ciao is used both as ‟hi” and ‟bye”.4. Pun on

avere fame {have hunger} = be hungry

avere fama {have fame} = be famous5. Actually, macaroni is not exactly the same as maccheroni.