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Writing about the Italian Song “La gatta”

Writing has to take a backseat for a few days, because I need to concentrate on other things for a while. I’ve listening a lot to Italian songs. I love this particular number, innocent and nostalgic, it really relaxes me.

C’era una volta una gatta,

(Once upon a tme there was a cat)

che aveva una macchia nera sul muso

(that had a black streak on its face)

e una vecchia soffitta vicino al mare

(and an old attic near the sea)

con una finestra a un passo dal cielo blu.

(with a window with a view of the blue sky)

Se la chitarra suonavo,

(If I played the guitar)

la gatta faceva le fusa ed un stellina

(The cat would purr and a star,)

scendeva vicina vicina

(came down nearer and nearer,)

poi mi sorrideva e se ne tornava su.

(Then smiled at me, and returned upwards)

Ora non abito più là,

(Now I don’t live there any more)

tutto è cambiato, non abito più là.

(all has changed, I don’t live there any more)

Ho una casa bellissima,

(I have a beautiful house)

bellissima come vuoi tu.

(beautiful like you want)

Ma io ripenso a una gatta,

(But I muse about that cat)

che aveva una macchia nera sul muso,

(that had a black streak on its face)

a una vecchia soffitta vicino al mare

(and an old attic near the sea)

con una stellina che ora non vedo più.

(with a star that I now don’t see any more.)

On another note,

Merry Christmas to all, I hope this season brings to this world a new understanding of family, love, and togetherness.

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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