Literal translation
I am upside-down
Meaning
I'm shaken, turned upside down
Explanation
This expression describes a great inner turmoil, an emotional upheaval that completely disorganises the person feeling it. The literal image plays on the reversal of usual positions, top ending up at the bottom and vice versa, as when a piece of furniture, an object, or an entire room is turned upside-down, in total disorder where nothing is left in its place. Applied to a person's inner state, this reversal conveys a psychological chaos in which the usual bearings, thoughts, emotions, end up jumbled and mixed together, with no clear order or hierarchy, following unexpected news, good or bad, or an event that has broken the routine. The turn of phrase closely mirrors its French equivalent, but the juxtaposed construction dessus-dessouto, with no conjunction, emphasises the simultaneity of the upset, as though both positions merged at once into a single dizzying moment. The register is familiar, used to describe both a negative emotional shock, bad news, and a sudden but happy upheaval, a good surprise that unsettles as much as it delights.