Thanks to an initiative and a translation – the first ever in Burmese – commissioned by the Italian Embassy from the local poet Troy Tun, Dante’s poetry is being recited in Burmese for the first time.
In a new video published today on the Facebook page of our Diplomatic Representation in Yangon, Italian students in Myanmar, led by the actor Marco Luly, interpret the verses of the sonnet “Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare“, taken from “La Vita Nuova”.
This video is the fourth in the “Dante in Myanmar” series and is part of an online Italian course given by Professor Linda Giuntini, dedicated to in-depth study of the figure and legacy of our Supreme Poet who, 700 years since his death, is still little known in this South-East Asian country. This course is also promoted by our Embassy in Yangon as part of its continuing support for the knowledge and study of the Italian language and culture in Burma.
“I find it extraordinary”, said Ambassador Alessandra Schiavo, “that despite Myanmar slipping further and further into a cycle of violence, these young people are able to devote some of their mental energy to the study of foreign languages and literatures; therein lies the deepest value of our ongoing commitment to offer them new opportunities for learning and cultural growth”.
