"Le Petit Prince" traduit en Swahili
MWANA MDOGO WA MFALME
A translation in Swahili of the famous French book
« Le Petit Prince »
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Launching of the translated best-seller French book, “Mwana Mdogo Wa Mfalme” was officiated on the 5th of July 2010 by the French Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr. Jacques CHAMPAGNE de LABRIOLLE, at the Alliance Française of Dar es Salaam, gathering around 100 persons.
The cult-book, authored in 1943 by French writer and aviation pioneer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, has been translated into Kiswahili by the Editor of a Tanzanian publishing house “Mkuki na Nyota”, Mr. Walter Bgoya, in collaboration with a German translator, Mr. Philip Krüse.
- Mkuki Na Nyota book stand
Translation of the book, which has sold more than 80 millions copies worldwide, has been funded by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The book has already been translated into over 180 other languages, including several African languages.
In the book, a middle-aged man who flies an airplane suddenly crashes onto the Sahara desert, and gets stranded there for sometime. As he tries to fix his engine, a young boy prince, magically shows up, laughing. The first thing the young boy requests, is “please draw me a sheep”.
- Mr Walter Bogya, translator and editor of Mwana Mdogo Wa Malfme
Having abandoned his painting carrier for long, the narrator tells the boy that yet he cannot draw. However, after insistence by the strange boy, the narrator ends up drawing several pictures of a sheep. One is too sick, another looks like a ram and in the last, the sheep is too weak.
Relationship between the narrator and the boy becomes a fantastic journey into the universe. Though ostensibly a children’s fairy tale, the book encompasses profound and idealistic observations about life and human nature.
- Group of participants to Mr Mtaya’s painting workshop
The book launch at Alliance Française was accompanied with an exhibition : “Metamorphosis and Eternity of the Little Prince”, thanks to “Succession Saint Exupéry”, as well as with some paintings realized during Ernest Mtaya’s Painting workshops and some drawing made by the children of French School Arthur Rimbaud.
Some examples of drawings and paintings presented in the exhibition.
Where can you find the book ? Please contact Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers to purchase the book.
You are welcome to visit the exhibition “Metamorphosis and Eternity of the Little Prince” at the Alliance Française of Dar till the 30th of July 2010.
KARIBUNI !
French Ambassador’s speech
Walter Bgoya’s Speech
Press release in English
Press release in Swahili
Press release in French
