[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 3690-3691]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO OMERO SABATINI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 11, 2003

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the life's work of a retired American diplomat and longtime Alexandria, 
VA resident Omero Sabatini. Mr. Sabatini's crowning achievement is his 
modern translation of Italy's most treasured novel, I Promessi Sposi, 
or Promise of Fidelity, written by Italy's foremost novelist Alessandro 
Manzoni.
  With extensive experience in promoting intercultural relations and 
translating from and into Italian, Mr. Sabatini has interpreted at the 
highest levels of government in both the United States and Europe, and 
has published numerous booklets, articles and human-interest stories in 
both English and Italian. He is active in several Italian-American 
organizations and is a member of a number of associations of retired 
U.S. Foreign Service Officers.
  Born in Indiana, Mr. Sabatini lived in Italy from the age of three 
until his early twenties.

[[Page 3691]]

He attended Italian high schools, and it was there that he became an 
admirer of Italian literature and all things Italian.
  He devoted most of his professional life to promoting U.S. exports, 
but in retirement chose to spend a large share of his time translating 
this Italian literary masterpiece. He undertook this task as an act of 
love, and out of a desire to make this great Italian classic better 
known in the United States and other parts of the English-speaking 
world.
  When the novel that he has translated was first published in its 
original Italian, Edgar Allan Poe, and the great German poet, Johann 
Wolfgang Goethe, praised it enthusiastically. Sir Walter Scott called 
it the ``greatest romance of modern times,'' and Giuseppe Verdi, who 
composed his Requiem Mass to honor Manzoni's memory, thought that it 
was one of the greatest books ever written. This novel is also included 
in the original Harvard Classics series, under the old English title, 
``The Betrothed.''
  Throughout the years, several attempts have been made to translate 
this novel into English, but most of them have failed to capture the 
intensity and vividness of Manzoni's imagination. Mr. Sabatini's work, 
however, has been highly praised and admired by scholars from 
prestigious universities and other institutions of higher learning.
  Though set in 17th century northern Italy, ``Promise of Fidelity'' is 
a timeless and universal tale that touches on every human feeling, 
passion and behavior. It tells the story of two young fiances separated 
by the events that marked Europe's dramatic political and social scene.
  I concur with the vast majority of experts who feel that this novel 
is required reading for anyone interested in learning about Italian and 
world literature, but also those intrigued with how Italian social, 
intellectual, and artistic patrimony has helped shape our own American 
culture and our outlook on life. I salute Mr. Sabatini's work, as it 
will continue to provide learned enjoyment for many generations to 
come.

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