Dun Karm (1871-1961) was born Carmelo Psaila in Żebbuġ, Malta. He was the national poet of Malta and has been called 'the Bard of Malta'. He became a priest at 23, then worked as a seminary lecturer and diocesan grammar-school teacher, and retired in 1936 after 15 years as Assistant Director at the National Library in Valletta.
He also wrote an English-Maltese dictionary, and his poetry has been translated into English, Spanish and French.
He wrote the lyric to Robert Samut's music Innu Malti ('Hymn of Malta'), which is the national anthem, and is considered instrumental in Maltese being adopted as the national language, which was in 1932.
A painting of Dun Karm by E. Caruana Dingli.
Dun Karm's statue stands in the market place at Żebbuġ.
Dun Karm was born on Triq il-Parroċċa.
The house of his birth bears a plaque.
Malta shows great appreciation for its poets, and the streets above commemorate Dun Karm. The street below, the equivalent of 'Poetry Street', would perhaps be unimaginable in England.
Below is a link to a photo taken in Msida several years ago.
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Dun Karm in Msida, Malta
He also wrote an English-Maltese dictionary, and his poetry has been translated into English, Spanish and French.
He wrote the lyric to Robert Samut's music Innu Malti ('Hymn of Malta'), which is the national anthem, and is considered instrumental in Maltese being adopted as the national language, which was in 1932.
A painting of Dun Karm by E. Caruana Dingli.
Dun Karm's statue stands in the market place at Żebbuġ.
Dun Karm was born on Triq il-Parroċċa.
The house of his birth bears a plaque.
Malta shows great appreciation for its poets, and the streets above commemorate Dun Karm. The street below, the equivalent of 'Poetry Street', would perhaps be unimaginable in England.
Below is a link to a photo taken in Msida several years ago.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Dun Karm in Msida, Malta
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