Hanoi University's music video (MV) "Continuing the Story of Peace," performed in 13 languages, attracted over 13,000 views on YouTube and thousands of likes and shares on Facebook after its release on the morning of 19/8.
Most comments praised the "wonderful" and meaningful work. Many current and former students expressed pride in their university and teachers.
According to Do Thi Nhung from the university's Student Affairs and Enterprise Relations department, the MV was launched on August 19, the anniversary of the successful August Revolution in 1945, leading up to the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2.
"This is not only a tribute to the previous generations who sacrificed for independence and freedom, but also a reminder to young people today about their responsibility to maintain peace, protect the Fatherland, and spread humanitarian values," Nhung said.
A university representative explained that the idea for the MV originated from a seminar titled "HANU Youth - Continuing the Story of Peace" held in May. At the seminar, lecturers and students performed composer Nguyen Van Chung's work in four languages (Vietnamese, English, Japanese, and Russian) and received positive feedback.
"Foreign languages are a source of pride for Hanoi University, which inspired us to create a multilingual version of this song," Nhung shared.
The song was subsequently translated into French, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Polish, and Thai. After several rounds of proofreading and recording, the project was completed in over two months with the participation of nearly 70 staff, lecturers, students, and guests.
The music video was filmed at various locations in Hanoi: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Hoan Kiem Lake, Temple of Literature, and West Lake.
"All aspects of the MV were handled by our students. The music arrangement was guided by a vocal music lecturer who is currently pursuing a second degree," Nhung added.
French lecturer Bui Thi Ha Giang, who appears first in the MV, was delighted to receive congratulatory messages praising the MV as a "masterpiece."
"People said the song touched their hearts. This made me, despite playing a small role in this MV, deeply moved," Giang shared.
Giang mentioned that the original Vietnamese version was beautiful and concise, so when translating it into French, she had to carefully discuss word choices with her French and Belgian friends to fully convey the meaning.
Italian lecturer Nguyen Phuong Linh, who both translated and performed the song, said the most challenging part was the phonetics.
"Translating and maintaining the correct number of syllables to match the melody was a major challenge because the two languages have very different structures and vocabulary lengths," Linh explained.
Furthermore, Vietnamese is rich in imagery and layers of meaning, employing various figures of speech like metaphors and metonymy. When translating into Italian, Linh not only had to ensure accuracy but also find ways to express the emotions. She practiced singing while translating and adjusted the lyrics to fit the melody, which made the recording process quite smooth.
Upon learning about the project, Le Dinh Tuan Anh, a 4th-year Korean language student, immediately agreed to participate. He admitted facing difficulties working with the translator to convert the Vietnamese lyrics into Korean within a week, as well as adjusting them to fit the original melody.
"I practiced at home every night, even had vocal training with a music teacher, and consulted with a Korean teacher to achieve the most natural pronunciation," he recounted.
 |
The MV was filmed at various locations in Hanoi and completed in over two months. Photo: HANU |
The MV was filmed at various locations in Hanoi and completed in over two months. Photo: HANU
With a history of over 60 years, Hanoi University is the largest foreign language training institution in the country. This year, the university admitted over 3,300 students, including 10 language majors.
Since 2023, the university's lecturers have welcomed and congratulated new students with performances in 13 languages, much to the students' delight and excitement.
Binh Minh
