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Malta's National Anthem
The Maltese Flag
Dun Karm
Great Siege Monument
Valletta
Some Literary Works
L-Innu Malti
(The Maltese National Anthem)
Lil din l-Art ħelwa, l-Omm li tatna isimha,
Ħares Mulej, kif dejjem Int ħarist;
Ftakar li lilha bl-oħla dawl libbist.
This sweet land, the very Mother who gave us our identity,
Watch over, dear Lord, as you have always done;
Remember how You adorned her with the sweetest light.
Agħti kbir Alla, id-deh'n lil min jaħkimha;
Rodd il-ħniena lis-sid, saħħa 'l-ħaddiem;
Seddaq il-għaqda fil-Maltin u s-sliem.
Bestow, dear God, wisdom to those who rule her,
Grant compassion to the leader [and] strength to him who toils;
Render brotherhood, and peace, amongst the Maltese.
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Il-Bandiera Maltija
(The Maltese Flag)
Hekk, bajda u ħamra biss, irridek jiena,
Bandiera ħelwa ta' din l-art ħanina,
Għax kull meta s-sibbien ħabtu għalina
Hekk, bajda u ħamra biss, rawk il-ħajjiena.
Here, in these first four verses, the poet says that…
this is how he wants her (the Maltese Flag) to be: only white and red; because that is how the invader (pirate) saw her when hitting on our shores.
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Lil Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Raħal Twelidi
(To Żebbuġ - My Village-home)
Meta qatt fil-ħidma tiegħ i
Kelli s-serħ u ma żurtekx?
Meta ħareġ minn ġo qalbi
Għanja u jien ma semmejtikx?
When have I ever had time to rest
and did not come to visit you?
And when did my heart ever sing its best
and I did not speak of you?
Ftakar, ftakar li qalbek
Qatt ma ħamel ebda xkiel;
La tinsiex illi dejjem tiegħek
Kien Vassalli u Dun Mikiel.
Remember, remember that you
Could never accept any hindrance;
And nor should you forget that "Vassalli" and
"Dun Mikiel" were forever yours.
Mikiel Anton Vassalli is acknowledged as one of the pioneers of the
written Maltese Language and is, consequently, acknowledged as the
father of the movement towards Malta's (political) independence
Dun Mikiel Xerri was one of the leaders of the Maltese uprising against
the French occupation in 1798 and for which the patriot was executed.
Both personalities hailed from the same village as Dun Karm, Zebbug.
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Għal Dun Mikiel Xerri
(Dedicated to Dun Mikiel Xerri,
an Ode to a Maltese Patriot)
Kont għadni, nista' ngħid, ċkejken tarbija
meta ktieb il-ġrajjiet ħabbibni miegħek,
għax fik għaġbitni l-ħila barranija,
u l-kelma sħieħa bħall-egħruq ta' driegħek.
Iżda kif ġejt fuq l-għatba tar-rġulija
u xtaqt inbus lil dak li qatt ma tmiegħek,
u fittixt, imm' għalxejn, fuq l-art Maltija
ħaġra li turi fejn hu l-qabar tiegħek,
jien regħ't u bkejt, għax rajt kemm kienet xħiħa
miegħek din l-art li int ħabbejt fis-sewwa,
b'imħabba safja u bla nuqqas sabiħa;
għax tajfitna b'għemilek sfat mirquma,
u għall-qawwa li wrejt quddiem l-egħdewwa
kienu jitkabbru bik Atene u Ruma.
Here, the Poet condemns his people for not paying proper homage
to this hero who had given up his life to free his nation; a hero so
great that Athens and Rome themselves would have flaunted
eternally amongst their other great names.
Malta's Finest Sons
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Biki ta' Omm
'Black Market u Ħwejjeġ Oħra'
(A Mother's Tears -
Black Market and Other Matters)
Maħbuba Malta tiegħi, fejn hi d-dija
Li dari tixgħel ġewwa ħbub għajnejk?
Għidli, għaliex narak bħal im bikkija …
Bid-dmugħ sieket jiżżerżaq ma ħaddejk?
My beloved Malta, where is the glowing radiance
That once did glimmer from within your eyes?
Tell me, why are you so mournful…
With silent tears rolling down your sides?
Jiena rajtek fi gwerer qerriedija
Tiġġieled fuq is-swar bil-ħżiem f'ġembejk,
U tixref fuq il-baħar qalbenija
U tirbaħ l-għadu li kien riesaq lejk.
I've seen you before in deadly conflicts,
Battling from your bastions, weapons at your side,
And bravely reaching out beyond your shoreline
Defeating the invader approaching far and wide.
Id-dinja kollha li fil-ħila tiegħek
Rat il-qawwa ta' qalb li għandek fik
Libbsitek b'ġieħ li jibqa' dejjem miegħek:
The whole world, in your untold valour,
Witnessing the vigour of your soul,
Arrayed you in esteem for ever:
Għaliex, mela, narak, b'dak wiċċek niedi
Bid-dmugħ? X'inhu li qed, j'Omm, ibikkik?
"Faħħruni l-barranin… kasbruni wliedi".
Why then (Mother) has your face grown
tearful? What is it that makes you weep?
"For I am praised by strangers… but rejected by my own".
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Lil Malta - Fuq il-Fruntiera
Wara Elfejn Attakk mill-Ajru
('To Malta - At the Frontier'
After Two Thousand Air Raids)
Dejjem rajtek sabiħa, o Malta tiegħi,
Fil-libsa mżewwqa li int ħdimt mas-snin,
Libsa li taf is-sengħa f'bosta friegħi,
Minsuġa b'ħajt l-Imħabba w it-Twemmin.
U jien, poeta, kemm għannaqtek miegħi!
Kemm bews qegħidtlek fuq ħaddejk ħelwin!
Kemm ħaddimt ħsiebi u qalbi u d-dgħif ta' driegħi
Biex ma narakx f'idejn il-barranin!
Issa l-libsa, jaħasra! m'għadhiex sħiħa:
Għadu bla qalb li ma rebħekx bil-ħarta
Infexx fil-libsa u ċarrathielek sewwa.
'Mma jien ma rajtek qatt bħal-lum sabiħa,
O Malta tiegħi, għax mil-libsa mċarrta
Stajt nara 'l sidrek u l-għeruq ta' ġewwa.
In this verse, the patriot expresses his affection towards his country,
which he always considered to be beautifully attired in Love and
(Catholic) Faith; a gown woven through the ages out of colourful
events.
The poet tells how he could never permit his beloved nation to be the
possession of another. Yet now, the enemy, who could not rightfully
conquer her, was cruelly tearing up her fabric to bits, resorting to
cause unnecessary damage. And with her torn attire, Malta seems
to him even more beautiful, for now he could see her breast and her
very roots.
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Malta in World War II - link to follow
Lil-Malta
Tal-Lum u ta' Għada
(To Malta - Today's and Tomorrow's)
'Malta fior del mondo.'
Old saying: 'Malta, flower of the world'
Kont il-warda tad-dinja u sirt il-miżbla;
minn kull xorta ta' qżież dieħel ġo fik;
inti tilqgħu u tifrah, mara belha!
u d-dinja tidħak bik.
Fejn hu l-għaqal tar-rgiel? Fejn hi tan-nisa
il-mistħija fil-ħars, fil-kliem, fil-lbies?
X'sar minnha l-warda tax-xbubija? Ahi qada!
kollox irmejt bla qjies,
Għax ruħek mardet. Mingħajr ebda rażan
is-semm barrani dieħel ġo l-ibliet
u ż-żgħażagħ tiegħek jixorbuh u jiskru
jitkasbru bid-dnubiet,
u s-semm joktor u jiġri, u miexja l-pesta
fir-rħula wkoll u jmut quddiemha s-sliem:
ma fadallek lil ħadd min jilqa' l-ħsara,
għax ma baqax ħlief kliem.
More aptly described as 'Malta - Yesterday and Today' this poem
of 11 stanzas, of which 4 are reproduced here, expresses the
poet's disgust at the new invasion, one which our people are not
combating. Dun Karm refers to the decadent society of his time,
comparing them to their bold ancestors, who allegorically turn
in their graves at the sight of the 'modern' state.
His harsh words are shocking: He calls his lover (once the flower
of the world) a rubbish dump! In the fashion of the Prophets of the
Old Testament, he warns the nation to repent for if the verdict is
not yet passed in Heaven, then there may still be time to turn to
Him who can heal the soul.
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Għaliex? - Jedd il-Lsien Malti
(Why? -- The Privilege of the Maltese Language)
Għaliex tarmih li-Lsien il tatek ommok,
u titlef għaqlek wara Lsien barrani?
Maltija kienet l-ewwel kelma f'fommok
b bil-Malti tkellimt tifel daħkani.
U kiber miegħek dal il-Lsien ewlieni,
u ġmielu ntiseġ mal-ġrajjiet ta' ħajtek:
bih fissirt qalbek meta sfajtli hieni,
bih fissirt għommtok meta mbikki rajtek. [Għomm=sħana]
Għaliex immela tiċħad, Malti ħija,
lil dan il-Lsien li bih int Malti sewwa?
Ħobb, jekk jiswewlek, l-Ilsna barranija,
iżda le tbarri lil min hu ta' ġewwa.
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