ELEGIJA
Miet Frank...Miet Gorg...
Kroat u Grieg...Girienna...
U maghhom, boghod minn arthom, il-Maltin.
Xi xbihat taghhom jaqbzu mill-gazzetta
u f’ruhna mnikkta jibqghu minquxin.
In-nies tal-gâr li dfinna jumejn ilu
ghad jigu jfarrgu lilna
bl-istess kliem
li bih sabbarna lilhom,
sakemm nidhlu
ilkoll
id f’id
fic-cirku minghajr tmiem.
Fid-dlam ta’ qlubna,
mal-gulbiena bajda,
b’gelbin id-dmugh ifaqqas il-faqqiegh
bis-semm vjola tas-safar u tal-firda
inixxi
fit-tajjar
dbabar ta’ wgigh.
U llupjati kif sirna
bl-idea tac-cittadinanza doppja,
il-mewt u d-difna f’dal-pajjiz
b’daqshekk distanza,
nisthajjilhom
mostru grottesk
ta’ zewgt irjus
taht giljottina.
Imm’issa ghalija
wara das-snin mifrud mill-art Maltija,
go dal-pajjiz
se jisfa ahjar u aktar ghaziz
minn gozz hamrija hemmhekk
l-irmied li nhalli hawn
f’wiehed mill-krematorji ndaf xummiema
ta’ Fawkner Memorial Park.
JOE SALIBA
About Me
- SALIBASALIBA
- MELBOURNE, Australia
- Joe Saliba was born in Birkirkara, Malta (26.1.41). After his secondary education and 18 months of teaching in Malta he migrated to Australia with his family in December 1959. During the 1980s, he resumed and completed his studies as a mature student at Deakin University (Victoria, Australia), and graduated with a B.A. in General Literature in 1988. In Australia he was employed as a Personnel Clerk with the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories for 26 years (1960-1986) before his retirement. Saliba is the author of six books of poetry and a translation (1971) of Kahlil Gibran’s book The Prophet. His output includes poetry, literary criticism, and book reviews. He is a member of the Maltese Literature Group. The Bible and the arts are his enduring passion. With the Harmonic 65 Culture Club in Melbourne he has taken part as narrator in two musicals, namely Kadanza (1998) and Malet (1999). In 1995, in recognition of his literary contributions, the same Club honoured him with The Manoel De Vilhena Cultural Award. Joe Saliba married Sylvia Harris in 1971. They have four children: Rachel, Reuben, Christopher and Jonathan, and three grandchildren.
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