BILLABONG

A POEM FROM MY LATEST POETRY BOOK "SANTWARJU"

2011-08-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

KAKOFONIJA

Tlabt ’l Alla jtini għomor twil. Semagħni.
Ħamsin, sittin, issa sebgħin...U l-bqija?

Aktar ma nikber, aktar l-istaġuni
jidhru li għaddejjin minn fuqi jlebbtu
bit-tibdil sfrenat tagħhom, u kull sena
nar’ha tintemm ġo qabar mingħajr fjuri
waqt li f’Diċembru x-xewk jibla’ l-mogħdija
li nkunu ħratna.

X’minni? Ngħidilkom...
Dawn il-jiem kolonna
se taqa’ u ma taqax; maħżen parċmini
mingħajr siġill;
skritturi indifferenti,
riċetti mħawra
minn tobba u speċjalisti ħa jżommuni
ftit ieħor ħaj.

U issa bil-pace-maker jgħasses bieżel
kull taħbita ta’ qalbi u jikkontrolla
tektkitha,
la bil-lajma u lanqas mgħaġġla,
u jekk xi darba tieqaf, kif qaluli,
għandu jheżżiha b’xokk illi jqajjimni
ħa nkompli t-triq bil-pass il-pass lejn tmiemi.

Ħa nkompli t-triq li qbadt, trejqa tisserrep
bejn blat u ilma. F’naħa safef t’iġbla
jisfidawni, għoljin, u n-naħa l-oħra
taħti baħar għammieq mifrux sax-xefaq.
Imbagħad jidħol iċ-ċpar jitkebbeb f’kollox.

Xi ħaġa stramba din:
għannej b’qalb mingħajr ritmu,
poeta li għalkemm żamm l-armonija
ta’ dawn il-vrus, qalbu kakofonija.

J.S.

SANTWARJU new Maltese poetry book by JOE SALIBA

2011-07-07T05:15:00.001-07:00

SANTWARJU
KTIEB ĠDID TA’ POEŻIJI
TA’
JOE SALIBA
2011

Daqs A5; 72 paġna.
Il-ktieb jinkludi: bijografija, 62 poeżija, ġabra ta’ 45 ħajku, traduzzjoni tal-poeżija ta’ Loiuis MacNeice “Prayer Before Birth” u għadd ta’ kummenti dwar l-awtur u xogħlijietu minn awturi oħra, ħbiebu, reċensuri u kritiċi letterarji antiki u moderni mill-1965 lil hawn. Jagħtu l-fehmiet tagħhom insibu lil Karmenu Vassallo, Dun Frans Camilleri, Karmen Mikallef-Buħaġar, il-Professur Oliver Friggieri, Ġużè Chetcuti, il-Professur Manwel Mifsud, Doreen Micallef, Mario Azzopardi, Achille Mizzi, Albert Marshall, Ġorġ Borġ, Carmel G. Cauchi, Norbert Ellul-Vincenti, Monsinjur L. Cachia, Patrick Sammut, Rigu Bovingdon, Sergio Grech, Dr Adrian Grima, Francis Galea, Manwel Cassar, Manuel Casha, Joe Axiaq, u oħrajn.

Numru ta’ poeżiji ta’ dan il-ktieb jirrifflettu l-ħajja preżenti tal-poeta, bniedem li għalaq 70 sena, b’futur imwiegħer ħtija ta’ mard serju tal-qalb li għalih mhemmx soluzzjoni. Mhuwiex ktieb ta’ niket għax l-awtur jagħraf jagħżel iż-żergħa mill-ħuxlief, jispira ruħu mill-hena tal-ispirazzjoni għall-kitba u l-ġmiel tal-ħolqien ta’ wadwaru, jirrassenja ruħu għall-qagħda li qiegħed fiha u dejjem jipprova jsib xi xaqq ta’ tama għal xi ftit mumenti ta’ faraġ u mistrieħ.

Xi ħaġa stramba din:
għannej b’qalb mingħajr ritmu,
poeta li għalkemm żamm l-armonija
ta’ dawn il-vrus, qalbu kakofonija.(KAKOFONIJA)

Bħalma għamel dejjem, f’SANTWARJU wkoll il-versi ta’ Saliba huma liriċi u personali bla biża’ li jikteb kif jixtieq u kif iħoss fuq is-sabiħ li jara u l-ikrah li jdejqu.

Il-ktieb SANTWARJU jinsab għall-bejgħ minghand l-awtur.
Ikteb lilu fuq dan l-indirizz elettroniku:
jpasal@optusnet.com.au
Il-ħlas għandu jsir b’forma ta’ Bank Cheque f’isem JOE SALIBA. Dal-ħlas jinkludi l-pustaġġ bl-ajru.
Fl-Awstralja: $10 (Dollari Awstraljani)
Malta: €17 (Euros)
Minn pajjiżi oħra somma ekwivalenti għall-prezzijiet imsemmija.

POEM: MEDITATION EASTER MORNING

2011-04-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

MEDITATION EASTER MORNING

What is this morning's meaning,
this unfamiliar light,
early voices swirling like mist,
blood upon the winding sheet?

In this dawning silence, outside,
the living whirl in a ring of fire,
sporting masks of a thousand faces,
choosing each other's madness.

Here, crime is not one person's failure
but a nation's illness,
fulfilling lust with social levity,
where malice is mutual and different faiths
heat up the flames.

Now only the streets
carry exotic names of poets and flora.
All else is misery.

To love is to kill,
to laugh is to cry,
to kiss is to die...

The mind, in vain,
attempts to see a world
where wars have ceased,
where tears have dried,
and sorrow, pain and death
no longer breathe.

Then fetch me a guide,
a speck from the smallest star.
No, Tiresias, we'll be
as the blind leading the blind,
falling, perhaps, into the abyssmal truth
of knowing all.

So tear me away from my heart's havoc.
Let me rise this morning
with the risen One,
as he flourishes his seed
into trees of righteousness.
Let me be one of those plants,
whilst I meditate on how his light
has routed darkness.

JOE SALIBA

COME, LORD JESUS.

2011-04-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

EJJA, MULEJ ĠESÙ.

Dalwaqt niftakru fil-Passjoni u l-Irxoxt ta' Sidna Ġesù

Kristu. Tajjeb li nqawwu qlubna u naħsbu ftit fit-tieni

miġja tiegħu meta tibda s-saltna tiegħu fuq id-dinja

u Hu jkun, kif kien imħabbar fil-Bibbja,

is-Sultan tas-slaten.

CHRISTUS REX

Kemm jgħaddu ċentinarji,
u l-festa tiġi u tmur!
Kif jgħibu l-istaġuni
maħruba bħal mutur!

Jittieklu l-monumenti,
imutu n-nies bl-eluf,
u waqt li nħaffru l-oqbra
jittawlu t-tfal mill-ġuf.

Kuntrasti u paraguni,
tixwix, gwerer u ġlied,
saltniet jitkissru u frakhom
jitħalla lill-werriet.

Fruntieri jaqgħu f'lejla,
bliet kbar jisfaw deffun,
min jibki kollu dmija,
u min f'daru midfun.

Sa l-anġli jidhru mbeżżgħa!
X'saħta fuq il-bnedmin
li f'roqgħa ħàma jinten
jitqallbu fuq xulxin!

L-uħux ta' Sodom qamu
mill-melħ u mill-irmied,
stenbħu sabiex ilaqqmu
bil-mard subien u bniet.

Tħarsux lura lejn darkom
għax nieżla mis-smewwiet
xita ta' nar u ħġejjeġ.
Aħarbu mill-ibliet!

L-iskrejjen qed iduru,
ix-xfafar misnunin.
Dalwaqt għall-ħaqq jiltaqgħu
l-imqajma mal-ħajjin.

Dalwaqt jinfetħu l-kotba,
dalwaqt il-firda ssir,
dalwaqt flimkien ninġabru
miġbuda biż-żarżir.

Trumbetta wara l-oħra
tgħajjat fl-erbat irjieħ;
il-ġnus waqfu jissemmgħu.
Min hu li qed isieħ?

Dalwaqt b'rogħda tinqasam
il-Għolja taż-żebbuġ,
meta mill-Belt Qadima
jispiċċa d-dħul u l-ħruġ.

Għax Hu l-ewwel li jidħol
mill-bieb imħejji għalih
f'Ġerusalem il-Ġdida
fejn kollox hemm sabiħ.

Araw dik in-nixxiegħa
ħierġa minn taħt l-altar,
mal-ġnub siġar li jfejqu
kull mard, uġigħ u mrar.

Ejjew immissu l-weraq,
nixorbu l-ilma ċar;
hemmhekk l-istess inkunu,
hemmhekk m'hemmx għonja u fqar.

Hemm biss saltna ta’ mħabba
li tilħaq kullimkien,
kull rokna, ġens u bniedem.
Dinjitna saret ġnien!

JOE SALIBA
14.5.1992

JOE SALIBA reads 4 of his Maltese poems - see 2 videos

2011-02-05T23:54:00.000-08:00

JOE SALIBA reads 4 of his Maltese poems, 2 on each video...
GĦABRA and IL-BEJTA see first video
PRONJOSI and IL-LEWN T'GĦAJNEJK see second video...

AN ESSAY ON WILLIAM BLAKE

2011-02-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

WILLIAM BLAKE

THE INTELLECTUAL LIBERATION OF
THE HUMAN SPIRIT AT THE END OF
THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

SONGS OF INNOCENCE
AND
SONGS OF EXPERIENCE

JOE SALIBA

In Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (1798) William Blake (1757-1827) investigates human nature. In the “Innocence” group of lyrics he concentrates, with a pure and primitive diction and an almost naive eloquence, on the world of the child - idyllic, pure, bright and gentle. For Blake this type of world is “Heaven” or “Poetic Genius” where imagination, unshackled by institutionalisation, is the basis for such an existence. In sharp contrast to the pastoral simplicity of “Innocence”, Blake takes the heavenly mood of the child’s world and turns it into a fierce and terrifying “Hell” in the “Experience” songs. According to the poet, the state of “Hell” and “Evil” is the result of the child’s loss of the power of imagination, dreams and vision, brought about by the child’s growing up in a world where rationalism deprives him of what is natural. Because of this “fallen state”, the child condemns himself to an adult life of cruelty, jealousy, indignation and death. The free human spirit is thus enslaved. Throughout most of his writings Blake attempts to show that “Innocence” and “Experience”, “Heaven” and “Hell”, “Good” and “Evil”, are necessary for spiritual growth, that is, that there is no progression without opposites.
The world of “Innocence” is portrayed through the eyes of children. The child is unaware of anything outside the free climate of his own ecstasy. He does not reflect on his state of being. He does not find happiness and harmony but rather he is happiness itself and he lives in harmony with nature. For Blake, therefore, the child is a Lamb, God and nature are maternal nurses tending to his needs, Providence has appointed guardian angels to watch over the child and the child is part of the “Golden Age”. Even adults can be part of the mystical world of the child by seeking the visionary way through imagination. To achieve this goal, adults must cast aside all deceits and follies contrary to the divine law. For Blake, divine law is the natural requirement to remain a child in spirit. Otherwise man, the “lapsed soul”1 is lost in the prison of earthly values dictated by false moralisers.
The language used to express the ideas of “Innocence” are devoid of any sinister connotations. The verses have simple rhythms. They are musical and tender. The metres are borrowed from nursery rhymes, ballads and singing games. The unpretentious themes of childhood are recorded in simple, crystal-clear lyrics and enhanced by pastoral Christian images. Blake’s decorations are painted in light colours and filled with flowers and leafy vines, dancing children, lambs and tiny angels. In the decorations of “Experience”, although the language remains simple and direct, they are often bleak, dark, filled with dead leaves, wilting flowers, dead or dying figures, graves and tombstones.2
The ‘Introduction’3 to the Songs of Innocence demonstrates Blake’s intent to write songs that “Every child may joy to hear.” His very inspiration has come from a child situated upon a cloud who has at first requested, “Pipe a song about a Lamb”, then repeated:
“Piper, sit thee down and write
In a book that all may read.”
The child weeps with joy at hearing the songs, as the poet, at the child’s request, devotes himself to writing such a collection of lyrics.
The spirit of “Innocence” can be seen in ‘The Lamb’.4 This poem deals with the figure of Jesus and Blake’s belief at this time that abiding by divine law is essential to stay a child in spirit. All questions in the poem are intended to lead us to the existence of a loving God who looks after his lambs, his children. The child and lamb in all of us, Blake suggests, will continue to find love and protection in God as long as we keep this innocent relationship with the one who made both lamb and child. The Shepherd-Lamb and Father-Child loving relationship results in a divine blessing.
Blake feels that the child’s “Innocence” is shown in his lack of knowledge of racial differences. Blake’s humanitarian views and support for racial equality and the abolition of the slave trade are well expressed in ‘The Little Black Boy’.5 During the 1780s the injustices of negro slavery received much public debate. The establishment in 1787 of “The Society for the Suppression of the Slave Trade” was followed by long and acrimonious debates in Parliament.6 In this lyric Blake shows that in the light of God’s love the souls of black or white are not different and that man must also bear an equal love similar to God’s. Together, black and white, “we may learn to bear the beams of love.” Blake addresses the problem to man himself in the words of the Black Boy’s mother:
“For when our souls have learn’d the heat to bear,
The cloud will vanish; we shall hear his voice,
Saying: ‘Come out from the grove, my love and care,
And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.’”
The ultimate goal of blacks and whites should be the freedom from this hovering “cloud”, a symbol of the confusion of racial prejudice, slavery and inequality. Blake is saying that each race has its functional weaknesses and strengths - especially the whites, who cannot bear the intense heat of the tropical sun. But with the help of the Black Boy, the White Boy shall be able to grow accustomed to his surroundings and the two shall stand together in the love of God, each alike, and loving each other.
In ‘The Chimney Sweeper’7 Blake calls attention to one of the blind-spots of the “enlightened” English society. Chimneys had to be swept and often their flues were like narrow tombs. Children as young as four were hired to contractors who used them to brush soot from caked flues and carry it away in bags. In 1788 Parliament passed a law to prohibit the use of children under the age of eight as chimney-sweepers, to allow them to wash once a week and to prevent their being sent up into burning chimneys where they might be, and too often were, burned to death.8 Blake looks hopefully to better days for the innocent young chimney-sweepers:
“And by came an angel who had a bright key,
And he open’d the coffins and set them all free;
Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run,
And wash in a river, and shine in the Sun.”
Besides the concept of equality in ‘The Little Black Boy’, of protective love that we find in ‘The Lamb’, and of the wickedness and cruelty of child labour in ‘The Chimney Sweeper’, there are other characteristics that Blake associates with “Innocence”. The poem ‘The Divine Image’9 captures Blake’s humanistic idealism that man is endowed with an inherent divinity if only he will share the poet’s vision. The child, for Blake, has this kind of vision, and by the manifestation of mercy, pity, peace and love, becomes divine. God dwells in that child. ‘Holy Thursday’10 with the pictures of children gathered for prayer at Saint Paul’s Cathedral speaks of the divine image in children. ‘Nurse’s Song’11 recreates the state of protection and providence. While children play, the hills echo their affirmation of serene order and perfection.
The mystical and spontaneous joy transmitted in Songs of Innocence becomes a searing damnation in Songs of Experience. The child’s laughter has been silenced and his body has been exploited by excessive labour, resulting in fear, misery and degradation. Emphasis in the poems is now on the adults who have caused such a disgrace through their own loss of “Innocence” by alienating themselves from divine laws which do not equate with institutionalised religion. Blake, therefore, condemns church and state institutions, hypocrisy, doctrines and regulations for suppressing the natural and free human spirit of the child. To Blake the world of “Experience” carries with it disillusionment, the cruelty of man, the harshness of nature and the wickedness of human institutions. To emphasise the differences between the two contrary states, Blake composed at least one Song of Experience for each Song of Innocence. Some of the latter poems are parodies of the earlier ones. In many cases the corresponding verses bear identical or obviously contrasting titles.12
The “Experience” lyrics too grew out of Blake’s sense-experience, far removed from eighteenth-century objectivity and rationalism. The child of innocence becomes the victim of experience, his laughter silenced, his body fouled and exploited, his joys crushed, and the freedom turns to slavery to a society hostile to childhood itself. The visionary lyrics reverberate the intensity of the poet’s outrage whilst the symbols scorch and condemn the social, religious and political bigotry and injustices which Blake regarded as a national disgrace.
The dark or “lapsed” side of human nature can be seen in ‘The Tiger’,13 the antithesis of ‘The Lamb’. The origin of the wrath and fearsomeness of the beast are implicit in the unanswered questions, perhaps in an attempt to reconcile opposites:
“Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”
Did God create, as well as the Lamb of “Innocence”, the Tiger of “Experience”? If so, why? Perhaps to frighten man back into his condition of “Innocence” from which he has strayed. Is the Tiger then a symbol of God’s wrath? The poet questions and leaves the answers to the reader. The questions are not directed to the creator of such awesome force, as if the poet does not have the audacity to argue with God’s intelligence. Instead, Blake speaks to the Tiger and looks upon the beast as the symbol of human energy, fierceness and wrath.
Man has the power to be a Lamb but chooses to be a fiery Tiger “in the forests of the night.” There is yet something powerfully attractive about this Tiger. The “burning bright’ ferocity and strength of the animal-in-man are several times associated with brightness, fire and burning. As the Bible indicates, man is also “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), in comparison to the “fearful symmetry” of the Tiger. Blake seems to suggest that even the stars are filled with a sense of surrender and pity at the awesomeness of the tiger-in-man, for they “threw their spears” and “water’d heaven with their tears.”
On another level, if the Lamb represents God’s love, the Tiger represents his righteous anger. Eternity, the ultimate state, to Blake, is a state of balance between contraries, between gentleness and ferocity, love and wrath. Fire is a symbol of creative energy; forests are associated with darkness and fear and the haunts of error. The blacksmith is the creative spirit at work, forming and moulding man towards his ultimate goal, back to a state of “Innocence”.
The evil in man’s heart, generated through “Experience” and the loss of “Innocence”, is manifest in the cities and institutions he builds. The all-pervasive evil in ‘London’,14 although touching on the cowardice of the church and the guilt of monarchy, crystallises into a common element in “every cry of every man.” ‘London’ may well be the antithesis of ‘Laughing Song’. Its sombre mood contrasts with the gaiety of the former. In this powerful lyric Blake gives an account of the miseries of the working people of the city of London in 1793-4. At that time youths were conscripted into the army. Girls were often forced into prostitution or sold into unwelcome marriages for any price. Blake points not only to social injustice and oppression, which is the real theme of the poem, but also to “manacles” forged by each man’s mind. The “manacles” shackle everything that is able to be free. The miseries of London are perceived as the result of the unregenerate human spirit everywhere. In this representative metropolis there is no standard of justice to appeal to. The poem is an indictment of human society in general.
In ‘London’ it is impossible to define where the evil begins and ends. It seems that the disease is transmitted from one person or institution to another. This is suggested by the “blighting” and “blasting” of the last stanza with its reference to plague and death. Like eternal reminders of man’s degradation, Blake gives us frozen images of life: the soldier’s sigh running in blood down palace walls and the “blasted” infant’s tear as if congealed in the eye for all ages to see. The “charter’d streets” is a symbol of materialism through profit, of restriction and repression. The image of the “black’ning church” suggests that the church itself is the victim of industrial progress and that it is blackening morally through its compromise with society. Weakness, woe, fear “blight” every face and sound through street, church and palace. The plight of the child chimney-sweeper, the grown soldier, the young harlot, outrages the ideals of Christianity, of good government, and of human personal relationships.
The final “marriage hearse” sums up the idea of death-in-life of the picture. Yet behind it all is not only hatred of the callousness of the human heart and the need for compassion for suffering, but a passionate sense of the positive values that these evil things dishonour: freedom, strength, joy and love. Blake’s philosophy was that life cannot be rich unless man learns compassion, love and forgiveness rather than the damnation of his fellows. To him love had to be spiritual, intellectual, emotional and practical. In short. it was the human expression of the law of Christ. Blake criticised organised charity which boasted of helping the poor while keeping them deprived of the necessities of life and human dignity.
In the “Experience” version of ‘Holy Thursday’15 Blake presents the ugly conditions behind the annual ceremony at St. Paul’s. He knew what the charity schools were like. Two were situated close to his home at Lambeth. The children were often half-starved, flogged unmercifully, and trained only to be servants or labourers. Older boys and girls were farmed out to work long hours for small wages.16 Blake is appalled by the poverty, misery, trembling, and crying of these unfortunate young people whilst the ecclesiastical institutions boast of their “holy” festivities, and the employers get richer at the expense of child labour in what is supposed to be “a rich and fruitful land”.
The poem ‘The School Boy’17 starts out as the complaint of a youngster forced to stay in the classroom when he would rather be at play. Blake goes on to condemn the education of his day which not only crammed the young mind with error, but suppressed natural energy and genius. In Blake’s decoration, a boy sits in the branches of a tree, happily reading a book. To the poet this is true education; every growing creature should be left free to develop its own potential.18 Further, in ‘The Voice of the Ancient Bard’,19 the bard, like the one of the ‘Introduction’, calls upon humanity, especially upon youth, to embrace the new dawn of “Innocence” and to avoid the error of “Experience’, the “tangled roots” and “bones of the dead” over which rational philosophers and materialist priests “stumble all night”.
In the two groups of lyrics under discussion Blake attempts to plumb the depths of the greatest mystery - man. He sees the possibility of the marriage of “good” and “evil” in human life, “For everything that lives is Holy.” Man divided against himself must be unified through imagination or unimpaired vision for the perception of the Infinite. In this attempt to demonstrate this required balance, many poems of “Experience” have their counterpart in the earlier group. Similar images, symbols and figures are used in both. For instance, the idealistic little chimney-sweeper of “Innocence” is a cynical urchin in “Experience”. The kindly beadle who ushers the orphans on ‘Holy Thursday’ has become the cold, hypocritical priest, and the joyous song of the children’s prayers has become a song of misery which charity cannot change. In all these pictures we can see the dreamlike unreality of childhood and the horrible reality of adulthood. When God and man were one in “Innocence”, they are lost to each other in “Experience”.
The idea of intellectual liberation is relevant to the general spirit of the poems I have chosen for discussion. In these poems Blake is not doctrinaire. With simplicity, emotion and subjectivity he absorbs and records physical sensation but does not determine. He lets the reader interpret for himself. These lyrics are characterised by ecstasy rather than typical excellence. Being the precursor of Romanticism in literature, he consciously rebelled against the dictates of the late eighteenth century rationalism with its formal grace of diction, objective lucidity and dignified beauty. He saw the importance of being individualistic. His emotionalism is seen in his fight for human justice, his fervent opposition to industrial slavery as he tries to show the “Hell” that exists for those who were overworked in factories, the exploitation of children, and orphans sold to factory owners and chained to their machines like slaves. Blake aimed at the liberation of the human spirit from its own “manacles” and prejudices. He protested by endeavouring to make people aware of the suffering caused by adults. What he desired was for man to find his adulthood in the “Innocence” of his own childhood.

* * * * *

NOTES
1. BRONOWSKI J. (Editor), William Blake, Penguin Books, London, 1978, p. 41.
2.MALCOLMSON ANNE. (Editor), William Blake – An Introduction, Constance Young Books, Melbourne, 1967, p. 54.
3. BRONOWSKI J., op. cit. p.26.
4. Ibid., p. 28.
5. Ibid., p. 28.
6. MALCOLMSON ANNE, op. cit. p. 44.
7. BRONOWSKI J., op. cit. p. 30.
8. MALCOLMSON ANNE, op. cit. p. 46.
9. BRONOWSKI J., op. cit. p. 33.
10. Ibid., p. 34.
11. Ibid., p. 37.
12. MALCOLMSON ANNE, op. cit. p. 55.
13. BRONOWSKI J., op. cit. p. 49.
14. Ibid., p. 52.
15. Ibid., p. 43.
16. MALCOLMSON ANNE, op. cit. p. 62.
17. BRONOWSKI J., op. cit. p.57.
18. MALCOLMSON ANNE, op. cit. p. 68.
19. BRONOWSKI J., op. cit. p. 58.

ŻEWĠ POEŻIJI OĦRA

2011-02-02T02:26:00.000-08:00

ŻEWĠ POEŻIJI OĦRA

DLAM ĊAPPA

Meta kont tfal, niftakar, ibeżżgħuni

li kienu ġejja tlett ijiem dlam ċappa

madwar id-dinja kollha illi fihom

ix-xemx tinħeba u ma tidhirx. Werwruni!

U l-oħra: li x-xitan seta’ jaqbadni

u jġorrni f’tebqa t’għajn minn post għal ieħor.

Dal-biża’ kien kaġun ta’ xnigħat fiergħa

l’għallmuni l-katakisti u s-saċerdoti.

’Mma t-tlett ijiem ma ġewx u fejn kont bqajt...

sakemm ferħan minn dal-gideb inqtajt.

L-GĦARUS TIEGĦI

Kieku kont ngħix fi żmien l-Inkwiżizzjoni

kont nisfa vittma tat-twemmin li nħaddan.

Twemmini, bħal maltemp ġo moħħ ħaddieħor,

’mma f’qalbi qabda ġawhar illi l-ħnieżer

jibqgħu jirrifjutaw u jirfsu fuqhom.

Lix-Xemx jagħtuha daharhom u ħlief dellhom

quddiemhom ma jarawx...flok dawl l-imsiebaħ

b’messaġġ il-Verità li t-triq tmexxihom

għal żwieġi mal-Għarus li qed nistenna...

Hemmhekk l-Inkwiżitur jiftaħ l-Inkjesta...

MANUEL CASHA poems ABORIGINALS

2010-02-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

MANUEL CASHA
BI TLIET POEZIJI
FUQ L-ABORIGNI AWSTRALJANI

Ghadd ta’ poeti Maltin-Awstraljani kitbu fuq ir-razza tal-aborigni tal-Awstralja u dak kollha li ghandu x’jaqsam maghha. Ma jistax jonqos li dak li naraw madwarna jaffettwana bhala kittieba li ghalkemm ma nafux wisq fuq l-indigni ghax m’ghandhomx lingwa miktuba, b’dankollu xorta wahda nesprimu ruhna fuq din l-esperjenza unika.

Fost dawk li ghandhom xi vrus fuq dit-tema, li tinkludi l-kultura wiesgha ta’ hutna l-aborigni, vittmi tal-kolonjalizmu Brittaniku, insibu lil Manwel Nicholas-Borg, Rigu Bovington, Frank Zammit, Gorg Chetcuti, Manwel Cassar, Manuel Casha u Joe Saliba.

L-istampa ta’ fuq hija tpingija ta’ Wandjina, l-ispirti tad-dezert Awstraljan, b’ucuh minghajr halq. Barra t-tifsira originali li jaghtu l-aborigni lil dir-rapprezentazzjoni tal-ispirti li jdawruhom fid-dezert, dan is-simbolu jiena narah ukoll mera tal-qaghda antropologika ta’ dal-poplu, jigifieri dik li l-indigni zammew halqhom maghluq ghax ma thallewx jesprimu t-tbatijiet u n-niket ta’ razzthom minsija u mkasbra mid-dittaturi kolonjali.

Li gejjin huma tliet poeziji ta’ Manuel Casha li jgibulna moghdrija ghall-"istupru" vili, kif jghidilna Casha, ta’ dal-poplu primittiv imdawwar b’socjeta’ moderna li issa, wara mitejn sena, bdiet bil-mod il-mod tapprezzah u tithassru (“SORRY”), ghalkemm mill-boghod. u mhux dejjem b’idejha miftuhin.

DIDGERIDOO

Nofroq il-folla go Victoria Market,
infittex l-arti 'ndigina ta’ dawk li gew qabilna,
qabel ma partu "hin-il-holm"
mal-inbid hamrani li jnissihom
min kienu…
min huma…
min saru…
B'gilda sewda, w'ghajnejn zoroq,
in-nattiv jitmieghek f'sakra tal-mewt
mixhut fuq il-bankina
mghajjar, mistmerr u mifni,
imwarrab…
imgarrab…
imkarrab…
waqt li Ciniz bil-beritta Amerikana,
jbiegh Didgeridoo lill-folla ghaddejja.
b'Ingliz imkisser joffri prezz specjali,
minghajr rimors u misthija
jiggebbed…
jitkedded…
u jhedded…
"prezz bhal dan ma ssibu mkien".
U x'hin jonfoh fl-arblu mqaddes,
is-simb’lu tar-razza mifnija…
l-istupru jkun shih…

F’CURLEWIS GARDENS - PERTH

Ix-xemx tixghel il-kuluri
tal-fjuri tal-palmi
fil-genna tal-art
fejn nimxi
f’Curlewis Gardens…
F’naha, it-tfal jilaghbu.
Fl-ohra, l-karozzi jleqqu
fir-raggi tax-xemx,
bhalma jleqq wicc l-indigenu
mixhut qalb il-fjuri
f’sakra ghamja,
u l-hgieg tat-tieqa
tal-lukanda fejn qeghdin,
fejn nghixu fil-lussu,
mibnija fuq art sagra
li darba kienet daru…

MIT-TIEQA TAL-ESPLANADE HOTEL – PERTH V.1

Inhares mit-tieqa mqabbza ’l barra
minn bejn il-weraq tas-sigar
li jilhqu l-hames sular
u jharsu lejn ix-xmara…
fejn l-arja artificjali
tiffriska l-iljieli shan sajfija…
fejn id-dwal ikkuluriti jixeghlu
l-gisem ileqq tal-indigenu…
bhal sepulkru fejn jimtedd,
fil-forma u fl-ispirtu
qalb il-fjuri tal-gnejna…
f’sakra ghamja
go Curlewis Gardens…

Manuel Casha

2010-02-02T18:28:00.001-08:00

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.

Frar 2008
JOE SALIBA

2010-01-19T23:57:00.000-08:00

EZERCIZZJU JUNGJAN

Qabel ma nzilt f’guf ommi biex ninhema
nahseb li kont ghasfur ghax sikwit nohlom
li qed intir. Skont Jung dan jipprezenta
il-kollettiv fil-hsieb ta’ dawk li jsostnu
li ghandhom f’mohhhom xi missjoni ghad-dinja,
u jhobbu l-fama u l’ huma superjuri
fuq dawk li ma jtirux. Carl Jung hekk emmen.
Jekk hu kien hekk, jiena m’iniex, tafuni.
U jekk xi darba kont ghasfur, emmnuni,
aktarx kont bilbla u mhux ghasfur tal-priza.

11 JANNAR 2010

AFTER DEATH, WHAT?

2010-01-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

NO IMMEDIATE EXISTENCE

BEYOND DEATH

The intention of this article is to encourage people to study the Bible for themselves and acknowledge God's book as the source of all truth.

The Bible, God’s word, is infallible, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (1 Timothy 3:16). By definition God cannot and would not deceive us. Thus God has given us enough information in his writing that would leave us in no doubt that there is no immediate form of existence beyond death. This goes against the grain to most Christians.

The alleged so-called sciences that we hear about are pseudo-sciences, a figment of people's imagination. Unfortunately the greatest delusion in human thinking is the false idea that we possess an immortal soul that continues to have some kind of existence after death. Some of these false sciences are: out of body and near death experiences, any communication or mediumship with the dead, spiritism, poltergeists etc.

The belief in an immediate after-life has given rise to the idea of spirits, souls and ghosts. The pseudo-sciences are simply the end-result of man’s desire for a comfort zone for the dead. In other words, man’s ways and means of trying to hold on to the perception that our beloved departed ones or their souls have continued to live somewhere and somehow in a different dimension to our own existence.

Let us not be deceived by such grandiose untruths and misconceptions. As the Bible clearly indicates, the dead are dead, "For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beast; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yea they all have one breath; so that a man has no preeminence above a beast" (Ecclesiates 3:19-20). "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any portion for ever in anything which is done under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:4-6). My emphasis THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANYTHING! We cannot find simpler words than these about the state of the dead which is described in no uncertain words as follows, "There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together: they hear not the voice of the oppressor" (Job 3:17-18). Also, "For the grave cannot praise you [God], death cannot celebrate you; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for your truth. The living, the living, he shall praise you as I do this day" (Isaiah 38:18-19). When we are dead, we are absolutely, undeniably, assuredly and irrefutably dead. It must be mentioned here that whosoever distorts, takes out of context, adds to God's word their ideas will be condemned and punished. A sobering thought indeed, "For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book" (Revelation 22:18). Although this condemnation refers to Revelation specifically, it certainly would apply to all Scripture.

God teaches us in his book that there is no irnmediate life after death The good and faithful people of the Bible never received their reward for, "These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:40).

Certainiy there will be life after the resurrection when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2). And what will be the reward or punishment ? Simply put, eternal life or everlasting death, as we read, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans6:23).

The apostle Paul was ecstatic when trying to describe this future event when the righteous will receive their reward, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God had prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

May our departed loved ones rest in peace until the Lord returns as we continue to remember them with deep affection.

THY KINGDOM COME

2010-01-06T02:03:00.000-08:00

QATT KONT TAF?

LI S-SALTNA T’ALLA LI TITKELLEM FUQHA L-BIBBJA SE TKUN

FUQ DIN L-ART.
DAN HU L-PJAN DIVIN GHAD-DINJA LI QEGHDIN NGHIXU FIHA.

IL-PJAN T’ALLA GHAD-DINJA
M’ghandniex inhabblu mohhna u ninkwetaw meta nisimghu li d-dinja ghad tinqered u tispicca fix-xejn ghaliex din hi gidba tax-xjentisti u m'hijiex il-verità li nsibu fil-Bbbja.
Fl-Iskrittura nsibu li Alla ghandu futur sabih ghar-razza umana u d-dinja li nghixu fiha. Hu rrevela l-pjanijiet tieghu ghad-dinja fil-Bibbja Mqaddsa.
Alla halaq id-dinja biex tkun mghammra u mhux biex tkun meqruda:
“Sawwar l-art u ghamilha; wettaqha, mhux biex tibqa’ bahh, izda sawwarha biex tkun imghammra” (Isaija 45:18).
“Ghax l-art timtela’ bil-gharfa tal-glorja tal-Mulej, bhalma l-ilmijiet jiksu l-bahar”

(Habaqquq 2:14).
“Nisel jghaddi, u nisel iehor jigi; izda l-art tibqa’ ghal dejjem” (Ekklezjasti 1:4).

GESÙ GHANDU JIGI LURA FID-DINJA BIEX JAGHMEL IL-HAQQ
Gesù gej lura biex iwaqqaf is-saltna ta’ Missieru fid-dinja. Bhalma t-Testment il-Qadim habbar l-ewwel migja ta’ Gesù u indika wkoll it-tieni migja tieghu, it-Testment il-Gdid habbar b’aktar dettalji t-tieni migja tieghu:
“Ja rgiel mill-Galilija, ghax qeghdin tharsu fiss lejn is-sema? Dan l-istess Gesù, li rtafa’ fis-sema minn maghkom, hekk ghad jerga’ jigi bhalma rajtuh sejjer fis-sema” (Atti 1:11).
“Meta Bin il-bniedem jigi fil-glorja tieghu, u l-angli mqaddsa kollha mieghu, imbaghad joqghod fuq it-tron tal-glorja tieghu; u jingabru quddiemu l-gnus kollha, u jifridhom minn xulxin, bhalma r-raghaj jifred in-nghag mill-gidjien” (Mattew 25:31-32).
It-tnax-il Appostlu jkollhom hidma partikulari fis-saltna t’Alla kif kien weghedhom Gesù stess:
“Intom li gejtu warajja, fit-tigdid tad-dinja, meta Bin il-bniedem joqghod fuq it-tron tal-glorja tieghu, intom ukoll toqoghdu fuq tnax-il tron, u taghmlu haqq mit-tnax-il tribù ta’ Izrael”
(Mattew 19:28).

IL-GUDIZZJU TAD-DINJA
Qabel ma nkomplu, niftakru illi l-migja lura ta’ Gesù Kristu se ggib maghha kemm hwejjeg tal-biza’ kif ukoll hafna barka. Sakemm Gesù jkollu f’idejh il-popli kollha se jkun hemm xi rezistenza. Ninnutaw erba’ aspetti:
1 “Il-popli kollha” se jingabru kontra Izrael biex jinvaduh, izda Gesù se jgibhom fix-xejn u jeqridhom (Zakkarija 14; Ezekjel 38, 39).
2 Fl-art imqaddsa u l-aktar madwar Gerusalem se jkun hemm terremot kbir li jgib mieghu hsarat tremendi, meta “f’dak il-jum jieqfu riglejh [Gesù] fuq il-gholja taz-zebbug, li qieghda quddiem Gerusalem, lejn il-lvant, u tinferaq l-gholja taz-zebbug minn nofsha...hekk li jkun hemm wied kbir” (Zakkarija 14:4).
3 Xi nazzjonijiet se johduha kontra Kristu, “Is-slaten tal-art iqumu, u l-kbarat jiftiehmu bejniethom kontra l-Mulej, u kontra l-midluk tieghu” (Salmi 2:2), imma l-gudizzji t’Alla se jaqghu fuq dawk li johduha kontra Kristu (Isaija 34; Rivelazzjoni 18).
4 Se jkun hemm il-qawmien mill-imwiet u l-gudizzju. Dawk li kellhom l-opportunità li jaccettaw is-sejha t’Alla u rrifjutawha, se jmutu u jinqerdu waqt li mill-banda l-ohra, x’ferh ihossu l-ohrajn meta s-Sultan jghidilhom, “Ejjew, ja mberkin ta’ Missieri, irtu s-saltna mhejjija ghalikom mis-tisjis tad-dinja” (Mattew 25:34).

META GHANDU JIRRITORNA MA NAFUX SEWWA
“Imma dak il-jum u dik is-siegha ma jafhom ebda bniedem...Izda bhalma kien fi zmien Noè, hekk tkun ukoll il-migja ta’ Bin il-bniedem...Ghax bhalma f’dawk il-jiem ta’ qabel id-dilluvju kienu jieklu u jixorbu, jizzewgu u jinghataw ghaz-zwieg, sal-jum li fih Noè dahal fl-arka. U ma kinux jafu sama gie d-dilluvju, u hadhom ilkoll; hekk ukoll tkun il-migja ta’ Bin il-bniedem... Ishru mela; ghax ma tafux f’liema siegha ghandu jigi Sidkom...Ghalhekk intom ukoll kunu mhejjijin; ghax fis-siegha li ma tahsbux fiha jigi Bin il-bniedem” (Mattew 24:36-39, 42, 44).

GESÙ KRISTU GHANDU JERGA’ LURA BIEX ISALTAN FUQ ID-DINJA KOLLHA, MINN FUQ IT-TRON TAS-SULTAN DAVID
“Ghax tweldilna tifel…il-Princep tal-paci. Mill-kobor tas-setgha u s-sliem tieghu ma jkunx hemm tmiem, fuq it-tron ta’ David u fuq saltnatu, biex iwaqqafha, u jwettaqha bil-haqq u bis-sewwa” (Isaija 9:6-7).
“U mbaghad jaraw lil Bin il-bniedem gej fis-shab b’qawwa kbira u glorja; u mbaghad jibghat lill-angli tieghu, u jigbor flimkien il-mahturin tieghu mill-erbat irjieh, minn tarf l-art sa tarf is-sema” (Mark 13:26).
“U qalilha l-anglu: la tibzax Marija; ghax int sibt grazzja quddiem Alla. U, ara, int tnissel f’gufek u tiled iben u ssemmih Gesù. Hu jkun kbir, u jissemma Bin il-Gholi, u l-Mulej Alla jaghtih it-tron ta’ missieru David, u jsaltan ghal dejjem fuq id-dar ta’ Gakobb, u ghal saltnatu ma jkunx hemm tmiem” (Luqa 1:30-33).
“Ma tarawnix, sama jasal il-waqt li tghidu: Imbierek min gej f’isem il-Mulej” (Luqa 13:35).
“Ara, gej mas-shab; u tarah kull ghajn, u dawk ukoll li nifduh; u jixhru minhabba fih it-tribujiet kollha tal-art” (Rivelazzjoni 1:7).

L-IDEA TAS-SALTNA T’ALLA M'HIJIEX XI HAGA GDIDA
Il-bicca l-kbira tal-bnedmin jemmnu li din is-saltna hija xi genna fis-smewwiet fejn imorru t-tajbin wara mewthom jew xi wahda mill-knejjes stabbiliti. Dan it-twemmin m’huwiex it-taghlim tal-Iskrittura.
Il-Bibbja tghallimna li din is-saltna li ghandha tkun stabbilita se tkun imperu dinji, imperu veru u tangibbli li wiehed jara u jmiss u se jkun imwaqqaf meta Gesù jigi lura fid-dinja mis-smewwiet biex isaltan mill-belt ta’ Gerusalem.
L-idea tas-saltna t’Alla m’hijiex xi haga gdida li l-Bibbja tirriferi ghaliha fit-Testment il-Gdid biss. Is-saltna t’Alla kellha l-bidu taghha meta Alla hatar lill-poplu Lhudi biex ikun in-nazzjon maghzul minnu u ghal dan il-ghan il-poplu Lhudi kien immexi minn ghadd ta’ slaten, xi whud individwi li mxew tajjeb u ohrajn li kienu qarrieqa. Sfortunatament maz-zminijiet l-arroganza tal-poplu Lhudi, il-hafna nuqqasijiet u t-twarrib tal-ligijiet divini, wasslu lil dan-nazzjon f’qaghda kerha. Il-poplu ma baqax jirrifletti d-dominju li fih Alla kien il-Kmand; tant kien hekk, li ftit mijiet ta’ snin wara, Alla gab fix-xejn il-linja rjali. Assalt mill-armata tal-Babilonja fuq Gerusalem kien wasal -- ma kienx se jkun hemm saltna vizibbli tal-Mulej ghal hafna snin wara. Intqal lill-ahhar re tal-Lhud:
“herba! herba! herba! Naghmilha: hi [il-kuruna tar-renju] wkoll ma tibqax izjed, sakemm jigi min lilu tmiss bil-haqq, u naghtihielu” (Ezekjel 21:27).
Dak li ntqal kienet profezija tad-dezolazzjoni tal-linja rjali, sakemm l-akbar werriet tat-tron kellu jigi - Gesù Kristu! Fi kliem iehor, is-saltna t’Alla fuq din l-art intemmet mal-ahhar re Sedekija u ghandha terga’ titwaqqaf mat-tieni wasla ta’ Gesù fid-dinja.

IT-TAJBIN ISALTNU FID-DINJA MA’ KRISTU F’SALTNA TA’ HENA U SLIEM
“U fiz-zmien dawk is-slaten [l-ahhar zminijiet], iqajjem Alla tas-sema saltna li qatt ma titwaqqa’; saltna li ma tithalliex ghal poplu iehor; izda hi tfarrak u teqred dawk is-saltniet kollha, u hi tibqa’ ghal dejjem” (Danjel 2:44).
“U s-saltna u s-setgha u l-kobor tas-saltniet taht is-sema kollu, ikunu moghtijin lill-poplu tal-qaddisin tal-Gholi, li s-saltna tieghu tkun saltna ta’ dejjem, u s-setghat kollha jaqduh u jisimghu minnu” (Danjel 7:27).
“Hu jxandar is-sliem lill-gnus; saltnatu tkun minn bahar sa bahar, u mix-xmara sa truf l-art” (Zakkarija 9:10).
“Hu jkun kbir, u jissemma Bin il-Gholi; u l-Mulej Alla jaghtih it-tron ta’ missieru David; u jsaltan ghal dejjem fuq id-dar ta’ Gakobb, u ghal saltnatu ma jkunx hemm tmiem” (Luqa 1:32-33).
“U [int] ghamiltna ghal Alla taghna slaten u qassisin, u ahna nsaltnu fuq l-art” (Rivelazzjoni 5:10).

ALLA QAL LI GERUSALEM GHAD TKUN IL-BELT KAPITALI TAD-DINJA MATUL IS-SALTNA TA’ KRISTU FEJN, SKONT EZEKJEL, GHAD JINBENA TEMPJU GDID
“F’dak iz-zmien isejhu lil Gerusalem, it-tron tal-Mulej, u l-gnus kollha jingemghu fiha, ghal isem il-Mulej, f’Gerusalem, u lanqas jimxu aktar wara l-ebusija ta’ qalbhom il-hazina”(Geremija 3:17). “Arga’ niedi u ghid: Hekk jghid il-Mulej tal-ezercti; il-bliet tieghi ghad ifuru bil-gid, u l-Mulej jarga’ jhenn ghal Sijon, u jarga’ jahtar lil Gerusalem” (Zakkarija 1:17).
“U hekk hafna popli u gnus qawwija jigu Gerusalem ifittxu l-Mulej tal-ezercti, u jitolbu l-grazzja tal-Mulej” (Zakkarija 8:22).
Gesù se jsaltan mill-Gholja ta’ Sijon, jigifieri mill-belt ta’ Gerusalem:
“Sabiha ghall-gholi, il-ghaxqa tal-art kollha, hi l-gholja ta’ Sijon, fuq in-nahiet tat-tramuntana, il-belt tas-Sultan il-kbir” (Salmi 48:2).
Dan l-avveniment se jkun it-twettiq tal-profezija fit-thabbira tal-anglu Gabrijiel li Gesù kellu jkun dak is-sultan li kellu joqghod fuq it-tron tas-sultan David, li minnu tnissel Gesù:
“Hu jkun kbir, u jissemma Bin il-Gholi; u l-Mulej Alla jaghtih it-tron ta’ missieru David” (Luqa 1:32).
“U jigri fl-ahhar jiem, illi l-muntanja ta’ dar il-Mulej tkun imwaqqfa f’ras il-muntanji, u tintrafa’ ’l fuq mill-gholjiet, u l-gnus kollha jigru lejha. U hafna nies imorru, u jghidu: Ejjew, ha nitilghu fuq il-muntanja tal-Mulej, fid-dar t’Alla ta’ Gakobb; u hu jghallimna triqatu, u ahna nimxu fil-moghdijiet tieghu; ghax minn Sijon tohrog il-ligi, u l-kelma tal-Mulej minn Gerusalem. U jaghmel haqq fost il-gnus, u jcanfar hafna popli; u huma jahdmu sjufhom f’sikek, u l-lanez taghhom fi mniegel; gens ma jarfax sejf ghal gens iehor, u lanqas qatt izjed ma jitharrgu ghall-gwerra” (Isaija 2:1-4).

L-AHBAR TAJBA TAS-SALTNA
Meta kien fid-dinja Kristu pprietka dwar il-Vangelu tas-saltna u qabbel din is-saltna f’xi parabboli tieghu ma’ tezor u gawhra prezzjuza. Gesù Kristu ghallem lid-dixxipli tieghu u qalilhom specifikament biex jitolbu halli din is-saltna t’Alla tigi fid-dinja:
“Missierna li inti fis-smewwiet...Tigi saltnatek...” (Mattew 6:9-10).
Dan hu l-VANGELU jew L-AHBAR TAJBA li Gesù gabilna u offrielna.
“Is-saltniet ta’ din id-dinja saru s-saltniet ta’ Sidna, u ta’ Kristu tieghu; u hu jsaltan ghal dejjem” (Rivelazzjoni 11:15).
Id-dixxipli ta’ Gesù ferhu mhux ftit bil-prospett li kellha terga’ titfacca s-saltna t’Alla fuq l-art ta’ Izrael. Wara li kien qam mill-imwiet id-dixxipli staqsew lil Gesù: “Mulej, jaqaw f’dan iz-zmien sa terga’ twaqqaf is-saltna ta’ Izrael?” (Atti 1:6).

IL-MILLENNJU
Iz-zmien li Kristu jkun Sultan tas-Slaten u li jdum elf sena huwa maghruf bhala l-Millennju.
Matul dawk is-snin dak kollu li hu hazin fid-dinja jinqered waqt li d-dinja tinbidel bil-mod il-mod ghall-ahjar taht id-direzzjoni ta’ Kristu meghjun minn dawk kollha li maz-zminijiet obdew il-ligi t’Alla u nsabu li tixirqilhom il-hajja eterna.
“Imbierek u qaddis hu min ghandu sehem fl-ewwel qawma…[dawn] ikunu qassisin t’Alla u ta’ Kristu, u jsaltnu mieghu elf sena” (Rivelazzjoni 20:6).
Dawn li gejjin huma ftit mill-kambjamenti kolossali li se jsehhu fis-saltna t’Alla fuq din l-art.
Flok il-biza’, il-guh u l-mard, se jkun hawn il-paci, il-haqq, is-sewwa u s-sahha:
“Ma jkollhom qatt aktar guh, u lanqas ghatx; u la tiddi fuqhom ix-xemx, u lanqas ebda shana tikwi...u Alla jimsah id-dmugh kollu minn ghajnejhom” (Rivelazzjoni 7:16-17).
“Imbaghad ghajnejn il-ghomja jinfethu, widnejn it-torox jinfethu. Imbaghad dak li jzappap jaqbez bhac-cerv, u lsien l-imbikkmin jghanni” (Isaija 35:5-6).
Se jkun zmien meta l-hajja titwal:
“Ma jkunx hawn aktar fiha tarbija li tghix ftit jiem, u lanqas xih li ma jtemmx sninu; ghax zaghzugh imut ta’ mitt sena” (Isaija 65:20).
L-ucuh tar-raba’ se jkunu abbundanti ghall-bidwi:
“Ikun hemm hafna qamh fuq l-art fuq irjus il-muntanji; il-frott tieghu jixxejjer bhac-cedru tal-Libanu” (Salmi 72:16).
“Il-muntanji jqattru l-inbid gdid, u l-gholjiet inixxu l-halib, u l-widien kollha ta’ Guda jfuru bl-ilma” (Goel 3:18).
“Ara, jigu l-jiem, jghid il-Mulej, meta dak li jahrat jilhaq lil dak li jahsad, u dak li jaghsar il-gheneb lil dak li jizra’ z-zerriegha” (Ghamos 9:13).
“Ghax ikun hemm is-sliem ghaz-zerriegha; id-dielja taghti l-frott taghha, l-art taghti l-prodott taghha, u s-smewwiet jaghtu n-nida taghhom; u jien naghti lill-bqija tal-poplu dan kollu” (Zakkarija 8:12).
Il-qerq u l-hazen se jigu mrazzna:
(Isaija 2:4, 11; Danjel 2:44)
Il-qaddisin, jigifieri dawk li se jinghataw il-premju taghhom tal-hajja eterna, se jigvernaw fuq il-gnus tad-dinja kollha mas-Sultan Gesù:
(Rivelazzjoni 2:26-27; 3:21; 5:9-10; 20:6)

L-GHARAB JAHDMU ID F’ID MAL-LHUD
Wiehed mill-isbah prospetti ghall-futur hu dak tal-armonija u l-ftehim li se jezistu bejn ghedewwa antiki. Il-vizjoni profetika li se titwettaq tal-lupu u l-haruf li se jirghu flimkien, m’hijiex biss deskrizzjoni sabiha ta’ armonija bejn il-bniedem u l-bhejjem, imma din tirriferi wkoll ghall-paci u l-hbiberija li se jkun hawn specjalment bejn nazzjonijiet li xi darba kienu ghedewwa ta’ xulxin u li ggieldu kontra xulxin. Isaija jitkellem dwar l-Gharab li jigu f’Gerusalem meta dawn “igibu deheb u ncens; u jxandru t-tifhir tal-Mulej” (Isaija 60:6). Il-profeta jpingilna lill-Gharab huma u jghinu fil-bini u t-twaqqif tal-hitan tal-belt il-gdida waqt li jkunu jahdmu mal-Lhud li gejjin mill-istess missier Abraham. L-Gharab jindokraw il-merhliet tal-Lhud u jsiru bdiewa u haddiema fl-oqsma tad-dwieli. Dan se jkun il-kuntrarju ta’ kif inhuma l-affarijiet bhalissa fil-Lvant Nofsani. Il-weghdiet li kien ghamel Alla zmien twil ilu lin-naha tal-Gharab min-nisel ta’ Abraham zgur li ghad iridu jsehhu.

WARA L-MILLENNJU
Wara dawn l-elf sena se jkun hawn it-tieni gudizzju ghal dawk li jkunu twieldu u ghexu f’dawk iz-zminijiet tal-Millennju u mbaghad dawk in-nies mortali jsirilhom il-haqq. Dan it-tieni haqq se jkun ibbazat fuq l-istess principji tal-ewwel haqq meta jirritorna Kristu mis-smewwiet:
“Hlas id-dnub hi l-mewt; izda l-ghotja t’Alla hi l-hajja ta’ dejjem f’Gesù Kristu Sidna” (Rumani 6:23). Fi ftit kliem, id-dnub jithallas bil-kastig tal-mewt ghal dejjem, u l-premju ghat-tajbin ikun il-hajja eterna.
Wara dawn il-grajjiet drammatici, fid-dinja jkun baqa’ biss nies moghnija bil-hajja eterna. B’hekk ikun spicca x-xoghol ta’ Sidna Gesù Kristu bhala s-Sultan tad-dinja. Ma jkollux aktar nies mortali sudditi tieghu biex isaltan fuqhom, u l-akbar hwejjeg qerrieda tal-bniedem, jigifieri d-dnub u l-mewt, jigu fix-xejn. Ir-rieda t’Alla issa tkun tassew fuq l-art. Alla jkun sema’ t-talba tal-“Missierna”. L-Appostlu Pawlu jikteb fuq dawn il-hwejjeg minghajr dettalji x'se jigri sewwa:
“Imbaghad jigi t-tmiem, meta hu [Gesù] jaghti s-saltna ’l Alla l-Missier, wara li jkun qered kull hakma u kull setgha u qawwa. Ghax jehtieg isaltan, sa ma jqieghed l-ghedewwa kollha taht riglejh. L-ahhar ghadu li jinqered hi l-mewt...U meta kollox ikun imqieghed tahtu, imbaghad l-Iben innifsu wkoll jitqieghed taht Alla li jkun qeghedlu kollox tahtu, biex Alla jkun kollox f’kollox” (1 Korintin 15:24-28).

TITLIFX DIN L-OPPORTUNITÀ UNIKA LI TKUN PARTI MINN DIK IS-SALTNA T’ALLA FUQ DIN L-ART. SE JKUN FUTUR MERAVILJUZ GHAD-DINJA KOLLHA. GESÙ KRISTU GHANDU JIGI LURA FID-DINJA BHALA S-SULTAN TAS-SLATEN. MELA AQRA L-BIBBJA FEJN JINSAB DAN IT-TAGHLIM DWAR IS-SALTNA T’ALLA U ITLOB B’QALBEK KOLLHA:
“MISSIERNA LI INTI FIS-SMEWWIET, JITQADDES ISMEK.

TIGI SALTNATEK. IKUN LI TRID INT
KIF FIS-SEMA HEKKDA FL-ART.”

2 CHRISTMAS POEMS

2009-12-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

IL-HARUF U L-ILJUN

ZEWG POEZIJI FUQ IL-MILIED

IL-PRESEPJU TA' TFULITI
(MIKTUBA FL-1959, MALTA)

Bilkemm ghaxar snin kelli,
presepju hdimt id-dar;
insejt il-giri barra
ta' wara nofsinhar.

Kemm grejna, jiena u shabi,
ghas-saghtar! Ghajjenin
go djarna lkoll ergajna
bi xkejjer mghobbijin.

Qaluli l-hbieb kif naghmel
xi gholja wara l-ghar,
il-palm, il-belt fil-gholi,
u d-dawl kemxejn musfar.

Xi ftit pasturi xtrajthom
bil-flus li kont gemmajt,
il-magi u l-igmla taghhom
m'ghand tifel iddubbajt.

Il-belt fuq wara bnejtha
tal-karti u bejn l-gholjiet
ferrixt bhal trab bajdani
li jleqq daqs l-ilmijiet.

Il-mithna fuq il-gholja
ghamiltha tal-kartun
u f'id ir-r'ghajja kollha
deffist ukoll bastun.

Tajjart fuq l-ghar zewg angli
u rbatthom b'zewg hajtiet,
u iehor qed ihabbar
lir-r'ghajja bil-merhliet.

U meta l-lejl imqaddes
li twieled Gesù fih
bhal holma wasal fuqna
u qalbi ddawlet bih,

bidla tal-ghageb saret:
hassejt li gewwa l-ghar
kull wicc pastur ha l-hajja
u b'demm il-Hajja far.

Ghalija s-siegha kienet
milja ta' ferh bla tmiem,
siegha ta' hajr u tama,
ta' mhabba minghajr kliem.

FESTI TAL-MILIED
(MIKTUBA FL-1984, L-AWSTRALJA)

Ma nemminx bil-Milied,
karozzi jnemmlu lejn villaggatura,
tined f'ringieli max-xatt,
u hbula mtaqqla bi hwejjeg tal-ghawm,
ikel u xorb bla razan,
tbahrid u zfin,
hsejjes ta' muturi
fuq bahar u art,
raddiena, raggiera ta' dwal u ward
ma' ras Dijonisju.
B'dal-Milied ma nemminx.

Mela, huti, ejjew, u flimkien
fuq in-naha l-ohra tal-gholja,
fis-skiet
nghollu t-tazzi
bis-sahha ta' tarbija f'maxtura;
nieklu hbejza bla hmira.
B'tifkira nizfnu
fuq in-naha l-ohra tal-gholja,
imdawrin b'armata t'angli mistura,
nistennew jitla' mill-wied,
mhux il-haruf, imma l-iljun
tat-tribù ta' Guda.
B'dan nemmen, b'dat-twelid biss.

JOE SALIBA

A STUDY ON THE DEVIL

2009-12-19T00:33:00.000-08:00

STUDJU FUQ IX-XITAN

L-IDEA FALZA TAX-XITAN

ID-DEMONJU U X-XITAN: XI JFISSRU?

L-AKBAR GHADU TAL-BNIEDEM HUWA D-DNUB U MHUX XI HLEJQA SOPRANATURALI.

“Ghal din ir-raguni deher Bin Alla, biex jeqred l-opri tax-xitan” (1 Gwanni 3:8).

L-IMPORTANZA TAS-SUGGETT
Il-kwotazzjoni ta’ fuq mill-Bibbja tenfasizza l-htiega x’wiehed ghandu jifhem meta nsemmu d-Demonju u x-Xitan. Billi Kristu deher sabiex jeqred u jgib fix-xejn l-opri tad-Demonju jew tax-Xitan, hija haga cara li ma nkunux nistghu nifhmu l-pjan divin tas-salvazzjoni, jekk ma jirnexxilniex naslu biex nifhmu kompletament u niddefenixxu dawn it-termini.
Hija hasra kbira li l-ideat kurrrenti ma jaqblu xejn ma’ dak li tghallem il-Bibbja fuq dan is-suggett.
Ghandna nifhmu li meta bil-Malti nuzaw il-kelma “demonju” jew “xitan” inkunu qeghdin nirreferu ghall-istess haga ghalkemm forsi ma nafux li z-zewg kelmiet ghandhom origini differenti minn xulxin u m’ghandhomx l-istess tifsira kif ser naraw f’dan l-istudju.
Xi taghlim jghid li d-demonju jew ix-xitan huwa mostru sopruman, anglu li darba dineb u waqa’ u issa qieghed jiddomina fuq l-imhuh tal-umanità waqt li jhajjar lill-bniedem ghad-dnub. Din id-duttrina tohloq biza’ kbir tad-demonju u tipprovdi l-iskuza tad-dnub billi l-bnedmin iwahhlu fih ghal kulma jaghmlu hazin.
Dan it-taghlim, barra li m’huwiex ibbazat fuq l-Iskrittura, imur ukoll kontra l-imhabba u l-omnipotenza t’Alla. Kif qatt jista’ jkun li Alla ta’ mhabba jhalli lill-bniedem, dghajjef u mortali kif inhu, li jisfa ddominat minn anglu midneb li ghandu l-qawwa biex jeqirdu? U jekk Alla huwa omnipotenti, ghaliex ma jehlisx mid-demonju darba ghal dejjem jekk huwa tassew anglu li darba waqa’ mis-sema?
Ghalhekk dan it-taghlim huwa illogiku u bla sens. Min-naha l-ohra t-taghlim tal-Bibbja juri li d-demonju huwa figura aktar familjari milli nahsbu: jigifieri li d-demonju m’huwiex xi anglu li xi darba dineb u tkecca mill-genna, izda d-demonju hija kelma li hi uzata biex tfisser in-natura umana bl-aspetti kollha taghha. Il-Bibbja tghallimna li ahna stess responsabbli tad-dnubiet li naghmlu, izda tghallimna wkoll il-mod kif jista’ jinhafer id-dnub u kif tista’ tigi kkontrollata n-natura taghna. Dan hu essenzjali ghas-salvazzjoni ta’ kull wiehed u wahda minna.

KIF IL-BIBBJA TIDDEFENIXXI X-XITAN
Il-missjoni ta’ Kristu hija mfissra hekk:
“Mela billi l-ulied jigifieri dawk li Kristu gie biex isalva ghandhom l-istess laham u demm, hu stess ha sehem minn dan l-istess demm u laham, biex permezz tal-mewt jeqred lil dak li kellu l-hakma tal-mewt, jigifieri x-xitan; u jehles lil dawk li minhabba l-biza’ tal-mewt kienu suggetti ghall-jasar hajjithom kollha” (Lhud 2:14-15).
Din id-dikjarazzjoni tal-Iskrittura tghallem dawn il-hwejjeg:
1 Kristu gie biex jeqred lix-xitan jew lid-demonju.
2 Ix-xitan jew id-demonju hija dik il-haga li kellha l-qawwa li ggib il-mewt.
3 Kristu ha sehem min-natura umana u miet sabiex jeqred lid-demonju.
4 Ir-rizultat ta’ dak li ghamel kien li b’hekk hu heles lill-ohrajn mill-hakma tad-demonju u mill-mewt.
Jekk nistghu naghtu tifsira mill-Iskrittura ta’ x’inhi dik il-haga li Kristu gie biex jeqred u x’inhi dik il-haga li ghandha s-setgha li ggib il-mewt, allura naslu biex inkunu nafu x’nifhmu meta nuzaw il-kelma “demonju” jew “xitan”.
Skont il-Bibbja z-zewg hwejjeg jaslu ghal idea jew tifsira wahda: ID-DNUB!
Ara dawn il-versi li jixhdu dak li semmejna:
(A) KRISTU GIE BIEX JEQRED ID-DNUB:
“Deher darba fl-ahhar taz-zminijiet biex ihassar id-dnub bis-sagrificcju tieghu nnifsu” (Lhud 9:26).
“Kristu miet ghal dnubietna” (1 Korintin 15:3).
“hu stess rafa’ dnubietna f’gismu fuq il-ghuda” (1 Pietru 2:24).
“hu deher biex inehhi dnubietna” (1 Gwanni 3:5).
(B) KIEN ID-DNUB LI ORIGINARJAMENT GAB IL-MEWT:
“hlas id-dnub hi l-mewt” (Rumani 6:23).
“Bi bniedem wiehed [mhux permezz ta’ xi demonju sopranaturali] id-dnub dahal fid-dinja, u l-mewt bid-dnub” (Rumani 5:12).
“In-niggieza tal-mewt hu d-dnub” (1 Korintin 15:56).
Dawn il-kwotazzjonijiet jixhdu bic-car illi Kristu gie sabiex jeqred id-dnub u li kien id-dnub li gab il-mewt fostna. Ghalhekk ikollna nikkonkludu illi x-xitan huwa sinonimu tad-dnub.
L-idea falza illi d-demonju huwa anglu ribelluz li dineb u waqa’ tidher mill-fatt li Gesù Kristu, bniedem bhalna, ma sata’ qatt bil-mewt tieghu jeqred il-qawwa ta’ anglu sopruman. Mela ghandna nirrijalizzaw li l-kelma “demonju’ jew “xitan” ghandha x’taqsam mad-dnub u tirreprezenta n-natura tal-bniedem u mhux xi anglu li hadha kontra Alla u mbaghad Alla keccieh mill-genna. Nirrijalizzaw ukoll illi d-dnub jigi minn go fina stess u li d-demm ta’ Kristu Sidna ghandu l-qawwa li jehlisna mill-hakma tad-dnub u jsalvana. Id-demm ta’ Gesù hija l-ghodda li permezz taghha jinhafru dnubietna u fl-ahhar jinqered id-dnub bil-qawmien mill-mewt ghall-hajja eterna (1 Korintin 15:20-26).

X’INHUWA D-DNUB?
Primarjament, id-dnub huwa att ta’ dizubbidjenza (1 Gwanni 3:4). L-ewwel dnub li sar kien ikkastigat billi l-bniedem safa suggett ghall-mewt (Genesi 3:19), u b’hekk il-mewt saret parti min-natura umana.
Imma skont il-Bibbja d-dnub ghandu tifsira ohra sekondarja. Huwa miktub li l-bnedmin, “saru midinbin” (Rumani 5:19). Gesù huwa maghruf u msejjah bhala dak li, “Alla ghamlu biex ikun dnub ghalina” (2 Korintin 5:21), dak li, “miet darba ghad-dnub” (Rumani 6:10) u dak ukoll li wasal biex jigi lura, “u jidher ghat-tieni darba, mhux biex inehhi d-dnub, imma ghas-salvazzjoni ta’ dawk li jistennewh” (Lhud 9:28).
L-uzu sekondarju tal-kelma “dnub” timplika l-istat ta’ imperfezzjoni fizika li kienet ikkagunata mill-ksur attwali tal-ligi t’Alla (Rumani 5:12) wara li nhalaq il-bniedem. Il-bnedmin m’humiex hatja tal-ksur tal-ligijiet t’Alla jekk fil-fatt ma jiksrux dawk il-ligijiet jew kmandamenti tieghu. Il-bnedmin m’humiex maghdudin li huma hatjin ghax twieldu membri tal-umanità. Huma hatjin biss tad-dnubiet li jaghmlu huma stess. Madankollu l-bniedem, f’sens sekondarju, billi gej minn Adam, huwa maghdud bhala midneb u suggett ghall-mewt. Gesù m’ghamel l-ebda dnub allavolja twieled mir-razza ta’ Adam, u kellu l-istess xewqat u gibdiet tal-gisem li ghandu kull bniedem iehor. Il-gibdiet tal-gisem li kellu Gesù setghu, kieku halliehom, jeghlbuh u jwaqqghuh fid-dnub.
Ghalkemm kull bniedem li twieled wiret l-istat ta’ imperfezzjoni fizika (Rumani 5:17), dan ma jfissirx li l-bnedmin huma responsabbli ta’ dan. Dan hu wirt li hadna minn Adam. Kull bniedem isir responsabbli meta jsir jaf x’irid minnu Alla, u Alla jaghmel haqq minnu jekk dak li jkun jirrifjuta l-ghajnuna t’Alla biex jikkontrolla l-gibdiet hziena li wiret bhala parti mill-umanità.
Meta l-Appostlu Pawlu kiteb u ddikjara illi, “il-hlas tad-dnub hija l-mewt” (Rumani 6:23) u li d-demonju jew ix-xitan huwa, “dak li kellu l-hakma tal-mewt” (Lhud 2:14), huwa kien qed jirreferi ghan-natura umana u ghalhekk dghajfa li ghandu kulhadd. Din in-natura umana taghna l-bnedmin tissejjah “il-gisem tad-dnub” (Rumani 8:3) ghaliex jekk wiehed ihalliha tirkbu jaqa’ fid-dnub u fl-ahhar imut ghal dejjem.
Kif ghallem l-Appostlu Pawlu, hija minhabba li n-natura umana twassalna ghad-dnub li Gesù, “hu wkoll ha sehem minn dan l-istess demm u laham, biex permezz tal-mewt jeqred lil dak li kellu l-hakma tal-mewt, jigifieri, ix-xitan” (Lhud 2:14).
Gesù rnexxielu jaghmel dan billi kien ubbidjenti perfettament matul hajtu kollha sakemm miet, u t-tjubija tieghu li kienet bla tebgha, servietu bhala garanzija ta’ qawmien mill-imwiet u l-glorja ta’ dejjem (Filippin 2:8-9; Atti 2:24). Ghalhekk matul hajtu kollha sakemm miet fuq is-salib huwa dejjem hareg rebbieh fuq il-qawwa tax-xitan (in-natura umana, dghajfa ghall-ahhar), u b’hekk fetah it-triq ghar-rebha simili, permezz tal-mahfra tad-dnubiet, ghal dawk kollha li jersqu quddiem Alla f’isem Ibnu.

X’GHANDU X’JAQSAM ID-DNUB MAN-NATURA UMANA
Il-fatt illi d-dnub ghandu x’jaqsam hafna u huwa intimament konness man-natura umana jidher sewwa mill-Ittra lir-Rumani Kapitlu 7, fejn l-Appostlu Pawlu jiddiskuti dawn il-hwejjeg fit-tul. Ma hemm l-ebda hjiel jew referenza ghall-ezistenza ta’ xi xitan sopranaturali li xoghlu hu li jittanta l-bniedem ghad-dnub. Ghall-kuntrarju, l-Appostlu jikteb hekk:
“Issa mela mhux aktar jien li naghmel dan, imma d-dnub li jghammar fija”(vers 17);
“Imma jien nara ligi ohra fil-membri ta’ gismi...u tjassarni ghal-ligi tad-dnub li hi fil-membri ta’ gismi” (vers 23);
“Ghax jien naf li fija, (jigifieri, f’gismi), ma tghammar ebda haga tajba; ghax ir-rieda qieghda fija, izda kif naghmel dak li hu tajjeb ma nafx” (vers 18).
L-awtur ta’ dal-kliem dejjem sab ruhu wicc imb wicc ma’ taqbida mentali. Kien jixtieq jimxi skont ir-rieda t’Alla, izda din ix-xewqa gabitu f’konflitt mal-gibdiet ta’ gismu, u dawn il-gibdiet umana kienu hekk qawwija li kultant kien jaqa’ fid-dnub. Ghalhekk kiteb:
“Ghax it-tajjeb li rrid jien ma naghmilx; imma l-hazin li ma rridx, dak naghmel” (vers 19).
Huwa ta l-htija tad-dghufija ta’ gismu lin-natura umana tieghu u ddikjara:
“Ja miskin li jien! Min jehlisni mill-gisem ta’ dil-mewt?” (vers 24).
Il-kelma tal-Vangelu tatu t-twegiba li kien qed ifittex. Irringrazzja lil Alla li r-rebha kienet iggarantita permezz ta’ Gesù Kristu. F’isem Gesù setghu jinhafrulu dnubietu, jircievi s-sahha spiritwali biex johodha u johrog rebbieh fuq il-gibdiet tal-gisem (Filippin 4:13), u meta jerga’ jigi Gesù fid-dinja jkollu l-assigurazzjoni ta’ hajja eterna wara l-qawmien mill-mewt (1 Korintin 15:22-23, 53-54). Ghalhekk ma baqax jara lilu nnifsu bhala bniedem li jghix imjassar mid-dnub u mill-mewt. L-ispirtu ta’ Kristu li kellu fih (2 Korintin 13:5) ittrijonfa fuq “id-demonju” (jigifieri, il-ligi tad-dnub u l-gibdiet hziena li kellu f’gismu bhala parti min-natura umana (Rumani 7:23) u b’hekk il-fidi tieghu rebhet fuq il-biza’.
Dik l-esperjenza fil-hajja tal-Appostlu Pawlu nistghu naghmluha taghna wkoll.

KIF BEDA D-DNUB
Meta ssawwar il-holqien Alla hares lejn xoghlu, “U Alla ra kulma ghamel, u, ara, kien tajjeb wisq” (Genesi 1:31). Is-serp ukoll kien “tajjeb” skont gensu, ghaliex, sa dak iz-zmien, kien ghadu ma ttantax lil Eva ghad-dnub.
Imma jekk id-deskrizzjoni ta’ kull haga li nhalqet minn Alla kienet tapplika ghal kollox u kollox kien “tajjeb wisq”, fejn kien id-demonju jew ix-xitan? Ix-xitan kif jifhmuh hafna knejjes ma kienx jezisti! Anki n-natura umana f’dawk l-ewwel zminijiet qabel id-dnub kienet differenti minn kif saret tassew wara.
Fl-ewwel kapitli tal-Ktieb tal-Genesi ma nsibu l-ebda referenza ghad-demonju jew ghax-xitan u lanqas li d-demonju kellu x’jaqsam mal-mod kif dahal id-dnub fid-dinja.
L-ewwel partijiet tal-Bibbja, madankollu, juru illi l-bniedem ma baqax dak li kien originarjament, jigifieri, fi stat ta’ “tajjeb wisq”, u beda juri inklinazzjonijiet hziena.
X’kienet dik il-haga li gabet din il-bidla fil-bniedem? It-twegiba hija wahda: ID-DNUB. L-istorja semplici tal-Genesi tghid kif Alla pogga lil Adam u lil Eva fil-Gnien tal-Gheden, ghallimhom xi principji ta’ tjubija, tahom il-ligi biex jobduha, u offrielhom, jekk jobduh, it-tama ta’ hajja eterna bhala premju.
Izda Eva, imsahhra, migbuda u mhajra kif kienet mill-kliem qarrieq tas-serp, kisret il-ligi t’Alla u dinbet (Genesi 3:1-7); u wara hajret lil zewgha Adam biex jaghmel l-istess.
Din il-waqgha fid-dnub u dan l-att ta’ dizubbidjenza kienu kawza tad-demonju? Ghall-kuntrarju. Meta t-tlieta li kienu -- Adam, Eva u s-serp -- ingabu quddiem Alla biex iwiegbu ghall-hazen li kienu ghamlu, huma taw it-tort u wahhlu f’xulxin. Adam wahhal f’martu Eva; Eva tat it-tort lis-serp; imma s-serp ma sata’ jwahhal f’hadd (Genesi 3:12-14).
Skont kif wiegbet Eva, is-serp kien kagun li dahal id-dnub! Jekk dan ma kienx veru, ghaliex is-serp baqa’ sieket u ma ddefendix ruhu? Kellu halq u sata’ jitkellem; kien jilhaqlu aktar mill-annimali l-ohra (Genesi 3:1).
Is-serp sata’ jwahhal u jaghti t-tort lid-demonju jekk id-demonju kien tassew jezisti! Imma fil-fatt ma kellu lil hadd f’min iwahhal. Xi whud li jemmnu fid-demonju bhala hlejqa sopranaturali jsostnu illi d-demonju f’din l-okkazjoni kien prezenti taht il-forma tas-serp.
Naraw li dan it-taghlim huwa falz meta nsibu illi l-kastig kien direttament moghti lis-serp u mhux lil xi demonju, u ghalhekk dawn huma provi cari li s-serp ma kienx hlief annimal:
“U l-Mulej qal lis-serp: Talli ghamilt dan, inti mishut FOST IL-BHEJJEM KOLLHA, u fuq ID-DBEJJEB KOLLHA tar-raba’; fuq zaqqek timxi, u trab tiekol il-jiem kollha ta’ hajtek” (Genesi 3:14).
Bl-ebda mod ma nistghu nimmaginaw li dal-kliem japplika ghal xi anglu ribelluz li sar demonju u gie biex jittanta lill-ewwel geneturi taghna.
Malli Adam u Eva bdew jithajru b’dak li kien qed jghid is-serp, bdew ihossu fihom ukoll il-gibdiet u x-xewqat li kull bniedem minn dak iz-zmien lil hawn baqa’ jhoss f’gismu, gibdiet u xewqat li jwassluh ghad-dnub (Genesi 3:6). Billi din il-bidla fin-natura ta’ Adam u Eva kienet kawza tal-hazen li hajjarhom ghalih is-serp, is-serp innifsu sar is-simbolu li jirrapprezenta l-bniedem midneb, in-natura umana bin-nuqqasijiet kollha taghha, u d-dnub innifsu (Mattew 23:33). Mill-banda l-ohra nitghallmu illi l-mewt u s-sagrificcju ta’ Sidna Gesù ghandhom il-qawwa li jeqirdu l-hazen li gab is-serp ghall-umanità (Lhud 2:14). Huwa sinifikanti meta wiehed jinnota illi d-dehra ta’ Gesù fuq is-salib tista’ titqabbel mas-serp tal-bronz li tqieghed fuq qasba fid-dezert biex meta xi hadd kien jigdmu xi serp, dan kien ihares lejn is-serp u jfieq (Numri 21:9; Gwanni 3:14). Ghal dawk li jridu jimxu wara Gesù din hija taghlima importanti hafna, jigifieri, li hemm il-htiega li Alla jkun obdut billi l-gibdiet u x-xewqat hziena tal-gisem ikunu msallbin (Galatin 5:24).
Kristu fetah it-triq bhala ezempju ghall-ohrajn. Il-hajja tieghu minghajr dnub kienet ir-rebha kbira fuq il-gisem li minnu nnifsu huwa midneb (Gwanni 6:62), u bil-mewt tieghu fuq is-salib huwa sikket il-gibdiet hziena li kien ihoss huwa nnifsu bhal kull bniedem iehor (Rumani 8:3).
B’dak li rnexxielu jaghmel hu qatel lid-demonju.

ID-DNUB JIGI MINNA NFUSNA
Ghalkemm fil-bidu tal-istorja tal-bniedem il-hajra ghad-dnub giet kagun tat-tentazzjoni esterjuri, minn dak iz-zmien lil hawn l-akbar gibdiet ghad-dnub bdew jigu minn gewwa, jigifieri minna nfusna.
Il-hsibijiet naturali u l-inklinazzjonijiet tal-gisem ghad-dnub u l-hazen jehtieg li jkunu mrazzna jew iddixxiplinati jekk irridu noghgbu ’l Alla. Dawn ix-xewqat hziena jiffurmaw dak li l-Appostlu Pawlu jiddeskrivi bhala, “il-ligi tad-dnub li hi fil-membri ta’ gismi” (Rumani 7:23). F’post iehor ifisser dan billi jikteb hekk fuq ir-relazzjoni bejn Gesù u dawk li jixtiequ jkunu tieghu:
“Miet ghal kulhadd, biex dawk li jghixu MA JGHIXUX AKTAR GHALIHOM INFUSHOM imma ghal dak li miet ghalihom u raga’ qam” (2 Korintin 5:15).
Li “nghixu ghalina nfusna” jfisser li nghixu fid-dnub u skjavi tad-dnub, u ghalhekk, simbolikament, taht il-hakma tad-demonju jew tax-xitan. Kristu ghallem:
“hekk intom ukoll bla dehen? Ma tifhmux, li kull haga li minn barra tidhol fil-bniedem, ma tistax tniggsu...Dak li johrog mill-bniedem, dak inigges il-bniedem. GHAX MINN GEWWA, MILL-QALB TAL-BNEDMIN, johorgu l-hsibijiet hziena, l-adulterji, iz-zena, is-serq, ix-xehha, il-hzunija, il-qerq, il-hajja bla razan...DAWN IL-HWEJJEG HZIENA KOLLHA JIGU MINN GEWWA, u jniggsu l-bniedem” (Mark 7:18-23).
Jekk dawn in-nuqqasijiet kollha gejjin minn gewwa, u mhux minn barra, x’baqa’ ghad-demonju li jaghmel?! Ninnotaw ukoll li Kristu ghallem illi l-bnedmin jitniggsu minn hsibijiet u xewqat hziena li jigu minn gewwa, u mhux minn influwenzi esterjuri. Hija haga cara, mela, li Kristu ma kienx jemmen li jezisti xi xitan sopranaturali, izda, ghall-maqlub, narawh iwissi lis-semmiegha tieghu dwar il-gibdiet hziena li l-bniedem ghandu fih innifsu. Hekk ghallem ukoll Pawlu:
“Ghax il-gisem ghandu xewqat kontra l-Ispirtu, u l-Ispirtu kontra l-gisem; u dawn huma kontra xulxin...Issa l-ghemejjel tal-gisem huma dawn: l-adulterju, iz-zena, il-fahx, it-tbahrid...il-mibeghda, il-glied, il-gelosija...il-ghira, il-qtil, is-sokor...” (Galatin 5:17-21).
Dawn in-nuqqasijiet jikkonstitwixxu “l-ghemejjel tal-gisem” u m’humiex gejjin kawza tad-demonju. Wiehed jista’ jsejhilhom “l-opri tax-xitan” (1Gwanni 3:8) li Kristu gie biex jeqred:
“Imma kull bniedem hu mgarrab, meta jkun migbud u mhajjar mill-passjoni tieghu innifsu. Imbaghad meta tehbel il-passjoni, tiled id-dnub; u d-dnub, meta jikber sewwa, igib il-mewt” (Gakbu 1:14-15).
Jekk, kif rajna, dan huwa proprjament l-istat tal-bniedem u n-natura tieghu, ghaliex naghtu l-htija ta’ dnubietna lix-xitan li jittantana ghad-dnub? Jekk ahna tassew onesti maghna nfusna ma rridux hafna intelligenza jew gherf biex nindunaw li din hi tassew in-natura li ngorru maghna. Ghaliex naghmlu d-dnubiet? Biex inpaxxu lilna nfusna u nissodisfaw ix-xewqat hziena li jkollna gewwa fina. Minn dawn l-ghemejjel tal-gisem gejjin il-hafna problemi, hsarat u ghawg fid-dinja. Il-bnedmin jaslu biex iwettqu affarijiet hziena u ta’ deni ghax iridu tassew jaghmluhom minn jeddhom, u mhux ghax jigu influwenzati minn xi mostru ta’ demonju jew xitan.
Min-naha l-ohra, il-verità li tigi permezz ta’ Kristu ghandha l-ghan li tbiddel fil-hajja taghhom ta’ kuljum lil dawk kollha li jemmnu fih u tippreparahom mentalment u moralment ghat-trasformazzjoni fizika li ssehh fihom meta jigi lura Kristu fid-dinja, biex imbaghad dawk il-karatteristici jissoktaw jitjiebu f’natura glorjuza li ma tispicca qatt (Filippin 3:21). B’hekk tigi r-rebha fuq in-natura umana, imsejsa u mibnija kif inhi bhalissa fuq id-dnub u fuq il-mewt, u b’hekk ix-xitan jinqered. Pawlu ghallem hekk:
“Ghax jekk tghixu skont il-gisem, tmutu; imma jekk bl-Ispirtu tmewtu ghemil il-gisem, tghixu” (Rumani 8:13).

X’TIFSIRA GHANDHOM IL-KELMIET “DEMONJU” U “XITAN”
Il-kelma “DEMONJU” intuzat biex jinqallbu mill-Grieg zewg kelmiet totalment differenti minn xulxin, li huma, “DIABOLOS” u “DAIMONION”.
L-ewwel kelma “DIABOLOS” insibuha f’dawk il-versi li xi nies jikkwotaw biex jaghtu prova tat-twemmin taghhom fl-ezistenza tad-demonju sopranaturali. Bhala kelma din tfisser “avversarju”, “ghadu”, “giddieb”, “maqdari”, u “xi hadd li jaghti xi malafama, jixli jew jixhed hazin”. Ghalkemm il-kelma originali bil-Grieg “DIABOLOS” generalment inqalbet bhala “devil” bl-Ingliz u “demonju” jew “xitan” bil-Malti, inqalbet ukoll bil-kelmiet “dawk li jqasqsu” (1 Timotju 3:11), u “kalunjaturi”, jigifieri nies li jaghtu l-malafama (2 Timotju 3:3; Titus 2:3). Fid-traduzzjonijiet tal-Bibbja bil-Malti l-kelma “DIABOLOS” inqalbet u saret “xitan” li m’ghandha x’taqsam xejn mal-original, imma hi l-verzjoni Maltija tal-kelma bil-Lhudi “satan”.
Kif sejrin naraw aktar car ’il quddiem, fl-ebda post ma nsibu din il-kelma uzata b’referenza ghal xi anglu li dineb u tkecca mill-genna.
It-tieni kelma fl-original “DAIMONION” hija wkoll maqluba ghall-Ingliz “devil”, u ghall-Malti “demonju” jew “xitan”, imma proprjament il-kelma tradotta m’ghandha x’taqsam xejn mat-tifsira li hemm fl-original. “Demonju” jew “demon” bl-Ingliz hija kelma totalment differenti minn “DIABOLOS” u hija uzata ghal xi persuna marida, kif sejrin naraw.
Min-naha l-ohra, “xitan” bil-Malti, u “satan” bl-Ingliz, hija kelma gejja mil-Lhudi u nqalbet biex taghti s-sens ta’ “avversarju” jew “ghadu”. Il-kelma originali sikwit insibuha maqluba kif ghandha tkun fil-Bibbja, izda minhabba l-pregudizzju tat-tradutturi tal-Bibbja li l-bicca l-kbira kienu u ghadhom jemmnu fl-idea tax-xitan, il-kelma nqalbet bil-kelma “xitan” u mhux “avversarju” kif suppost ghandha tkun skont l-original.
Ezempju ta’ dan insibuh fis-Salm 109:6 fejn naqraw, “Qeghedlu ragel hazin fuqu; u halli lil Satana joqghod fuq leminu”. Il-pregudizzju tat-tradutturi malajr tidher fil-miftuh billi Satana ngabet bhala nom proprju bl-ittra S kbira. Imma jekk naqraw is-Salm kollu nsibu li l-istess kelma fl-original inqalbet bil-kelmiet “ghedewwa” jew “avversarji” (versi 4, 20, 29). F’xi traduzzjonijiet tal-Bibbja bil-Malti ta’ dan is-Salm m’hemm l-ebda referenza ghal Satana jew “ix-xitan”, imma minflok intuzat il-kelma konnessa ma’ bniedem li jixli jew jaghti xhieda hazina fuq haddiehor. Din, mela, hija t-tifsira korretta tal-kelma “satana” fl-original.
L-uzu tal-kelma “xitan” fil-Bibbja juri li din il-kelma tista’ taghti l-idea ta’ avversarji li huma tajbin jew hziena. Imma dawk li ttraducew il-Bibbja dejjem zammew l-uzu ta’ dil-kelma ghal avversarji jew ghedewwa hziena biss.
Per ezempju, dil-kelma fl-original “satan” tidher fil-Ktieb tan-Numri 22:22, 32 b’referenza ghall-anglu li ntbaghat biex icanfar lill-profeta Balgham. Hawnhekk l-original inqaleb bil-kelma “avversarju” kif inhu xieraq u kif ghandu jkun. L-istess gara fil-Ktieb 1 Samwel 29:4 u fil-Ktieb 2 Samwel 19:22 fejn il-kelma originali “satan” inqalbet bil-kelmiet “ghadu” u “ghedewwa” rispettivament.
Il-punt importanti huwa dan: il-kelma originali bil-Lhudi ghandha dejjem tinqaleb u taghti l-idea ta’ “ghadu / ghedewwa”, u “avversarju / avversarji”, tidher fejn tidher. Fl-ebda cirkostanza ma ghandha tintuza biex taghti l-idea ta’ xi anglu li dineb.

META ALLA NNIFSU KIEN IMSEJJAH JEW MAGHDUD BHALA “XITAN”
Fit-Testment il-Qadim insibu msemmi avveniment fejn Alla nnifsu jidher fil-parti ta’ xitan jew avversarju fis-sens kif tkellimna fuqu aktar ’il quddiem. L-istess okkazjoni tissemma darbtejn: 2 Samwel 24:1 u 1 Kronaki 21:1.
L-ewwel kwotazzjoni tghid hekk:
“U ghadab il-Mulej raga’ xeghel ghal Izrael, u qajjem lil David ghalihom, u qal: Mur, ghodd lil Izrael u lil Guda” (2 Samwel 24:1).
Madankollu, l-istess grajja nsibuha bi kliem differenti:
“U Satana [jew ix-xitan] qam ghal Izrael, u ghewa lil David biex jghodd lil Izrael” (1 Kronaki 21:1).
Kif qed naraw, l-ewwel kwotazzjoni turi li din l-azzjoni kienet gejja min Alla; fit-tieni kwotazzjoni kien ix-xitan li gieghel lil David biex jghodd lin-nies li kellu taht idejh.
Liema hi l-interpretazzjoni tajba? Dawk li jemmnu illi l-kelma “xitan” jew “satana” tirreferi ghal xi anglu li tkecca mis-smewwiet u issa qieghed jittanta lill-bniedem ghad-dnub ghandhom problema biex ifissru din il-kontradizzjoni, jonkella jkollhom jemmnu illi Alla ghamel dak li ghamel bis-sahha u l-permezz tax-xitan, l-akbar ghadu tieghu.
L-ebda spjegazzjoni minn dawn ma hija tajba jew sodisfacenti. Hemm bzonn nifhmu, kif ghedna qabel, li l-kelma “satana’ jew “xitan” tfisser “avversarju” jew “ghadu”, u hemm bzonn naccettaw ukoll il-fatt illi Alla f’din l-okkazjoni hadha kontra Izrael, u b’hekk kien maghdud bhala l-avversarju taghhom. Jekk inharsu lejn dawn iz-zewg kwotazzjonijiet b’dan it-taghrif quddiemna ma jkollna l-ebda diffikultà fl-interpretazzjoni korretta.
Bhala “avversarju” kontra Izrael, il-Mulej Alla, billi kellu kontroll ta’ kulma kien qed jigri, halla li jigru l-affarijiet b’tali mod li gieghel lil David li jibda jibza’ u jithasseb mhux ftit dwar l-ghedewwa li kellu tar-renju tieghu. David spicca biex beda jghodd kemm kellu nies taht idejh li setghu jiggieldu biex jiddefendu s-saltna tieghu, u b’hekk David wera li aktar kien qed jafda fihom milli f’Alla. Alla ma riedx dan u ghalhekk hadha kontra David u b’hekk Alla nnifsu safa l-avversarju jew “ix-xitan” ta’ David. David waqa’ fid-dnub.
Kif turi din il-grajja, il-kelma “satana” jew “xitan” tfisser “avversarju” jew “ghadu”, u ghalhekk kull referenza fejn tidher din il-kelma tiddeciedi jekk l-avversarju jkunx wiehed tajjeb jew hazin, u jekk dan l-avversarju hux xi bniedem, xi qawwa jew forza, xi gvern jew saltna, xi gibdiet hziena tal-gisem, jew xi esperjenza avversarja. Dawn il-hwejjeg kollha huma rapprezentati fil-Bibbja bhala “satana” jew “ix-xitan”, u fl-ebda parti tal-Iskrittura ma nsibu dan it-terminu jalludi ghax-xitan kif jemmnu hafna knejjes, jigifieri ghal xi angli ribelluzi li tkeccew mill-genna.
Fi ftit kliem id-differenza bejn il-kelmiet “demonju” u “satana” narawha meta nirrejalizzaw illi “demonju” hija uzata dejjem f’sens ta’ avversarju hazin, waqt li “satana” tfisser semplicement avversarju, tajjeb jew hazin, skont il-kuntest fejn jidhru fl-Iskrittura.

IL-MANIFESTAZZJONIJIET TAD-DEMONJU U TAX-XITAN
Ghalkemm il-kelma “demonju” jew “xitan” hija bazikament marbuta u ghandha x’taqsam man-natura umana, jew mal-gibdiet u x-xewqat hziena tal-gisem, madankollu tidher b’forom differenti u varji. Per ezempju, meta xi gvern ihalli jsiru affarijiet kontra l-ligi t’Alla u b’hekk jinghad li huwa ghadu t’Alla, dan il-gvern isir manifestazzjoni politika tal-gisem midneb. Fuq dan is-suggett Pietru kiteb hekk:
“Kunu meqjusin; ishru; ghax il-ghadu taghkom, ix-xitan, bhal-ljun jghajjat, idur, ifittex lil min jibla” (1 Pietru 5:8).
F’dan il-vers il-kelma bil-Malti “xitan” hija “diabolos” bil-Grieg, u tfisser “wiehed li jaghti xi malafama, jixli jew jixhed hazin”. Il-kelma bil-Malti li nqalbet u saret “ghadu” gejja mill-Grieg “antidikos” u tfisser proprjament “ghadu fil-ligi”. L-avversarju, l-ghadu jew ix-xitan li dwaru Pietru kien qed iwissi lill-Insara kienu l-awtoritajiet civili ta’ dik il-habta li kienu digà bdew jippersegwitaw lis-segwaci ta’ Gesù. Pietru ma kienx qed jirreferi ghax-xitan kif jifhmu bih il-knejjes. Dawk l-awtoritajiet, il-persekuturi tal-knisja, kienu qishom iljuni feroci minhabba l-krudiltà u l-imgiba hazina taghhom kontra l-Insara ta’ dak iz-zmien. Pawlu wkoll kellu l-ghedewwa tieghu u ghall-istess raguni jhallilna miktub: “Madankollu l-Mulej waqaf mieghi, u tani l-qawwa biex ix-xandir ikun maghruf bija kollu kemm hu, u jisimghu l-Gentili kollha; u kont mehlus minn halq l-iljun” (2 Timotju 4:17). Fi kliem iehor, Pawlu kien mhedded mill-awtoritajiet, l-iljuni feroci, li jaqbduh u jixhtuh il-habs jekk jibqa’ jipprietka, imma Alla ma ppermettiex li jsir dan.
Kristu wkoll rrefera ghall-awtoritajiet civili bhala “xitan”. Lis-segwaci tieghu qallhom: “La tibza’ xejn minn dawk il-hwejjeg li ghandek tbati; ara, ix-xitan sa jitfa’ x’uhud minnkom il-habs, biex tkunu mgarrbin...kun fidil sal-mewt, u naghtik il-kuruna tal-hajja” (Rivelazzjoni 2:10).
Certament illi dan id-demonju jew ix-xitan kienu l-awtoritajiet civili li opponew u ppruvaw kemm setghu biex ma jhallux jixxandar u jinxtered it-taghlim ta’ Kristu u tal-Appostli.
Dwar l-istess avversarji u ghedewwa ta’ Kristu, Pawlu kiteb hekk:
“Ghax ahna ma niggildux kontra l-laham u d-demm, imma kontra l-principati, kontra s-setghat, kontra l-hakkiema tad-dlam u tad-dinja, kontra l-ispirti hziena, li huma fi mkejjen fil-gholi”
(Efesin 6:12).
Dan il-vers sikwit jikkwotawh dawk li jemmnu li x-xitan kien darba anglu, izda bi ftit hsieb u attenzjoni wiehed ghandu jinduna illi l-ehrex ghedewwa jew avversarji li kellhom l-Insara f’dawk iz-zminijiet kienu l-awtoritajiet Lhudija u pagani. Dawn kienu jippersegwitaw bl-akbar qilla u hruxija lill-Insara, tant li Pawlu wissa lil hbiebu l-Insara: “biex tkunu tifilhu zzommu kontra t-tnassis tax-xitan” (Esesin 6:11). Meta kiteb dan, Pawlu kellu f’mohhu safejn jaslu u x’passi jiehdu xi nies bla skrupli fl-awtoritajiet biex jixlu lill-Insara, jigdbu fuqhom u sahansitra jakkuzawhom b’affarijiet li qatt ma kienu hatjin taghhom: “Ghax ghandu mnejn Satana jinqeda bina; ahna nafu l-hsibijiet tieghu” (2 Korintin 2:11). Pawlu stess kien darba midhla ta’ dawn il-hwejjeg, qabel il-konverzjoni tieghu, ghax kien f’posizzjoni gholja u kien akkuza lill-Insara u ghalhekk kellu mitt ragun li jikteb fuq dawn l-affarijiet: “Imma Sawl kien iharbat il-knisja, billi kien jidhol f’kull dar, u jkarkar irgiel u nisa, u jitfaghhom fil-habs” (Atti 8:3). Dak kien zmien iehor. Bil-konverzjoni tieghu ghal Kristu tbiddel kollox.
Id-dinja pagana ta’ dak iz-zmien sikwit kienet takkuza, tixli u twahhal fis-segwaci ta’ Kristu, u ghal din ir-raguni hija maghduda fl-Iskrittura bhala x-xitan jew l-ghadu taghhom. L-oppozizzjoni harxa u bla bazi ta’ xejn li s-segwaci ta’ Kristu sofrew mill-awtoritajiet pagani, setghet gaghlithom iqumu kontra l-awtoritajiet, imma kieku ghamlu dan kien ikun ta’ dizunur ghall-isem ta’ Kristu l-Mexxej u l-Imghallem taghhom. L-Appostli gharfu din il-problema li l-Insara kienu qeghdin ihabbtu wicchom maghha, u ghalhekk ghallmuhom u wissewhom biex ma jaghmlu xejn minn dan allavolja l-ambjent li kienu qeghdin jghixu fih kien totalment kontra taghhom. Tawhom inkoraggiment biex jghixu sewwa u bil-ghaqal ma’ dawk li kienu ghedewwa taghhom, u joqoghdu attenti lil min jaghzlu biex imexxu l-attivitajiet tal-knisja taghhom. Gibdu l-attenzjoni lejn il-periklu li jista’ jinqala’ meta jaghzlu xi mexxejja tal-knejjes taghhom li jkunu ghadhom zghar, bla maturità u novizzi fix-xoghol ekklesjastiku taghhom: “M’ghandux ikun imghammed gdid li ma jintefahx bil-kburija, u jaqa’ fil-kundanna tax-xitan. Barra minn hekk jehtieg ukoll li jkollu xhieda tajba minghand dawk ta’ barra; li ma jaqghux fil-ghajb u fix-xibka tax-xitan” (1 Timotju 3:6-7).
F’dan il-kaz, skont ix-xitan tat-teologija, kif jista’ x-xitan jikkundanna jew jinkorla ma’ dak li jkun kburi? Ix-xitan, bhala simbolu tal-hzunija, hekk suppost ikun irid. Jekk ix-xitan tat-teologija jpinguh bhala mostru tal-hazen u tad-dnub, dak li jkun irid, jigifieri li jara n-nies hziena jissoktaw fil-hazen taghhom u jehzienu aktar, u mhux, skont dawn iz-zewg versi ta’ fuq, li jikkundannahom u jsib xi difetti fihom. In-nies li ma kinux Insara kienu jippruvaw isibu xi jqasqsu fuq l-Insara u l-mexxejja taghhom. Dawk ta’ barra l-knisja kienu, mela, ix-xitan jew l-ghedewwa tal-Insara. Ghalhekk Pawlu kien dejjem iwissi lill-Insara biex jimxu bil-ghaqal ma’ kulhadd.
Ix-xitan li dwaru l-Apppostli wissew lill-Insara kienet is-sistema pagana, socjali u politika, li kollha kemm hi kienet mibnija fuq il-qawwiet u l-gibdiet hziena tal-gisem.
It-terminu “xitan” gie applikat ukoll ghal xi individwi. Kristu sejjah lil Guda Iskarjota xitan (Gwanni 6:70), u lil Pietru ddeskrivieh bhala “xitan” meta qallu, “Lura minni, Satana: Int tfixkil ghalija; ghax ma tahsibx il-hwejjeg t’Alla, izda l-hwejjeg tal-bniedem” (Mattew 16:23; Mark 8:33). Dikjarazzjoni bhal din, jigifieri li joghgbuk aktar il-hwejjeg tal-bniedem ( ix-xewqat hziena tal-gisem), hu l-istess bhal meta tinghad li inti “xitan”.
Meta l-gibdiet hziena tal-gisem jiddominaw fuq xi hadd u dik il-persuna twarrab mal-genb il-hwejjeg li ghandhom x’jaqsmu ma’ Alla, tkun qieghda tmur kontra dak kollu li jirrapprezenta lil Kristu u t-taghlim tieghu. Dak il-bniedem li jaghmel hekk ikun bhal Guda: jigifieri “xitan”, avversarju jew ghadu tat-toroq tal-haqq u l-verità. Bir-ragun kollu, mela, jista’ jissejjah “bin ix-xitan” (Atti 13:10) jew prodott tal-gisem midneb. Il-mexxejja Lhud fi zmien Kristu kienu tabilhaqq ezempju ta’ dan. Huma kienu jsostnu u jemmnu bis-shih li kienu tassew ulied Abraham u li kienu veru jaghtu gieh lil Alla u jqimuh, izda Kristu ddikjara: “Intom ulied missierkom ix-xitan, u x-xewqat ta’ missierkom tridu taghmlu” (Gwanni 8:44). Kienu bnedmin moghtija ghall-gibdiet tal-gisem u billi kienu iddominati mill-pjaciri tad-dinja, setghu jissejhu ulied ix-xitan.
Meta Gwanni kiteb li, “Min jaghmel id-dnub gej mix-xitan; ghax ix-xitan dineb sa mill-bidu. Ghal din ir-raguni deher Bin Alla, biex jeqred l-opri tax-xitan” (1 Gwanni 3:8), kien qed jghallem l-istess verità. Kienu l-gibdiet hziena tal-gisem li waqqghu lill-bniedem fid-dnub mill-bidu. Kristu gie biex “jeqred l-opri tax-xitan”. Jigifieri Kristu deher biex jeqred id-dnub; u dan ghamlu billi fetah it-triq li twassal ghall-mahfra u ghas-salvazzjoni taghna. Il-kummenti tal-kittieb Gwanni ghandhom jitqieghdu hdejn dawk ta’ Sidna Gesù li qal, “minn gewwa, mill-qalb tal-bniedem johorgu l-hsibijiet hziena” (Mark 7:21). Is-sagrificcju ta’ Kristu ghandu l-iskop biex juri car illi l-gisem bil-gibdiet hziena tieghu jehtieg ikun simbolikament imsallab biex il-bniedem iservi lil Alla u Alla jaccettah. Ghalhekk Pawlu kiteb hekk:
“Dawk li huma ta’ Kristu sallbu ’l gisem bil-gibdiet u x-xewqat hziena tieghu” (Galatin 5:24).
Xi whud jippruvaw ma’ jservux il-gibdiet hziena sabiex b’hekk jobdu lil Kristu. Meta jaghmlu hekk, ix-xitan jintrebah, ghaliex ix-xitan huma dawk ix-xewqat hziena tal-gisem li jissieltu kontra dawk l-affarijiet li jixtieq Alla (Rumani 8:7-8; 1 Gwanni 2:15-16).
Id-dinja ta’ barra hija identifikata bhala “satana’. Fl-1Timotju 1:20, Pawlu kiteb dwar zewg eretici ta’ zmienu: “Fosthom hemm Himenes Alessandru, li jien irhejthom f’idejn Satana, biex jitghallmu ma jidghux”. Kif jista’ jkun li x-xitan, kif jifhmu li hu hafna knejjes, joqghod jghallem lin-nies biex ma jidghux? Kif jista’ Pawlu jerhi lil nies bhal dawn f’idejn Satana? Ma jistax ikun; anzi ghall-kuntrarju. F’dan il-kaz Pawlu kien qieghed jirreferi ghall-bzonn li jkun hemm id-dixxiplina ghax inkella wiehed jista’ jkun imkecci mill-knisja. Pawlu ried jaghtihom taghlima bhala twissija li m’ghandhomx jidghu. Iz-zewg eretici li semma Pawlu kienu jitqiesu bhala xjaten fis-sens li kienu qed jaghmlu hwejjeg kontra l-ispirtu ta’ Kristu.
L-ghanijiet li Pawlu kellu f’mohhu meta wissiehom bl-iskomunika kienu sabiex jikkoregi lil xi membri tal-komunità Nisranija u ma jhallihomx jitbieghdu mill-verità, u sabiex ihares lill-ohrajn mit-taghlim falz li l-eretici bdew jghallmu. B’hekk Pawlu kellu t-tama li jgaghalhom jezaminaw l-ideat hziena taghhom u b’hekk jergghu jhaddnu l-verità kollha u jergghu jinghaqdu mal-membri l-ohra tal-knisja (1 Korintin 5::1-5, 13; 2 Korintin 5:5-7; 2 Korintin 7:8-12).
Kristu ddikjara wkoll lil dawk li emmnu gewwa Pergamos:
“Jien naf l-ghemil tieghek, u fejn tghammar int hemm it-tron ta’ Satana...Antipas kien il-martri fidil tieghi, li kien maqtul fostkom, fejn jghammar Satana” (Rivelazzjoni 2:13).
It-tron ta’ Satana! Fejn jghammar Satana! Gewwa l-belt ta’ Pergamos! Hekk ghallem u qal Kristu! Dak kif kien possibli? Ezamina l-kuntest. Innota kemm kienu qawwija l-forzi tal-hazen f’dik il-belt (Rivelazzjoni 2:14-16). Kien hemm f’dik il-belt il-kwartier generali ta’ dawk li bl-ideat foloz taghhom kienu l-avversarji jew l-ghedewwa tal-verità. Belt ohra, Smirna, kienet maghrufa bhala “is-sinagoga ta’ Satana” (Rivelazzjoni 2:9). Din l-espressjoni taghti stampa ta’ grupp ta’ nies li kienu ghedewwa tal-verità; izda jekk huwa mifhum li Satana huwa xi mostru terribli u sopranaturali, b’dawn it-termini li jalludu ghal Satana jkollna nammettu illi Satana kien joqghod go Pergamos (Rivelazzjoni 2:13), li kien imexxi laqghat religjuzi go Smirna, u li kellu taht idejh il-habs ta’ dak il-post (Rivelazzjoni 2:8-13). Ideat foloz li ma jaghmlu l-ebda sens! Il-punt l-aktar importanti ta’ dan kollu hu li fejn jissemma Satana jew ix-xitan ghandna nifhmu li r-referenzi kollha jalludu ghall-ghedewwa personali, ekklesjastici u civili li l-Insara kellhom ihabbtu wicchom maghhom f’dawk iz-zminijiet ta’ persekuzzjoni.

SATANA FIL-KTIEB TA’ GOB
Sikwit nisimghu lil min jghid illi Satana fil-Ktieb ta’ Gob jidher bic-car li kien tassew xi hlejqa sopranaturali. Insibuh li kien gej minn dawra mad-dinja u mixja ’l hawn u ’l hemm (Gob 2:7), u li gie jipprezenta ruhu ma’ wlied Alla quddiem Alla (Gob 2:6).
Kultant wiehed jistaqsi: “Kif jista’ jkun li Satana pprezenta ruhu quddiem Alla jekk ma kienx jinsab fil-genna fejn jghammar Alla?” Jonkella hemm min jistaqsi: “ Ulied Alla m’humiex l-angli?”
Inwiegbu billi nenfasizzaw illi l-Ktieb ta’ Gob juri bic-car li Satana, kien min kien, ma kellu l-ebda setgha li jgib xi deni fuq Gob; it-tbatijiet li gew fuq Gob kienu mibghutin minn Alla. Alla ddikjara u qal lil Satana: “Inti xewwixtni ghalih biex neqerdu ghal xejn” (Gob 2:3). Gob innifsu rrejalizza: “Id il-Mulej habtitni” (Gob 19:21). L-istorja tghid bic-car illi “Imbaghad thassruh u farrguh ghall-hsara kollha li gieb fuqu l-Mulej” (Gob 42:11).
Infatti, m’hemm xejn sopruman dwar Satana kif jidher fil-Ktieb ta’ Gob.
Din il-konkluzjoni tissahhah meta nsibu illi l-espressjoni “ulied Alla” m’ghandhiex x’taqsam mal-angli immortali t’Alla, izda hi uzata sikwit biex tirreferi ghal nies mortali li jemmnu:
“Izda lil dawk kollha li laqghuh, tahom is-setgha li jsiru wlied Alla; lil dawk li jemmnu f’ismu” (Gwanni 1:12).
“Mahbubin, issa ahna wlied Alla, u ghadu ma deherx x’sa nkunu; imma nafu li meta jidher, ahna nkunu bhalu; ghax narawh kif inhu” (1 Gwanni 3:2).
Dawn ir-referenzi (u nistghu nsemmu ohrajn) juru car illi t-terminu “ulied Alla” jintuza ghal nies umana li jemmnu.
Ma’ dan inzidu l-fatt li meta bniedem jipprezenta ruhu quddiem Alla jfisser li qed iqim jew jadura lill-Mulej. Ghandna ezempju ta’ dan fil-Ktieb ta’ Dewteronomju 19:17 fejn dawk li jaghmlu hekk u “joqoghdu quddiem il-Mulej”, ikunu qed jipprezentaw ruhhom quddiem l-imhallfin u l-qassisin ta’ Izrael li jkunu qeghdin hemm f’isem il-Mulej.
Issa, meta dawn il-fatti jingabru flimkien u jkunu kkonsidrati fid-dawl illi t-terminu “Satana” jfisser “avversarju” kif rajna qabel, l-ewwel kapitlu tal-Ktieb ta’ Gob jaghtina stampa ta’ avversarju mhux maghruf li jinghaqad ma’ ohrajn li kienu gew biex jaghtu qima lill-Mulej, u li dan l-avversarju jakkuza lil Gob ghall-ipokresija. Dan is-Satana jew avversarju ta’ Gob jidher li kien bniedem li kien jivvjagga hafna (Gob 1:7) u kellu personalità inferjuri. Kien bniedem egoista, bniedem ghajjur li kien jaf sewwa lit-twajjeb Gob, u li kien dejjem lest biex jaghti l-malafama lill-isem ta’ Gob.
Il-dramm tal-hajja ta’ Gob ta’ sikwit irrepeta ruhu minn dak iz-zmien lil hawn. Anki fost il-hbieb Appostli ta’ Sidna Gesù, li kienu msejha “ulied Alla” (1 Gwanni 3:2), kien hemm ukoll xi hadd li kien Satana, xitan jew avversarju, jigifieri Guda Iskarjota. L-Imghallem sejjahlu l-avversarju tieghu ghax kien sejjer jittradih, “Mhux jien ghaziltkom it-tnax, u wiehed minnkom hu xitan. Kien qieghed jghid ghal Guda Iskarjota, bin Xmun; ghax hu kien li sa jittradih, billi kien wiehed mit-tnax” (Gwanni 6:70-71).
Ezaminajna tajjeb kull argument li suppost jaghti prova li jezisti x-xitan bil-qawwiet sopranaturali kollha tieghu, u ma sibna l-ebda bazi ghal dan it-twemmin falz. Passaggi mill-Bibbja bhal Ezekjel 28:13-15, Isaija 14:12-15, u Rivelazzjoni 12:7-9, huma ta’ sikwit ikkwotati biex juru li hemm dan l-ispeci ta’ spirtu hazin imsejjah xitan, imma meta l-fatti jigu studjati sewwa, din it-teorija tinstab li hi bla sens, vojta u falza. Kif naraw, mela, fil-profezija tieghu Ezekjel qed jitkellem, mhux fuq xi xitan imma fuq bniedem li kien kburi u kellu jigi fix-xejn, “ghanja ta’ tinwih ghas-sultan ta’ Tir” (Ezekjel 28:12). Fil-profezija tieghu, Isaija, meta jsemmi lil Lucifru (vers 12) qed jitkellem, mhux fuq xi xitan, imma fuq sultan iehor, “ghanja fuq is-sultan ta’ Babel” (Isaija 14:4). F’Rivelazzjoni 12 jissemma wkoll ix-xitan u Satana u kif ser naraw din il-profezija hija wahda dwar Ruma.
Huwa veru li f’Rivelazzjoni 12 tissemma “gwerra fis-sema” (vers 7), imma l-istess kapitlu jsemmi it-twelid ta’ tarbija tifel “fis-sema” (versi 1-2), ghalhekk il-lingwagg hu ovvjament simboliku. Id-demonju jew Satana jiehu l-isem ta’ “dragun” (vers 9), “li kellu sebat irjus u ghaxar qrun” (vers 3), u li b’denbu gibed mieghu terz mill-kwiekeb tas-sema u tefaghhom fuq id-dinja (vers 4)!
Illi dan hu kliem simboliku ghall-ahhar dwar is-sistema politika ta’ Ruma jidher bla dubju ta’ xejn mill-ispjega li hemm f’Rivelazzjoni 17:7-10, fejn din is-sistema hija identifikata bhala “dik il-belt il-kbira li ssaltan fuq is-slaten tal-art” (Rivelazzjoni 17:18). Il-belt li kienet issaltan fuq id-dinja kollha ta’ dak iz-zmien meta nkiteb il-Ktieb tar-Rivelazzjoni kienet Ruma, il-belt ta’ “seba' muntanji” (Rivelazzjoni 17:9).
Ghalhekk, ix-xitan jew Satana li naqraw fuqu f’Rivelazzjoni 12 huwa identifikat mas-sistema politiko-religjuza ta’ Ruma.

U XI NSIBU FUQ “ID-DEMONJI”?
Aktar ’il quddiem urejna li hemm zewg kelmiet bil-Grieg li gew tradotti “devil” bl-Ingliz u “demonju” jew “xitan” bil-Malti. Dawn il-kelmiet fl-original huma DIABOLOS u DAIMONION. DAIMONION skont Parkhurst fil-Lessiku Grieg tieghu tfisser: “Forma ta’ alla ta’ livell baxx, l-ispirtu ta’ nies li mietu u li kellhom is-setgha li jidhlu go xi bniedem u jmarrduh.”
Din il-kelma bdiet tintuza bhala effett tas-superstizzjoni, tip ta’ superstizzjoni li ghadha f’xi mhuh injoranti tan-nies tal-lum. Xi nies li ghadhom lura ghadhom jemmnu illi xi mard tal-bniedem huwa rizultat tal-pussess malinn fuqhom ta’ dawn l-ispirti tan-nies li mietu qabel.
F’xi pajjizi tal-Lvant, xi nies ghadhom jemmnu b’din l-idea, u t-tobba meta jkunu jridu juzaw metodi godda tax-xjenza tal-medicina moderna, sikwit isibuha difficli biex jithallew juzawhom fuq il-pazjenti taghhom, ghax qabel ma t-tobba jithallew juzaw il-medicini taghhom, il-pazjenti jkunu jridu li x-xjaten jew l-ispirti hziena jitkeccew jew jinqerdu minn go fihom. Lanqas ma hi haga rari li t-tobba moderni stess f’dawn il-postijiet fil-Lvant jemmnu huma stess serjament li l-fejqan tal-pazjenti taghhom huwa tassew il-hrug tax-xitan minn dak li jkun marid. In-nies ta’ dawk l-imkejjen hekk biss jistghu jifmhu l-fejqan taghhom. Ezempju ta’ dan huma xi gruppi ta’ nies go Burma li ghadhom jemmnu b’dawn l-ispirti immaginarji li jidhlu go fihom u jaghtuhom xi marda jew xi deni fiziku jew mentali iehor.
Hippocrates tal-Grecja tal-qedem maghruf ghall-fizika kiteb sagg fuq l-epilepsija jew il-mard tal-qamar, il-marda li hu sejjah “il-marda sagra” ghaliex il-poplu kien jemmen lill-qassisin ta’ dak iz-zmien li dawk li kienu epileptici kienu possessati. B’hekk il-qassisin, is-shahar u l-imposturi kienu jaqilghu hafna flejjes waqt li kienu taparsi jippruvaw ifejqu dil-marda bis-sahha tas-sharijiet u t-talb. Hippocrates kiteb dan is-sagg sabiex jikxef il-hmerijiet u s-superstizzjonijiet ta’ dawn il-fehmiet u sabiex jipprova jurihom li din il-marda ma kinetx aktar jew anqas sagra minn mardiet ohrajn.
Il-Bibbja, ghalhekk, tuza din l-espressjoni “tkecci x-xjaten” ghaliex dik kienet fil-vernakular, jigifieri fuq fomm in-nies, l-idea tal-poplu kif wiehed sata’ jehles mill-mard. Li tkecci x-xjaten kienet tfisser li tfejjaq il-mard. Fuq din il-bazi hemm bzonn li nifhmu l-espressjoni: “U Gesù canfar lix-xitan; u dan hareg minnu” (Mattew 17:18).
Ir-referenza li xi persuna kellha x-xitan go fiha kwazi dejjem kellha x’taqsam mal-mard tal-mohh. Per ezempju, meta Gesù staqsa lill-Lhud ghaliex riedu jfittxu li joqtluh, huma wiegbu: “Int ghandek xitan [daimonion]; min qieghed ifittex li joqtlok?” (Gwanni 7:20-21). Bit-twegiba taghhom kienu qishom qed jghidulu, kif nghidu llum, li kien mignun biex jahseb hekk.
Ghalkemm id-dixxipli ta’ Gesù uzaw it-terminu “daimonion”, ma jfissirx li kienu jaccattaw u jemmnu bl-idea pagana, l-istess kif ahna daz-zmien, ghalkemm kultant nuzaw xi espressjonijiet strambi, ma jfissirx li nemmnu fl-original ta’ dawk l-ideat. Per ezempju, il-kelma “lunatiku” tfisser “affettwat mill-qamar” jew “ghandu xi seher li gej mill-qamar”, izda meta nuzaw dil-kelma ma jkollniex f’mohhna dik il-fehma. Meta jkun hemm hafna storbju jew dizordni ahna nghidu li hemm “pandemonju”, izda ma nemmnux bit-tifsira litterali tal-kelma illi fil-fatt tfisser li l-istorbju kien ikkagunat mill-influwenzi hziena ta’ xi “daimonion” jew demonju. Nghidu wkoll li xi hadd hu “imsahhar” bla ma nemmnu bis-shahar.
L-istess bl-uzu tal-kelma “daimonion”. Fil-fomm tal-poplu Lhudi meta xi hadd kellu x-xitan go fih kien ifisser li kien marid.
Kristu ghamel uzu tal-lingwagg fuq fomm il-poplu u tkellem kif kien jitkellem kulhadd, bla ma kien jaccetta l-ideat u s-superstizzjonijiet taghhom. Kristu ghamel referenza ghal Baghalzebub (Belzebub), li l-Filistej ta’ Ekron kienu jqimu bhala wiehed mill-allat taghhom, alla tad-dubbien, u tkellem fuqu bhallikieku kien tassew jezisti (Mattew 12:27). Kristu ha din l-okkazjoni mhux ghax kien jemmen b’dan l-alla falz, imma biex jattakka lill-Farizej u jaghtihom taghlima. Certament li Kristu ma approvax it-twemmin f’dan l-alla pagan.

KIF WIEHED JOHROG REBBIEH FUQ IX-XITAN
Matul dan l-istudju rajna illi x-xitan huwa assocjat mal-gibdiet u x-xewqat hziena tal-gisem. Dawn it-tendenzi jezistu go gisem haj, ghalhekk meta Kristu miet fuq is-salib, dawn mietu u spiccaw ukoll. Meta qam mill-imwiet ghall-hajja eterna, il-gibdiet tal-gisem ma setghu qatt ikunu parti min-natura immortali li nghatatlu (Rumani 6:4, 7; 1 Korintin 15:54).
Is-sagrificcju tieghu huwa xempju jew mudell ta’ kif ahna nistghu nohduha max-xitan, il-gisem midneb li ghandna, u nzommuh kontrollat. Ahna nidinbu u ghalhekk ghandna bzonn il-mahfra, u din naqilghuha permezz ta’ Gesù Kristu. Pietru, ghalhekk, waqt li xandar il-Vangelu, ghallem:
“Indmu, u kull wiehed minnkom jitghammed f’isem Gesù Kristu ghall-mahfra tad-dnubiet...” (Atti 2:38).
Meta ninghaqdu ma’ Sidna Gesù permezz tat-twemmin u tal-maghmudija, inkunu qed niehdu l-ewwel passi biex nirbhu kontra x-xitan; ghaliex fi Kristu biss nistghu naqilghu l-mahfra ta’ dnubietna. Gwanni kiteb hekk:
“Jekk nistqarru dnubietna, hu fidil u gust biex jahfrilna dnubietna, u jnaddafna minn kull hazen” (1 Gwanni 1:9).
Fuq il-mahfra ta’ dnubietna nibnu u nibdew hajja li l-mudell taghha huwa Sidna Gesù. Bis-sahha u l-ghajnuna li niehdu minn ghandu, nistghu, sakemm hu possibli, li nohorgu rebbieha fuq il-gisem. Pawlu ghallem:
“U li miet ghal kulhadd, biex dawk li jghixu ma jghixux aktar ghalihom infushom, imma ghal dak li miet ghalihom u raga’ qam” (2 Korintin 5:15).
Ukoll:
“Jien imsallab ma’ Kristu; madankollu jien nghix; imma mhux jien, imma Kristu jghix fija; u l-hajja li issa nghix fil-gisem nghixha bil-fidi tal-Iben t’Alla, li habbni, u ta lilu nnifsu ghalija”
(Galatin 2:20).
Jekk nimxu fuq l-ezempju li hallielna Kristu nkunu mmexxija biex nghixu hajja ahjar, hajja li fiha jiddominaw principji divini u mhux l-aspetti hziena tal-gibdiet tal-gisem. B’hekk nibnu f’hajjitna karatteristici divini bhal dawk li wera Sidna Gesù, u nkunu nistghu nghixu bit-tama li meta jerga’ jigi lura, ninghataw natura divina li ghandu issa hu ma’ Missieru fis-smewwiet (2 Pietru 1:4).
Pawlu kiteb:

“Minn hemm ukoll ahna nistennew is-Salvatur, lil Sidna Gesù Kristu; li jbiddel il-gisem tal-umiljazzjoni taghna, biex ikun jixbah il-gisem tal-glorja tieghu” (Filippin 3:20).
Il-hajja immortali fis-saltna t’Alla fuq din l-art (Danjel 2:44) hija t-tama taghna. Biex ingawduha ghandna bzonn nohorgu rebbieha kontra l-ghadu taghna x-xitan, jew il-gibdiet hziena tal-gisem. L-ewwel haga li nehtiegu naghmlu biex naslu fejn nixtiequ hija li nifhmu sewwa l-pjan ta’ Alla fi Kristu, u dan jinkludi r-rebha li rebah Kristu fuq ix-xitan. Ghalhekk ejjew nifhmu sewwa xi jfisser ix-xitan, u b’hekk inkunu nistghu nidhlu ghall-battalja kontra d-dnub li huwa dejjem maghna. Nirrejalizzaw in-nuqqasijiet kollha taghna, u naghmlu minn kollox biex nohorgu rebbieha fuq ix-xewqat hziena tal-gisem ghall-glorja t’Alla; u b’hekk inkunu qeghdin nibnu l-pedament ghall-hajja eterna meta jigi lura Sidna Gesù Kristu.

ULURU post-publication comments

2009-12-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

KUMMENTI U OSSERVAZZJONIJIET
FUQ L-AHHAR KTIEB IPPUBBLIKAT
“ULURU”
(2009)

ACHILLE MIZZI, RECENZJONI TAL-KTIEB, FIT-TORCA, 6 TA’ DICEMBRU 2009:
ULURU
Poeziji 1997 - 2008
Joe Saliba (Awstralja) 2009
Nimrod Publications. pp. 72

Lil Joe Saliba ili nafu ’l fuq minn erbghin sena. Konna ltqajna l-ewwel darba fl-1967 ghand il-Lux Press fi Fleur de Lys meta jien kont qed nipprepara ghat-titbiegh tal-ewwel ktieb tieghi, “L-Ghar tal-Enimmi” u huwa ghat-tieni ktieb tieghu “Ferh, Biki u Poezija”. Naf li bhali kien imgennen ghall-poezija u mill-ewwel laqatni bhala poeta ta’ hila. Saliba kien mar l-Awstralja u mieghu kont tlift kull kuntatt, hlief kull meta ppubblika xi ktieb tal-poezija li hu kien jibghatli bhala gest ta’ hbiberija.

Mal-medda tas-snin Saliba hareg ghad-dawl ghadd ta’ kotba tal-poezija: Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha (1966), Ferh, Biki u Poezija (1967), Ilma (1981), Lamentations of a Happy Man (1989) u Alwettiera. Dan biex ma nsemmix li kien ukoll ko-awtur u/jew kontributur f’bosta gabriet ta’ poeziji, kif ukoll rapprezentat fl-antologiji principali. L-attività tieghu fl-Awstralja kienet hàwtiela hafna u ghaliha gie wkoll ippremjat.

Fil-fehma tieghi Saliba jmissu jkun maghruf hafna izjed milli hu f’Malta. Jaghtini x’nahseb li Saliba jbati mill-izvantaġġ tal-boghod ... tad-distanza enormi li hemm bejn l-Awstralja u Malta - haga din li ma jmesshiex tigri minhabba li l-kittieba ta’ barra huma fergha hajja mill-identità lingwistika u kulturali taghna. Barra minn hekk illum li qed nghixu fl-era digitali dan id-distakk imissu jkun wisq anqas. Xi ftit tat-tort iridu jerfghuh l-amministraturi lokali tal-kultura taghna li jmisshom jghinu hafna izjed biex isiru skambji bejn awturi Maltin li jghixu Malta u dawk li jghixu lil hinn minnha. Nistghu wkoll ninnewtralizzaw l-izvantagg finanzjarju li jinsab fih il-kittieb Malti fl-Awstralja biex ixerred xoghlu f’Malta u jsir aktar maghruf permezz ta’ sussidji apposta. X’nippretendu...li l-Gvern Awstraljan sa jidhol ghalina biex l-awtur Malti jkun maghruf f’pajjizu stess. Il-poeta jhossu dizilluz bil-weghdiet fiergha li jsirulu u jcanfar:

Jigu l-kbarat minn Malta u jparprulna
B’hafna paroli li sa jwettqu kollox,
B’weghdi ta’ gid li ftit li xejn jissarrfu… (Uluru)

Il-poezija ta’ Saliba toghgobni ghal diversi ragunijiet li jaghzluha minn ta’ ohrajn. L-ewwel karatteristika li tolqotni hija l-ghazla tas-suggetti u l-mod originali u frisk kif dawn jigu ttrattati. Fil-poezija tieghu qajla ssib dawk l-isterjotipi li ssib f’hafna mill-poezija Maltija li tinkiteb f’Malta, anke dik kontemporanja miktuba minn poeti ta’ generazzjonijiet aktar zaghzugha minna. Din l-originalità hija mseddqa minn kultura wiesgha u minn ottika ‘awstraljana’, haga li ma tistax tonqos f’kittieb li ilu jghix f’dan il-kontinent ghexieren ta’ snin. Ta’ min isemmi l-hila li l-poeta ghandu biex jikkonkretizza stati emottivi permezz ta’ vokabularju mqanqal u xejn anqas mirqum.

Minkejja kollox, wiehed qatt ma jixba’ jistudja d-differenzi li hemm bejn poeta Malti li ghex ghomru f’Malta u poeti ohrajn Maltin li ghexu fi bnadi ohra tad-dinja. Wiehed jintebah b’certa dikotomija li turi li waqt li s-sigill tal-identità baqa’ Malti, l-ambjent Awstraljan halla l-impatt tieghu anke fejn il-poeta kien dikjarattiv tal-gheruq Maltin u l-gibda li ghadu jhoss lejhom. Kultant il-poeta jirnexxilu jiddistakka xi ftit ruhu u jpoggi lil din it-tikka ta’ Malta taht il-mikroskopju mondjali u jghaddi kummenti spassjonati fuq pajjizu...Malta.

Mhux minnu l-gherf li gbarna mill-imgarrab
Ta’ kull ma gara
Tul iz-zminijet.
Bqajna l-istess:
Ucuħ ta’ art geblija
Iebsa hadid
Ghax-xita u l-mohriet.

Ghamjin izraq bix-xemx ghalxejn izernaq,
U s-slielem sal-gardjoli
Ma jlahhqux ... (Gardjoli, Rtokk u Nfafar).

Hawnhekk wiehed irid jikkummenta fuq il-ghala Saliba semma din il-gabra ta’ poeziji ULURU. Kif insibu f’nota mill-awtur, Uluru jew Ayers Rock huwa monolit kolossali f’nofs l-Awstralja, b’dawra ta’ 5 mili, 1000 pied gholi u mil u nofs midfun taht l-art. Dan il-post bil-leggendi u t-tpingijiet antiki tieghu huwa sagru u sinifkanti hafna ghall-Indigni Awstraljani.

Imma fil-qalb ta’ qalbu Saliba ghadu Malti f’dak li jsawwar l-identità tieghu. U dan mhux biss fl-imhabba ghal-lingwa li huwa juzaha b’facilità u b’reqqa kbira, ghanja fil-lessiku u nieqsa minn kull barbarizmi li jistghu jdennsulha giehha. Jidher ukoll fid-dimensjoni spiritwali tieghu li wiret fi tfulitu f’Birkirara anke jekk, skont ma qal hu stess, din mhix manifestata bl-istess ortodossja Kattolika li wiret f’hogor ommu.

Twemmini safi bla tingis pagan.
Slittu mill-Bibbja mhux mill-Vatikan.

B’danakollu Saliba ghandu diversi drabi xejriet profondi ta’ sensittività u spiritwalità li taghżlu u taqtghu mill-kotra medhija fil-frivolità tal-hajja ta’ kuljum… xhieda dawn ta’ mohh gharriexi u profond.

(TMIEM IR-RECENSJONI TA' ACHILLE MIZZI)

DR CLEMENTE ZAMMIT: Il-vrus tieghek minn dejjem ammirajthom ghax jaghmlu hafna sens barra milli mirquma tajjeb.

NAZZARENU ZERAFA: Dawn il-poeziji huma verament xhieda ta' min int, x'int u kif tahsibha.

ACHILLE MIZZI: Ghad ghandek, kif minn dejjem kellek, il-kelma Maltija safja u sabiha li hadt mieghek minn Birkirkara. Il-hsieb hu dejjem originali u qatt banali u l-prosodija hi bla ebda tinqir.

GORG BORG: Poeziji bi hsibijiet li tista’ thoss il-kotra li ma tafx tesprimi ruhha ghax m’ghandhiex id-don tal-poezija...Rajt ukoll li xi drabi ghadek tuza’ l-vers tal-hdax b’effett tajjeb hafna...Ma naqbilx mieghek f’haga wahda. Ghandek dritt thaddem religjon gdida jekk int konvint minnha kif tidher li int konvint izda ma nahsibx li hu sew li tmaqdar u b’xi mod twaqqa’ ghac-cajt xi religjon ohra.

SERGIO GRECH: Saliba hu poeta ritrattista. Bil-kliem kapaci johloq ritratt. Hi poezija li ma ddurx mal-lewza u ma tinsatarx. Il-poeta li ghandu jghid jghidu u l-metrika tieghu hija wahda qabbieza qisha zifna. Il-kliem bhal donnu jrid jaqbez mill-karta. Dan kollu jaghmel il-poezija tieghu bhala esperjenza sabiha u mqanqla.

CARMEL CAUCHI: Minkejja li fil-poezijia genwina wiehed ghandu jikteb dak li verament ihoss, jiena nemmen li mhux kulma jinkiteb ghandu jigi pubblikat...inti bqajt thobb ilsien art twelidna u thaddmu b'tant maestrija.

IL-PROFESSUR MANWEL MIFSUD: Alla jbierkek, ghadek tikteb dejjem xoghlijiet godda, u l-versi tieghek qed isiru dejjem iktar attwali, dejjem iktar b'sahhithom u cari, u b'ritmu partikolari taghhom.

DR ADRIAN GRIMA: Ilbierah ma stajtx neghleb it-tentazzjoni u spiccajt qrajt uhud mill-poeziji ta' Uluru. Apparti l-gost li niehu naqra l-poezija - dak garantit - tematikament u mil-lat ta' storja letterarja nahseb li f'Uluru hemm bosta elementi interessanti. Ix-xoghol li tiftah bih, bil-kritika harxa kontra l-mexxejja Maltin li joqoghdu jwieghdu fil-vojt, huwa tematikament qawwi. L-istqarrija li dak li inti u Maltin oħrajn irnexxielkom tiksbu ksibtuh bl-gharaq ta' gbinkom u mhux bl-ghajnuna ta' Malta - u speċjalment il-weggha li pajjizek ma kellux il-hila jiehu hsiebek - dawn narahom tematikament interessanti ghax id-diskors dwar il-letteratura Maltija fl-Awstralja jidhirli li hu wisq mahkum mill-isterjotipi dwar il-preservazzjoni tal-lingwa jew is-success tal-emigranti Maltin li donnu waqa' f’idejhom bhall-manna mis-sema.

Minkejja li miniex religjuz wisq, "Manifest ta' Twemmini," li tibda bic-cahda personali tal-Kattolicizmu, laqtitni. It-ton nahseb l-iktar li laqatni. Dan mit iehor, storja fabbrikata ohra. Ix-xoghol ta' ricerka li għamlet Lou Drofenik fuq l-influwenza (jien nghid) negattiva tal-Knisja Kattolika fuq l-emigranti Maltin rajtu frisk u rivelatorju hafna. Aktarx li fhimt mill-ewwel, pero', li miniex partikolarment entuzjast fuq il-poezija religjuza b'mod generali… F'dan is-sens nippreferi mumenti bhal "Quddiem il-Mewt," ghax tassew li quddiemha kulhadd paljazza tinten... Forsi din hija l-unika gustizzja li tezisti fid-dinja, il-gustizzja tal-mewt ghal kulhadd (ghalkemm mhux kulhadd imut xorta). Ghogobni wkoll ir-ritmu, u l-heffa, ta’ poezija bhal “Pronjosi”.

Kif tista' tobsor minn dak li ghedt fil-bidu, poezija bħal "Identita'," li fakkritni fil-ktieb ta' Amin Maalouf "On Identity," rajtha partikolarment interessanti ghax tattakka l-isterjotipi dwar l-emigranti Maltin li nisimghu u nippropagaw hawnhekk. Malta tidher bhala dik li ttradietek, li bighetek mhux bhala l-art imqaddsa ta’ twelidek.

B'mod generali hassejt is-sensazzjoni friska ta' poezija Maltija miktuba u magħguna f'kuntest socjali, kulturali differenti - fl-ispazju ckejken ta' tmien nazzjonalitajiet jghixu magenb xulxin - fl-ispazju ta' kontinent geografiku, kulturali, fiziku bla qies.

PAUL VELLA: Veru ktieb sabih kemm fil-kontenut u fil-prezentazzjoni. Faccata professjonali hafna u dan il-kumment gej minn wiehed li kien jahdem fl-istampa.

PATRICK SAMMUT: Jinhass sewwa l-livell spiritwali (dak li jmur lil hinn minn kull religjon partikolari) fil-versi ta’ Saliba, flimkien ma’ hsieb profond, sengha fit-thaddim tal-kelma Maltija, u mhabba kemm lejn il-gzira li halla warajh snin ilu (Malta) u dik li llum ihossu parti minnha (l-Awstralja). Joe Saliba huwa ezempju tajjeb ta’ kittieba emigranti li bis-sahha taghhom l-ilsien u l-letteratura Maltin hargu mil-limiti dejqa tal-fruntieri nazzjonali.

JOE AXIAQ: Versi jisplodu bis-sincerità u l-filosofija.

MANUEL CASHA: Hsus ta' ruhu minghajr biza' jew inibizzjoni. Fejn il-hsieb u l-messagg johorgu minghajr kompromess. Fejn il-kuragg tal-kittieb jigi qabel il-biza' mic-cirkostanzi. Ghalija, din hi t-tip ta' poezija li tinteressani. Wara kollox poeta li jolqot, dejjem jghix fix-xifer.

FREDU CACHIA: Joe, hadt gost bil-kitba kollha, wahda sabiha u l-ohra thallilek toghma tajba. Hadtni postijiet fejn insejt fejn huma, pingejtli bahar, sema, genna u infern, qhab u fratelli...Jien naf sew x’ridt tfisser u hekk bla biza’ hrigt stampa li ftit ghandhom il-kuragg ghaliha...Mill-abbundanza tal-qalb jitkellem il-fomm. Int hekk ghamilt, hekk ktibt.

FRANCIS GALEA: Poeziji tieghek li nhosshom sinciera, onesti u sensittivi hafna. Kellu bzonn kull kittieb jimxi wara l-passi tieghek u ma jibzax jikteb fuq il-grajjiet kurrenti u l-ambjent ta’ madwaru.

RODERICK BOVINGDON: Huwa jieqaf, josserva, janalizza, jisma’, jinterpreta, iwiezen ma’ tal-imghoddi, ikejjel id-distanzi spazjali u jahsad. Izda dejjem jibqa’ ikkondizzjonat minn, ghalkemm mhux irsir, tal-psike li hu evolva fih innifsu fl-isfond ta’ kulma garrab u wettaq...Dan il-poeta jghodd fost l-ahjar poeti tal-kelma u tat-tifsira Maltin. Minghajr tigbid lingwistiku artificjali huwa jirnexxilu jirrendi l-esperjenza umana minn ghajn Maltija minghajr qtugh ta’ distanzi territorjali, storici, lingwistici, fi kliem imsawwar b’hila mill-aqwa imma b’facilità naturali, minghajr tqanzigh...Jilma fl-ahhar mill-ahhar, is-sliem ta’ ruh solitarja, hiemda, donnha kuntenta fid-destin taghha. Anzi jitfaccaw sahansitra mumenti ta’ ghaxqa, ta’ ghozza, ta’ ghogba u ta’ sodisfazzjon u fuq kollox ta’ rassenjazzjoni.

MANWEL CASSAR, poezija ta’ hajr:

Hajr ghal ULURU, gabra poeziji ta’ Joe Saliba

Sa nofs il-lum, mill-bierah filghaxija
tlajt gholjiet ktieb ghanjietek Uluru.
Qalb mikxufa, qalb thammar b’demm il-hajja,
monolit f’nofs dezert ta’ qari iehor
mismugh il-bierah f’Lejla Letterarja,
mafkar t’ghajxien u wemna wahdanija
b’ghazla bil-hsieb u r-rieda, mhux bid-drawwa.

Ktiebek qrajtu bla nifs, minn dejjem b’dehwa
ghall-versi li ghalija bil-kuluri
li filghaxija spiss Uluru tqawwas
f’inzul ix-xemx, u xejn m’huma inqas tieghek.

Sincier f’li ghedtlek. Bl-istess mod nistqarrlek
ukoll b’tiqjis u b’fehma, mhux imwebbel,
li hbatt nisthajjel xi hofriet u meded
biz-zliq, kif f’Uluru li tlajtha --- meta
taqwil dawwart dwar djien. Bil-qawwi naqbel
mal-lewm ta’ whud, qatt denji, jdennu, joghdru,
u dawk li mkien il-qodos izebilhu,
’mma ma jahtix il-blat stess, samm, fond, gholi.

It-tieni darba ’l Uluru, ghax ktiebek
jien tlajt. Ghalija leggendarju
bit-tpingijiet ta’ hnientek ’l ghajrek, b’maghha
serjatajiet ta’ fejda wiesgha. Nroddlok
il-hajr. Nerga’ nitilghu kemm-il darba!

21 ta’ Settembru 2009

KEMM DHAKNA META MIET (NOVELLA)

2009-12-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

(skecc li pingejt tan-nannu Karmnu meta kelli xi erbatax-il-sena)

KEMM DHAKNA META MIET!

NOVELLA QASIRA

RAKKONT TA’ GRAJJA VERA

In-nannu Karmnu u n-nanna Karmni, il-geneturi ta’ missieri, kellhom personalitajiet differenti hafna minn xulxin. In-nannu Karmnu kien ragel ta’ sudizzjoni, ihobb id-dixxiplina u jaghmel kollox bil-galbu u bl-ordni. In-nanna ma kienet tinkwieta fuq xejn.

Niftakar li n-nannu Karmnu qatt ma rajtu barra mid-dar. Minhabba r-roghda li kien ibati biha ma kienx b’sahhtu bizzejjed biex jitla’ jorqod fuq u ghalhekk kellu s-sodda tieghu isfel, f’kamra li fiha kien hemm ukoll mejda tal-ikel, gradenza u kaxxaforti li ma kien ihalli lil hadd jiftahhielu. Kien imdorri jqum fl-gherba ta’ filghodu u jorqod gha xi l-hamsa ta’ filghaxija. Meta kien jasal ghalih il-hin tal-irqad, ma kienx jahsibha darbtejn biex jghidli nbaxxilu d-dawl tal-lampa tal-pitrolju u nitla’ fuq il-kaxxaforti u naghalaqlu t-tieqa halli jorqod. Ghalija dak kien sinjal li kien wasal il-hin biex inparpar ’il barra.

In-nanna Karmni kienet taghmel ghal zaqqha. Ma kinetx tisma’ ghaddej bejjiegh li ma kinetx tinzel tara x’ghandu. U x’ma kinetx tixtri? Bigilla, cicri tal-qatta, bajtar tax-xewk, rizzi, gelat, jew frott. U fil-but tal-libsa twila taghha dejjem xi bicca cikkulata. Meta bdiet tixjieh sewwa qabditha d-dijabete u bdiet titlef id-dawl t’ghajneha u l-memorja.

Lin-nannu Karmnu kemm-il darba smajtu jghid li dejjem xtaq li jmut qabel in-nanna ghax ma felahx jaraha tbati, issa li kienet kwazi ghamiet ghal kollox, mohhha kompla jehfief u bdiet titlef aktar il-memorja. U hekk gara. Jum wiehed ghall-habta ta’ l-erbgha ta’ filghodu gew jghidulna li n-nannu kien qed imut. Morna nigru ghandu. Meta wasalna sibna lin-nannu mixhut f’soddtu bil-qassis bilqieghda fuq siggu hdejn rasu, u l-girien u tal-familja bilwieqfa mhassbin ma jghidux kelma bejniethom. Wicc imb wicc mieghu rajt u smajt lill-qassis jghid lin-nannu, “Karm, Karm, ghid warajja. Gesù, henn ghalija. Gesù, henn ghalija...” Minn fomm in-nannu ma hargetx kelma. Il-qassis rega’ bl-istess kliem ghal hafna drabi. U l-istess. Xejn.

In-nanna Karmni li kienet f’dik il-kamra, imma ma kinetx taf x’qed jigri minhabba l-problema tal-memorja u n-nuqqas tad-dawl t’ghajnejha, staqsiet, “Jaqaw xi hadd qed jghidilna biex nitolbu mieghu?” Xi whud tbissmu u harsu lejn xulxin waqt li gelben id-dmugh mill-ghajnejn. Hadd ma tkellem. Imbaghad kompliet, “Mela, ejjew ninzlu gharkopptejna u nitolbu...Gesù, henn ghalija. Gesù, henn ghalija...” U baqghet sejra hekk, waqt li zdied il-biki, u bdew dehlin aktar nies. Wara ftit il-qassis dar fuqna, u bilkemm jinstema’, qalilna, “Halliena. Halliena.”

Hafna minn dawk li kienu hemm baqghu fil-kamra t’isfel waqt li tal-familja tellghu lin-nanna fil-kamra taghha fuq u dahhluha bil-mod il-mod fis-sodda. Min qaghad bilwieqfa madwar is-sodda u min pogga bilqieghda, kulhadd ihares lejn in-nanna b’dawk l-ghajnejn cassi taghha jharsu ’l quddiem u minghajr espressjoni ta’ xejn. Wahda min-nisa li kien hemm, hi u tmellsilha wiccha bil-Hlewwa u b’lehenha miksur u mbikki, fl-ahhar qalet lin-nanna, “Karm, in-nannu Karmnu miet!” U n-nanna wiegbet fil-pront, “Miet, miet, miet, fuq erba’ ravjuliet!” Ma kinetx kelma. Infexxejna nidhku u ma stajniex nieqfu. Id-dmugh tal-biki nbidel fi dmugh tad-dahk. U n-nanna baqghet sejra hekk bil-kantaliena, “Miet, miet, miet, fuq erba’ ravjuliet!”

Bqajna maghha ftit iehor sakemm, bil-lajma l-lajma, kulhadd nizel isfel. Jien u niezel it-tarag smajtha titkellem wehidha u tghid, “Min miet?” Isfel sibt lin-nannu mejjet stendut fuq il-mejda tal-ikel li minn fuqha min jaf kemm-il darba jien u hu konna kilna flimkien xi haga shuna. Missejtlu wiccu u jdejh. Kienu keshin silg.

PRAYER BEFORE BIRTH translation of poem

2009-10-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

TALBA TA' QABEL IT-TWELID
(Qlib tal-poezija "Prayer Before Birth" ta' Louis MacNeice)

Jien ghadni ma twelidtx; iss' isimghuni.
Thallux lill-farfett il-lejl, reddiegh id-demm,
thallux lill-gurdien xih, jew l-ermellin,
jew l-ihirsa, jersqu lejja.

Jien ghadni ma twelidtx; issa farrguni.
Nibza' minn dawk li ghandhom mnejn
wara hitan gholjin jaghlquni,
bi drogi qawwija jraqqduni,
b'gideb mahsub minn qabel, jigbduni u jhajruni,
fuq ghodda sewda ta' hqir jifnuni,
go banjijiet tad-demm igerbuni.

Jien ghadni ma twelidtx; ahsbuli ghall-ilma
biex wara, fih inkun nista' nitbahbah;
ghall-haxix ha' jikber biex jaghtini l-hajja;
ghas-sigar ha' jkellmuni, ghas-sema ha' jghannili,
ghall-ghasafar u ghad-dawl jixghel go mohhi
biex jurini triqti.

Jien ghadni ma twelidtx; ahfruli bil-quddiem
ghad-dnubiet li d-dinja mhabba fija ghad taghmel,
ghal fommi meta jlissen x'hemm mistur go fija,
ghal hsiebi li hu x-xebh tieghi nnifsi,
ghat-tradiment tieghi, imheggeg u mixghul
minn tradituri li ma llahhaqx maghhom,
ghal hajti meta joqtlu bis-sahha ta' jdejja,
ghal mewti meta jwellduni.

Jien ghadni ma twelidtx; ghallmuni bil-quddiem
kif ingib ruhi max-xjuh
meta jwissuni;
u meta l-kbarat jhedduni;
meta l-igbla bla tarf jehduha mieghi u jcanfruni;
jiddiehku bija l-mahbubin;
meta l-mewg abjad isejjahli ghal frughu,
ix-xaghri jghajjatli biex nintemm go fih,
u t-tallâb
ma jilqax l-imhiba li naghtih
u wliedi stess jishtuni.

Jien ghadni ma twelidtx; isimghu talbi.
Thallux lil dak il-bniedem li hu bhima
jew li jahseb l'hu xi alla,
joqrob lejja.

Jien ghadni ma twelidtx; minn issa mlewni
b'sahha ta' ggant
ghall-glieda mistennija ma' dawk kollha
li jridu jkesshu r-ruh ta' bniedem li jien;
li jridu jahqruni u jgibuni bniedem vojt,
jisirquli sahansitra hsiebi,
li jridu jaghmlu minni sinna go magna,
haga b'wicc wiehed,
haga biss u xejn aktar;
u ma' dawk li jridu jxejnuni,
u bhall-ghallis 'l hawn u 'l hemm
itajruni
jew 'l hawn u 'l hemm bhall-ilma minn hofret l-id
ixerrduni ma' l-art.

Thalluhomx jaghmlu minni gebla
u thalluhomx ixerrduni bhall-ilma.
Inkella oqtluni.

JOE SALIBA (tradittur)

GANNI SAPIANO-LANZON

2009-10-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

GIOVANNI SAPIANO-LANZON
(1858 -- 1918)
IL-POEZIJA POPOLARI
TAS-SEKLU DSATAX

Fl-istorja tal-letteratura Maltija tad-dsatax il-seklu l-poezija popolari kienet imfittxa hafna. Dawk li kienu jiktbuha kienu ta' spiss responsabbli ghall-pubblikazzjonijiet taghhom u kienu johorgu l-versi u t-tqabbil taghhom f'xi ktejjeb ta' sittax-il pagna, jew f''xi fuljett jew gurnal ta' dak iz-zmien, bhal nghidu ahna Il-Habbar Malti u In-Nahla Maltija. Kien hemm numru sabih ta' kittieba, imma ftit huma li baqghu jissemmew.
Numru sabih minnhom kienu aktar maghrufa ghat-tqabbil milli ghall-poezija akkademika. Mill-ahjar kienu xi poeti tajba bhal Gananton Vassallo, Dwardu Cachia, u Guzè Muscat-Azzopardi. Mal-poeti nsibu wkoll il-versifikaturi, il-qabbiela li, b'versi hfief kienu jiktbu ballati, kurunelli, innijiet religjuzi u fatti u rakkonti minn xi stejjer Maltin jew Taljani. Fil-versi ta' dawn il-kittieba, ghalkemm nieqsa mill-irqim u mimlija sentimentalità, naraw hafna oqsma tat-tigrib ta' kuljum, bhall-imhabba u xi cajta jew taghlima.
Wiehed minn dawn il-qabbiela popolari kien Giovanni Sapiano-Lanzon (1858-1918). Kien poeta, editur, tradittur u stampatur imfittex. Ghandi tnax mill-kotba tieghu li kien johrog regolarment, u naturalment bl-ortografija ta' zmienu. Dak li ser nikkwota mill-versi tieghu ser ingibu bl-ortografija tal-lum. Dawn huma xi ismijiet tal-pubblikazzjonijiet tieghu: Taqbil Malti, Il-Kitarra Skurdata - Jew - Gabra ta' Ghana Amorus, Il-Fraxketta - Fatt Poezija u Il-Habib tal-Ghannej - Jew - Gabra ta' Ghana Malti. Ma ninsewx li dax-xoghlijiet hargu daqs mitt sena ilu.
Wahda mill-ghanjiet favoriti tieghi hi din li gejja, fejn bi kliem drammatiku, dirett u spontanju, deskrizzjoni naturali tas-sentimenti tal-mahbubin, u b'gheluq mhux mistenni, Sapiano-Lanzon jaghtina gost naqrawh illum, kif bla dubju ta' xejn, ferrah lil dawk li semghuh seklu ilu. Ghaddew erba' generazzjonijiet u ma tbiddel xejn...imhabba, namur, u relazzjonijiet personali, bil-ferh u n-niket li jgibu maghhom…

BURRAXKA KBIRA

X'qieghda nilmah? L-ajru msahhab!
Dan kif tqalleb it-temp f'daqqa?
Xita qliel, sajjetti tfaqqa'
Wahda f'wahda; hwejjeg kbar!
Miskin hu min lahaq hareg
U jinsab boghod mid-dar.

Is-silg niezel, u x'kull wahda!
Daqs gellewza tista' tghid.
Jien ma nafx, ma nafx inghid
X'qieghda nhoss fuqi dal-hin:
Ghax Toninu l-mahbub tieghi
M'hemmx li jigi, x'wahda din!

O li kien ma jdumx, jahasra!
Dak il-gojja tal-qalb tieghi.
Dan il-wahx jekk hu jkun mieghi
Malajr kieku kien imur:
Ma kontx nibqa' izjed bezghana;
Hu jderrili kien zgur.

Oqghod: qieghda fil-bghid nilmah
Zaghzugh gej imghaggel lejja;
Jekk jaraw tajjeb ghajnejja
Hadd m'hu hlief Toninu tieghi.
Iva, hu. Jien qalbi qaltli
Li ma jdumx ma jkun hawn mieghi.

Ara, x'jigri! Kif sar xraba!
Kos, miskin, gie biex jarani!
Skenn xi mkien, Nin, biex fi hdani
Xraba toqtor ma tigix.
Ghalfejn hi dil-ghagla kollha?
Jaqaw hsibt li ma ssibnix?

X'qieghda nilmah, destin kiefer!
Mishut l'hu kif tqarraq bija.
Dak mhux Ninu, dak Mallia,
Sid id-dar li 'l hawnhekk gej.
Ghandu jiehu tliet xhur kera;
Imma jien ma ghandix mnej!!

Barra mir-rakkonti ta' xi disgrazzja, poeziji ta' mhabba, sunetti lil hbiebu, tqabbil fuq iz-zwieg, ghanjiet fuq in-natura, tifhir u pariri lil dawk li kien jaf, osservazzjonijiet fuq ix-xebbiet, il-moda ta' dak iz-zmien u l-brikkunati tan-nisa u tal-irgiel, Sapiano-Lanzon jghidilna li kien dejjem lest biex jiehu l-pariri ta' haddiehor, jekk dawn ikunu ta' siwi ghalih. Hafna mit-tghajjir u l-insulti jidher li qed jaghmilhom biex jiccajta, mhux biex joffendi, kif dejjem ghamlu l-ghannejja, anke ta’ zmienna.
Ghazilt dawn l-istornelli mill-kotba tieghu u s-suggett, ghal darb’ohra, hu l-imhabba.

STORNELLI

Fjur tar-rummien!
Inti tlaqtni, mort qbadt iehor;
X'kont tghid kieku tlaqtek jien?

Fjur tal-pitravi!
Morru ghand Nina, ghidulha, jiena
Qed fis-sodda nghodd it-travi.

Fjur tal-bellus!
Halli nghanni ghax ferhana,
Ghamilt paci mal-gharus!

Fjur tal-buzbiez!
Billi 'l hadd ma sibt min riedni,
Kelli mmur nidhol man-nies.

Fjur tar-rancis!
Kxift ma' min qieghda tinnamra,
U jien nafu: bahri Ingliz!

Fjur tal-bzar!
Ta' hmistax jien bdejt ninnamra,
Ta' hmistax sofrejt l-imrar.

Fjur tan-naghnigh!
Fost il-fjuri l-fjur ta' mhabbti
Nara jien l-iktar sabih.

Nittama li hadtu pjacir taqraw mieghi dawn il-ftit versi helwin ta' kittieb li hadem kif seta' mal-ohrajn ahjar minnu biex l-ilsien Malti jibqa' haj. Ganni Sapiano-Lanzon miet fl-1918, imma xoghlu ghadu maghna, kif nittamaw li jibqa' lsienna f'dal-kontinent tal-Awstralja mitt sena ohra u izjed.

JOE SALIBA

Nota: id-disinn fuq huwa xoghol habiba tieghi minn New Zealand maghrufa bhala Wiki.

WAS SHAKESPEARE A RACIST?

2009-10-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

WAS SHAKESPEARE A RACIST?

DID HE SUPPORT THE GROUP IN POWER?

In some of his plays Shakespeare (1564-1616) dwells on the problems which arise from power, their origins, their deviations and their consequences. In The Merchant of Venice (1596?) even where Shakespeare is able to appear sympathetic to the outsiders in his society, he tends to support the values of the group in power and thus to maintain the group in power and the status quo.

The story line of the play is uncomplicated. Antonio, the merchant, signs a bond in order to borrow money from Shylock, a Jew, for Bassanio, the lover of Portia. If the loan were paid within three months, only the principal would be required; if not, the Jew should be at liberty to claim a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. The ships of Antonio being delayed, the merchant was unable to meet his bill, and the Jew claimed the forfeiture. Portia in the dress of a law doctor, conducted the defence and saved Antonio by reminding the Jew that the pound of flesh gave him no drop of blood.

In this play the outsider is Shylock the Jewish money-lender, whilst the group in power are the members of the Christian nobility, namely, Antonio, Portia, Bassanio and their friends. Shakespeare certainly ‘appears’ sympathetic towards Shylock and gives some good reasons why the audience should have sympathy for him as we shall see later. As the play develops, however, Shylock’s actions reveal that he is repulsive and unattractive, even though his actions and general attitude are in response to his enemies’ treatment of him. By emphasising the commendable values condemns Shylock. Thus in the long run we see where Shakespeare’s preferences lie, that is, that the friendship, love and harmony of the Christian group, despite the fact that their sense of revenge is not dissimilar to Shylock’s, should be preferred.

One can see Shylock the Jew as either the villain or as the wronged outcast. Both approaches are extremes. By revealing Shylock’s cruelty and cunning, Shakespeare depicts him as one to be despised. On the other hand, the treatment the money-lender receives from the Christian group in power deserves our pity. Generally speaking, although Shakespeare appears to want us to sympathise with Shylock, in fact he does the opposite. By indirectly praising the nobility and rewarding it, Shakespeare condemns the Jewish money-lender. The play, therefore, although it problemises the situation and makes judgement difficult if not impossible, the conclusion reached at the end of the play where we find the nobility rewarded and the outcast punished makes Shakespeare appear more sympathetic towards the ruling class.

Shylock is a Jew, an outsider in Shakespeare’s society. Shakespeare’s audience, as all European countries at the time, were prejudiced against the Jews. Prejudice against the Jews in continental Europe was more violent, where they were confined to ghettos. The practice of usury, denounced by the Christian Church, was sufficient to inspire hatred against the Jewish race, a hatred which no doubt was temporarily intensified by the trial and hanging of Dr Roderigo Lopez, a Jewish physician to Queen Elizabeth, and a spy for Spain, for his alleged attempt to poison the Queen in 1594.1 The Jewish people were traditionally associated with witchcraft and child-stealing, blamed for natural disasters and generally regarded as cruel, loathsome, the scum of the earth and worse than dogs. Shakespeare was brought up in an accepted tradition of anti-Semitism which he may have questioned but never rebelled against.2
Shakespeare gives Shylock some convincing human reasons why he should hate his Christian persecutors. On the surface the playwright seems to echo Sir Walter Raleigh’s comment: “Shylock is a man more sinned against than sinning...[he] pleads the cause of the common humanity against the cruelties of prejudice and has in it something of the nobility of patriotic passion.”3 Two of Shylock’s reasons for his revenge on Antonio are that the Christian merchant lends money gratis, thus endangering Shylock’s own livelihood as money-lender in Venice (1:3:40-41), and because of Antonio’s vile habit of spitting on Shylock’s beard and calling him cut-throat dog. Antonio has no desire to change:
“I am as like to call thee so again,
To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.” (1:3:122-123)

In two great speeches Shakespeare makes Shylock look human, deserving of sympathy and a mouthpiece for the whole persecuted nation. The first is his passionate rhetoric to Salarino:
“He [Antonio] hath disgrac’d me...laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation...and what’s the reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?... hands...affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons...as a Christian is... if a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge!” (3:1:46-63 passim)

Shylock’s plea here is not for tolerance but revenge, which, he says, is also a Christian practice. It is difficult to ignore Shylock’s charge and logic. This is not complimentary in view of Antonio’s insults and Gratiano’s eagerness to meet vengeance with vengeance. It is noted that Shylock’s charges are not effectively answered, except perhaps in the “Quality of Mercy” speech. As a point of debate Shakespeare wants to show Shylock’s humanity, and though an usurer and a Jew, he is still a man. Shylock’s argument for Jewish and Christian kinship is based only on fleshly similarities. Shylock’s speech may give the impression that he is pleading for sympathy but actually he is putting up his case why he should also take revenge as Christians do. Shylock tries to put himself on the same level of the rest of society by indicating that he also has feelings. Therefore he should also take his revenge as the Christians. However his kind of argument would have been ridiculed by the Elizabethan society who regarded minority groups such as the Jews outcasts of society. Yes, social prejudices would have been very high. For Elizabethan audiences the laughable aspect of his argument is that he cannot understand his alienation from the Christian world because he is an outcast Jew, different to the rest of society and therefore has no equal rights to anything, least of all revenge.

The second speech that creates a sense of sympathy for Shylock is his answer to the Duke’s appeal for mercy at the trial:
“You have among you many a purchas’d slave,
Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,
You use in abject and in slavish parts,
Because you bought them: shall I say to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
............................................You will answer
‘The slaves are ours’: so do I answer you:
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought; ’tis mine and I will have it.” (4:1:89-99)
Shylock argues that the pound of flesh is now his, as it would be foolish to ask the Christians to part with their slaves. Although this argument sounds less convincing than the previous speech, the Duke’s plea for mercy looks artificial on account of the equally unmerciful Christian behaviour.

What evidence do we have of the contrary, that is, that Shylock is more a man sinning than sinned against? The loss of his daughter Jessica seems to Shylock a trifle compared with the loss of his money and jewels (2:8:24). Her loss is almost nothing to Shylock. He is more concerned about the loss of his money and precious jewels. It would have been the opinion of the society of that time to regard Shylock as a villain because of his attitude towards his daughter. Jessica’s elopement, her hatred of her father and hellish home (2:3:2), her flight with the Christian Lorenzo, and her theft are to a large extent all justified in the eyes of the Elizabethan and Christian audiences. No doubt, that despite the intense racial prejudice against the Jewish nation some people in the audience would feel some qualm and would judge the matter according to their conscience. Moreover, Jessica’s sympathy for “poor Antonio” (3:2:281-285) brands Shylock as an outcast, not only from the Christian world but from all humanity. Shylock makes himself appear a complete villain by his diabolical wish, “I would my daughter were dead at my feet and the jewels in her ear” (3:1:77).

There is not one line in the entire play in which Shylock expresses affection for his daughter. Jessica’s values are not those of her father. Her unhappiness at home is substantiated by the Shylock who goes to dinner in “hate, to feed upon the prodigal Christian [Bassanio]” (2:5:15), who scorns music and merriment, instructs Jessica to “let not the sound of shallow poppery enter my sober house”, and leaves her behind locked doors (2:5:28-35). Shakespeare depicts Shylock unable to express affection, whilst Antonio, for all his faults, is portrayed as one who understands what love is all about. Shakespeare characterises Shylock as cruel and repulsive with the aim that society might turn to the nobility and its attractive elements of love and generosity.

Shylock despises Antonio. From the moment he creates the bond, Shylock longs for forfeiture, and reminds Antonio’s friends, “Let Antonio look to his bond” (3:1:43). He is willing to take an outside chance that his fondest dream of vengeance will be fulfilled and he would carve from Antonio a pound of flesh. So engrossed in revenge, Shylock refuses to give to the Duke his reason why he prefers “a weight of carrion flesh” (4:1:41) to three thousand ducats. Shylock’s point would be that his reason is not relevant to this aspect of the bond. There is nothing more fiendish to a Christian audience than to demand death for a noble, generous gentleman as Antonio, without a reason!

It was the duty of all Renaissance Christians to bring everyone into the noble Christian household. Launcelot’s leaving Shylock and joining in Bassanio’s service is an indication of the clown’s salvation from the alleged barbaric and evil ways of the Jewish usurer. By this episode of Launcelot deserting his master Shylock whom he describes as mean and “the very devil incarnal” (2:2:23), and by the tormenting of Shylock by Tubal (a Jew and a fellow-usurer) (3:1:105), we are led to believe that Shylock does not deserve sympathy. It has been suggested that by emphasising the loss of money and jewels through Jessica’s elopement, Tubal was really tormenting or torturing Shylock perhaps for some grudge he might have had for Shylock, or because of jealousy.

Though Shakespeare gives good reasons for Shylock’s vengefulness, which we see acted out by the other characters, he also makes him an object of contempt and derision. A Jew’s revenge on a Christian, however good its reasons, would be viewed as an atrocity, and Christian persecution as justifiable retaliation. It is clear that Shakespeare deliberately weighted the scales very heavily against the Jew. Any transient sympathy for Shylock disappears in support of the values of the group in power, the nobility. Shakespeare wants us to know that the nobility’s attributes for friendship, generosity and love are to be honoured, commended and approved whilst Shylock’s avarice and vengeful spirit are to be condemned. Thus in the play Shakespeare creates a number of rewards to those who show noble values.

To emphasise, therefore, the attractiveness of the nobility - and Antonio as a merchant would have been regarded by the Elizabethan society as a member of the upper class, the group in power, and thus by association, part of the nobility, the genteel society - Shakespeare puts the spotlight on Antonio’s generosity, friendliness and calm endurance. He is extolled by his many friends, especially Bassanio who declares to Portia:
“The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,
The best condition’d and the unweari’d spirit
In doing courtesies, and in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears
Than any that draws breath in Italy.” (3:2:287-291)
Antonio goes as far as borrowing from his arch-enemy Shylock to finance Bassanio’s courtship and signing such a sinister bond that even Bassanio is alarmed at the risk involved. As an effective symbol of wronged innocence, Antonio appears helpless and down trodden, thus evoking more sympathy. This makes Shylock’s revenge look monstrous and Portia’s verdict presumably just. Shylock’s failed attempt to get his pound of flesh makes him look more monstrous in the eyes of society and thus Antonio even more attractive than before. As soon as Shylock’s plot is foiled, Antonio stands out as an even more ideal Christian gentleman, a perfect example for the group in power to emulate.

Antonio is the exemplary Renaissance man. He represents the idea of nobility in friendship. Shakespeare and his contemporaries fully believed that nobility in friendship reflected nobility of heart. We are constantly reminded of the extent of Antonio’s virtues. He promises Bassanio his “purse”, his “person” and his “extremist means” (1:1:138) to win for himself lady Portia. Before the trial, Portia, learning of Antonio’s danger, unhesitatingly sends away her newly acquired husband Bassanio with an offer of payment to Shylock:
“Pay him six thousand and deface the bond.
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description
Shall lose a hair through Bassanio’s fault.” (3:2:300-304)
Given power over his “murderer” Shylock, he seeks the man’s salvation and not his destruction as he recommends that Shylock should be made a Christian. Provided with the means of restoring his lost wealth, he thinks first of Lorenzo and Jessica whom he wants to inherit Shylock’s wealth (4:1:386), even though his ships do come in after all. In the trial scene he also meets Shylock’s senseless rage with “quietness of spirit” (4:1:12). In the end Antonio’s friendship and generosity are rewarded. He does not fall victim to Shylock’s revenge, but instead, his circle of friends increases through Portia and her household.

There are bountiful rewards also for the noble and handsome Bassanio. He wins Portia and her fortune. For his sake, she wishes that she were “A thousand times more fair, / Ten thousand times as rich” (3:2:154). In the world of romance, money and love are complementary to each other. Riches, according to the play, are merely another expression of the happy wealth and plenty surrounding the Christian world. Even though this is a marvellous justification for greed, the group in power is made to appear to be accepted and preferred and recognised as ideal. Thus its ways are justified.

Love also comes to Jessica and Lorenzo. Her disassociation from the isolated life in her father’s house signifies her freedom from evil and corruption. For the Elizabethan Christian audience Jessica’s deception and theft would be tolerated acts because her marriage to Lorenzo is the only means of her salvation. By becoming a Christian through her marriage, she is abundantly rewarded. She enters the world of Belmont where love, friendship, generosity and wealth abound. Of course there is irony in all of this. But the Elizabethan society, even though she steals from her father, is driven to the point of blind approval of her elopement.

The nobility returns to Belmont. No one mentions ducats, bonds or knives. Shylock is forgotten, the nobility is intact and Shakespeare has delivered his message - the virtue of the ideal Christian world rewards itself and casts away its enemies at all levels - Portia her un-Christian suitors, Jessica her heritage, and Antonio his antagonist. Although our sympathies might be aroused because Shylock is shown no mercy and he leaves the court a suffering and broken old man, we are also amazed at those who hate him who receive much more than they are entitled to. The status quo has been approved and preserved and once again good, despite its many weaknesses, has triumphed over what is envisaged as evil. Approval, however, is no guarantee that a thing is right in itself, but that hopefully its faults are few.
* * * * *

NOTES
The quotations followed by their act, scene and verse number are from the following text:
SHAKESPEARE , The Merchant of Venice, edited by Taylor A. B., Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1953.
1. SHAKESPEARE, The Merchant of Venice, edited by Taylor A. B., Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1953, p. 19.
2. EDITORIAL BOARD, The Merchant of Venice, Coles Notes, Coles Publishing Co., Canada, (no date), p. 17.
3. SHAKESPEARE, loc. cit..
ESSAY COMPLETED ON 20.7.1983

JOE SALIBA

RIGU BOVINGDON STUDJU

2009-10-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

RIGU BOVINGDON

Rigu (Roderick) Bovingdon twieled H’Attard fl-1942 minn Rebekka Debono u Henry Charles Bovingdon, Ingliz imwieled l-Afrika t’Isfel. Wara xi snin is-Seminarju siefer ma’ familtu u wasal l-Awstralja fl-1959.

Hadem go fabbrika tal-hwejjeg, imbaghad ma’ kumpanija tal-inxurjans, dahal ma’ tal-Muzew u studja mal-Patrijiet Kapuccini.Telaq u beda x-xoghol tieghu bhala infermier psikjatriku waqt li kompla jistudja l-psikologija u l-psikjatrija minfejn spicca mjegat bhala Ufficjal Amministrattiv mal-Gvern Statali ta’ N.S.W.

Fl-1965 izzewwweg lil Iris Pace u ghandu zewg subien.

Il-kontribuzzjonijiet tieghu huma varji u mumeruzi: ko-pijunier tad-diska Maltija fl-Awstralja; ghannej u kantawtur; awtur ta’ studji serji ta’ kritika letterarja u lingwistika; intervistatur ma’ personalitajiet prominenti Maltin u barranin; kelliemi fuq ir-radju etniku dwar il-lingwa taghna l-Maltin; minn tal-ewwel li ghaqqad klassi ghat-taghlim tal-Malti fl-Awstralja; jinpenja ruhu fil-gurnalizmu u r-ricerka storika dwar l-ewwel Maltin li ssetiljaw fl-Awstralja; u kiseb il-bacellerat fl-Arti bl-Unuri fil-Lingwistika mill-Universita’ ta’ Malta. Fi ftit kliem, Rigu “sikwit spikka fl-art il-gdida, fost il-protagonisti ewlenija fit-tmexxija tal-Kawza Maltija”.

Awtur tal-kotba ta’ poeziji BEJN HALTEJN u APORIJA u ko-awtur m’ohrajn fl-Awstralja tal-pubblikazzjoni IRJIEH. Wiehed mit-tliet rebbieha tal-Premju Francis Ebejer bid-dramm tieghu TABU’.

MILL-GDID MALTI

Mhux lewn il-gilda jew kunjom idakkrek;
il-Bajda u Hamra biss qatt kelli f'qalbi.
Tas-safa l-bjuda, minn gebbieda twila
ta' qalbenin Maltin; kburin bil-hmura
ta' demm, ibaqbaq l-ghajta ta' gensih.
U Bajda u Hamra biss qatt kienet fija,
li f'namra kolonjali mn'omm rahlija,
ma' l-Union Jack, intrabtet il-bandiera
u tnissilt jien; wild l-Anglu ma' Maltija.
Go rahal eqdem minn Stonehenge jew Mnajdra,
fejn jekk tissemma' sew, il-eku taqbad
tal-vina pura -- wild il-art Maltija.
Kemm bkejt! Ghalejt! Turmenti kbar ghaddejt
bla hadd li jifhem tal-gewwien l-ugigh!
Kemm ljieli twal tqallibt u dmughi carcru
fil-qalb ta' qalbi nrahham il-gustizzja!

Mill-guf matern mibzuq, snin twal, imcahhad,
nittallab, bhall-mofqara, drittijieti.
Meghlub, mifni, miflug, imghattan, mghakkes --
l-imhabba ma tlift qatt ghall-ideal.
Ghotort! Inxift! il-hajr’ ghall-hajja tlift!
'Ma kliemi, ghelmi, ghozzti, kollhom kxift.

Wil-Bajda w Hamra li fic-cpar inhbiet
ghal ftit waqtiet, minghajr ma qatt intfiet
ghalkemm imkasbra mill-gewwien tad-dar,
bil-gamar tat-trobbija baqghet fija
sakemm wara kalvarju ta' turmenti,
mill-gdid fuq l-orizzont ilmiet id-dija
go qalb li qatt ma cahdet l'hi Maltija.

RIGU BOVINGDON
Dil-poezija ghandha 88 nota ta’ spjepazzjoni mizjuda mill-awtur.
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ANALIZI U XI RIFLESSJONIJIET
WARA LI QRAJT IL-POEZIJA
‘MILL-GDID MALTI’
TA' RIGU BOVINGDON

(STUDJU KRITIKU)

Ghal xi raguni jew ohra, ghadd sabih ta' poeti Maltin sabu ruhhom fizikament barra minn Malta, bhala turisti, ghal xi avventura, ghall-istudju jew ghax-xoghol. Ohrajn immaginaw ruhhom f'artijiet barranija. Hafna minnhom hallewlna l-esperjenzi taghhom fil-kitba. Hemm differenza kbira fi hsibijiet il-poeta li jsiefer bl-immaginazzjoni biss, jew l-iehor li jhalli Malta ghal xi ftit zmien ghax jaf li ghandu jmur lura, jew l-iehor li jsiefer bil-ghan li jissetilja f'pajjiz iehor, bhall-Awstralja. It-tielet tip ta' poeta Malti emigrant aktarx jasal zmien meta jhossu mifrud, maqtugh, izolat minn Malta. Mhux ta' xejn, mela, li, fil-poezija tieghu 'L-Ghanja Ta' Wiehed Imsiefer' fil-ktieb NIRIEN, il-poeta Karmenu Vassallo jimmagina l-emigrant Malti jitniehed ghall-hlewwa ta' art twelidu. Fil-fehma tieghi dat-tnehid ikun aktar qawwi meta dak l-emigrant ikun poeta wkoll.
It-tnehida tal-poeta Malti-Awstraljan tiehu ghamliet varji, bhal, nghidu ahna, hsus u hsibijiet nostalgici, referenzi diretti u indiretti ghal Malta u l-kultura Maltija, espressjonijiet li jixhdu t-trobbija f'Malta, u lessiku u lingwagg awtentici Maltin. Fil-kaz tal-poeta Malti-Awstraljan Rigu Bovingdon, dit-tnehida kienet rizultat mhux biss tas-safar imma wkoll ta' "drittijiet” michudin lilu.
Nammetti li qabel ma qrajt 'Mill-Gdid Malti' u n-noti fuqha, jien qatt ma kont nobsor li Bovingdon kien klassifikat bhala proxxmu Ingliz u mhux Malti. Infatti, kif jgharrafna hu stess, dam 25 sena (1964-1989) jithabat mal-burokrazija biex jinghad bhala sudditu Malti.
M'ghandix ghalfejn noqghod nigbed fit-tul biex infisser il-hidma letterarja, socjali u kulturali ta' Bovingdon. Inghid biss li hadem qatigh, u xi drabi kien ukoll ta' l-ewwel, qalb il-Maltin u l-barranin fl-Awstralja, biex ilsienna u l-kultura taghna jibqghu hajja u jikbru dejjem izjed. Dan ghamlu, u ghadu jaghmlu, bil-kitba u bil-kelma.
Is-sorpriza tieghi m'hix bla bazi. Fil-versi tieghu ppublikati s'issa, qabel dil-poezija, jien qatt ma rajt xejn li jirreferi ghall-qaghda straordinarja tieghu. Bovingdon ma jidher qatt li kiteb, jew ghallanqas ippublika, xi versi fuq is-sitwazzjoni tieghu ta' wiehed Malti-li-m'hux-Malti. Bil-maqlub, Bovingdon dejjem ftahar b'art twelidu: "ninsab fizikament hawn, spiritwalment ghadni nghix Malta." (INTERVISTI -- Jitkellmu Kittieba Maltin-Awstraljani, Joseph Chetcuti, Phillip Institute Of Technology, 1985, p. 38). Hekk kiteb fuqu Oliver Friggieri fid-dahla ghal ktiebu BEJN HALTEJN (1982): "Dan il-qtugh mill-pajjiz hu reali, izda ma jmissx it-territorji ta' l-ispirtu." Friggieri jishaq fuq l-elementi l-aktar qawwija tal-ktieb, jigifieri l-imhabba, ir-rispett u l-passjoni ta' Bovingdon lejn art twelidu.
B'dis-sorpriza tieghi ma rridx inwarrab il-possibiltà li jista' jkun hemm xi referenza ghall-qaghda Bovingdonjana fil-versi li hareg. Fil-ktieb tieghu BEJN HALTEJN u fl-iehor IRJIEH (1986) li tieghu hu ko-awtur, wiehed jista' forsi jara xi hjiel ta' izolament spiritwali u abbandun, kagun tac-cahda tac-cittadinanza Maltija. Kollox jiddependi kif wiehed jinterpreta l-versi. Niehu xi ezempji mill-ewwel ktieb. Ghalkemm mhux imfisser car u tond, ma nistaghgibx jekk Bovingdon kellu f'mohhu jew fis-sukkonxju din ic-cahda u r-reazzjoni naturali tieghu meta kiteb il-poezija 'Illuzjoni' (p. 25):
Bit-tbissima fuq xoffejja,
O kemm nistor dipressjoni!
Kulma ridt u hlomt f'zghoziti
Illum sibtu illuzjoni.
Naraw f'dal-versi mumenti ta' tnehid gewwieni, qtigh il-qalb u ghaja mentali. Tinghafas il-qalb tal-poeta waqt li jipprova juri wicc ferhan, hu u jzomm go fih l-insult kbir li ghamillu hajtu xmara ta' niket. Fl-istess ktieb, Bovingdon ghandu poezija bl-isem 'Il-Ballata Ta' Truganini' (p. 26). Truganini kienet l-ahhar principessa jew mexxejja aborigni fit-Tazmanja qabel ma l-Ewropej tefghuha l-habs u qatluha. X'seta' harrek lill-poeta li jikteb fuq dil-grajja sewda fl-istorja kolonjali ta' l-Awstralja? Forsi hass li kellu mitt ragun li jidentifika ruhu maghha, ghax bhalu, hi kienet vittma ta' dawk li ma kellhomx jedd fuqha u fil-fatt hi nqatlet f'pajjizha stess. Ix-xebh fiz-zewg cirkostanzi hu ovvju.
It-tbatija psikologika tal-poeta minhabba n-nuqqas ta' gustizzja immeritata, ghandha mnejn tixref ukoll f'xi versi ta' IRJIEH. Per ezempju, f''Qirda' (p. 101) jisthajlu, forsi, bhat-tajra tal-passa li tinqered fejn hasbet li ser issib l-hena u l-mistrieh? It-tajra ssib il-mewt fejn xtaqet li ssib il-hajja. Gralu hekk il-poeta, simbolikament? Ihossu mitluf, miftum u nieqes minn xi haga essenzjali tal-hajja fil-poezija 'Meta L-Qalb' (p. 95):
Meta l-qalb ma tkunx f'sikkitha
.....
thossha zejda, imkeccija.
U l-mewt tal-mahbub missieru fl-elegija 'Lilek' (p. 98) tnikktu u fl-istess hin tfarrgu bil-fatt li missieru m'ghadux ibati bhalu, f'did-dinja ta' wgigh u niket. Izda hu, il-poeta, ghadu jissielet kontra l-ingustizzji li sarulu. Min miet qed jistrieh:
m'hemmx niket ghal min heles mit-tbatija.
Minkejja l-ftit versi mferrxin li semmejt li wiehed jista' jinterpretahom bhala hjiel zghir tal-glieda gewwinija ta' Bovingdon, is-suggett shih tal-poezija 'Mill-Gdid Malti' hu gdid ghalija. Dil-bicca xoghol letterarja-awtobijografika nisthajjilha sajjetta u raghda mhux mistennija: sajjetta, ghad-dawl gdid li titfa' fuq il-hajja tal-poeta, u raghda, ghall-effett taghha li ghadu jdamdam f'mohhi.
Issa nigu ghall-poezija nfisha. Il-hsieb taghha hu r-realtà tas-sitwazzjoni partikulari ta' Bovingdon. Mitwieled Malta minn omm Maltija u missier Ingliz, il-poeta kien meqjus Ingliz skond il-ligi. Madankollu hu dejjem ghodd lilu nnifsu bhala Malti. L-identità tieghu ma setghetx tkun ghajr dik Maltija. Fuq hekk, thabat hafna biex ikun maghdud ufficjalment bhala sudditu Malti. Minkejja t-tfixkil u n-nuqqas ta' kooperazzjoni minn hafna nahat, il-glieda ta' 25 sena fl-ahhar spiccat favur tieghu. L-akbar xewqa ta' hajtu rnexxiet. Id-dawl rebah fuq id-dlam. Biex wiehed jifhem ahjar id-dettalji ta' dal-kaz in-noti ta' l-awtur huma essenzjali.
Il-process tal-kitba li Bovingdon jiehu f'idejh biex jaghtina l-messagg tal-versi tieghu bl-istadji mehtiega sakemm jasal ghas-soluzzjoni tal-problema tieghu, jibda billi jistabbilixxi l-identità tal-poeta, bniedem li twieled Malta u li kiber f'dak l-ambjent. L-enfasi qieghed fuq twemmin l-awtur li hu, bla ebda dubju, "wild il-art Maltija", wild dak il-gens b'demm ahmar ibaqbaq, mimli qlubija u kburija, bicca mill-"vina pura" li gejja mill-ibghad zminijiet. L-abjad tal-bandiera Maltija jinhass bhala simbolu ta' gens safi, fis-sens li hu uniku u gej mill-boghod, car u identiku. L-ahmar tal-bandiera jirrifletti l-qlubija tal-Maltin. Il-kelma "qalb", ma' xi kliem iehor li gej minnha, tidher hames darbiet matul id-29 vers tal-poezija. Ghax il-qalb minn dejjem kienet sinonima ma' l-imhabba, ma tidhirx li hi xi kumbinazzjoni li l-awtur dahhal dil-kelma daqshekk drabi, bhala xhieda ta' mhabbtu lejn artu li bdiet ma' twelidu f'H'Attard. L-importanza ta' l-identità Maltija tieghu tizdied aktar meta jtarrfilna li H'Attard hu aktar qadim mill-bini arkeologiku ta' Stonehenge jew l-Imnajdra.
F'BEJN HALTEJN niltaqghu ma' hafna referenzi ghall-imhabba tal-poeta lejn Malta, poeziji bhal 'Tfuliti F'Malta' (p. 60), 'Lil Filfla' (p. 17), 'Quddiem L-Istatwa Ta' Ninu Cremona' (p. 41), u 'Lill-Gens Malti' (p. 13). F'din ta' l-ahhar jinghaqdu flimkien l-imhabba, il-qima u r-rispett ta' Bovingdon lejn art twelidu:
Ja Malta! Malta Tieghi!
Daqs ommi nqimek jiena.
Fil-poezija 'Lilek' (p. 90) f’’IRJIEH jiftakar b'ghozza kbira dawk il-jiem li qatta' ma' missieru jigri fil-kampanja Maltija. Kollox ma' kollox, l-identità Maltija li l-poeta jhoss li saret bicca mill-personalità tieghu, tidher mill-ghazla tal-lessiku u l-lingwagg, mis-sensibiltà ta' l-awtur u mill-bixra ta' l-atmosfera lokali li ma tistax titfixkilha ma' ta' xi artijiet ohra. Il-kunjom u l-lewn tal-gilda ma jghoddu xejn fid-decizjoni ta' min hu u m'hux Malti tassew. Il-qalb u l-imhabba u l-lealtà assoluta jiddeciedu li twieled Malti u li hu tassew "wild il-art Maltija".
Il-paradoss fl-adorazzjoni tal-poeta ta' artu jinsab fir-realtà ta' kif in-namur, l-imhabba u l-ghaqda ta' zewg mahbubin, ragel Ingliz u mara Maltija, gabulu did-dilemma f'hajtu. L-irbit taz-zewg nahat ta' razztu, bil-kuntrasti u l-paraguni li jirrizultaw minnhom, jixirfu fl-uzu ta' gruppi ta' kliem maghzulin ghal dan l-effett. Fuq in-naha tar-razza t'ommu ghandna "omm rahlija", "rahal eqdem", u "Mnajdra"; u fuq in-naha ta' gens missieru nsibu "Stonehenge", "anglu", u "Union Jack". U fuq kollox jaqa' d-dell ta' "namra kolonjali", li flok ma gabet hena u risq f'hajjet il-poeta sensittiv, gabet in-niket u c-cahda.
Hasra li r-rizultat ta' l-imhabba tal-genituri kien ta' "turmenti kbar" ghall-poeta minn hafna mkejjen. Hadd ma kellu s-setgha jifhem l-ugigh ta' qalb li ghadda minnu, waqt li bhal tallab saqqaf wiccu biex tintwera gustizzja. Imma l-gustizzja baqghet ghamja u truxa. Hekk imwarrab, minsi u michud, hassu "mill-guf matern mibzuq", deskrizzjoni qawwija u f'waqtha ta' realtà u simbolizmu fejn il-qtugh u l-firda donnhom kienu jghoddu kemm ghal ommu tad-demm u l-laham u kemm ghal ommu l-ohra, Malta. Deherlu li kien irrifjutat, maqtugh, mifrud minn dak li kien tieghu. U "meghlub, mifni, miflug, imghattan, mghakkes", hekk li ddejjaq mill-hajja, Bovingdon ma stahax juri ghommtu ma' haddiehor. Kien hemm dawk li ppruvaw jghinuh u dawk, sahansitra, ta' gewwa, li ddiehku bih minhabba l-entuzjazmu qawwi li wera ghall-ideal.
Wasal zmien meta kien ghoddu qata' jiesu li jirbah il-battalja. Ghal xi waqtiet l-ilwien li tant habb donnhom bdew jisparixxaw taht it-toqol ta' ghommtu, ghalkemm qatt ma tilfu t-tifsira taghhom. L-imhabba u l-identità tieghu baqghu jmexxuh lejn il-quccata ta' l-ideal tieghu. It-triq kienet iebsa, u l-moghdija, mimlija "turmenti kbar", issa nbidlet f'"kalvarju ta' turmenti". It-telgha saret aktar wieqfa, u l-kalvarju seta' sfalu jew mewt dejjiema jew hajja ta' dawl u dija. Il-"gamra tat-trobbija" bhala Malti ssoktat tkebbsu u theggu, b'tama ta' rebh.
It-trijonf misthoqq jaghtihulna bi ftit kliem adattat:
mill-gdid fuq l-orizzont ilmiet id-dija
go qalb li qatt ma cahdet l'hi Maltija.
Jekk is-27 vers ta' qabel dawn it-tnejn ta' l-ahhar huma realistici ghall-ahhar, il-poeta deherlu li l-bidla u r-rebha jitfissru ahjar bi kliem simboliku, mistiku, u ftit li xejn ermetku, bix-xbieha tal-jum wara l-lejl, id-dija wara d-dlam, id-dija fil-quccata ta' kalvarju mdallam. It-tragedja ta' tigribu issa ntemmet kif xtaq hu. Dak li kien imcahhad minnu, issa sar tieghu kif jisthoqqlu. It-tnehida tal-poeta-emigrant-imcahhad inbidlet f'ghajta ta' ferh u celebrazzjoni.
Fil-versi ta' 'Mill-Gdid Malti' Bovingdon irnexxielu jaghtina kwadru haj ta' dilemma risolvuta, ta' kif il-ligijiet umani li, l-ghan taghhom hu li jzommu lill-bniedem qawwi u shih u 'l boghod mit-tigrib, jistghu, f'xi cirkostanzi, jaghmlu l-maqlub u jghattnu 'l dak li jkun taht il-madmad taghhom. Fuq kollox, nitghallmu mill-kuragg u d-determinazzjoni ta' Rigu Bovingdon li wassluh f'dak l-imkien minn fejn hu qatt ma tharrek jew tbieghed spiritwalment. Ghalhekk nifirhu mieghu li hu 'Mill-Gdid Malti'.

15.5.1990

Dan l-istudju ta’ Joe Saliba deher fit-’Taqsima Letterarja’ tal-gazzetta IL-MALTIJA ta’ Marzu, 1997 u fil-pubblikazzjoni ta’ Bovingdon innifsu bl-isem APORIJA (2002).

ULURU new poetry book for sale

2009-09-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

ULURU
KTIEB GDID TA’ POEZIJI
TA’
JOE SALIBA
2009

Daqs A5; pagni 72; poeziji 87; bijografija.

Barra minn ghadd ta’ kontribuzzjonijiet f’antologiji ko-awturati, ULURU huwa s-seba’ gabra ta’ poeziji li JOE SALIBA hareg f’dawn l-ahhar hamsin sena li ilu jghix fl-Awstralja.

B’disinn originali bil-kulur li jzejjen il-qoxra ta’ quddiem bi xbieha tal-monolit Awstraljan ULURU (Ayers Rock) li ghalih imsemmi l-ktieb u stampat b’tipi cari fuq karta tajba u b’sahhitha u bijografija fuq il-qoxra ta’ wara, dan il-ktieb jigbor fih 87 poezija fuq diversi temi, xi whud minnhom kontraversjali. It-trattament tas-suggetti huwa liriku u personali ghall-ahhar.

It-temi dominanti mhumiex tal-wicc, imma jitrattaw il-hajja tal-poeta f’livelli kulturali, socjologici u psikologici fejn l-emozzjoni u r-raguni jippruvaw izommu bilanc prattiku f’dinja modernista fejn il-verità u l-gmiel tilfu, fil-fehma tal-awtur, kull impenn mill-bicca l-kbira tal-bnedmin. Ghalhekk jiehdu sura mhux mistennija t-temi tal-poeta, emigrant Malti fl-Awstralja b’identità konfuza, zghozitu b’religjon u spiritwalità godda, id-dinja multikulturali ta’ madwaru, imhabbietu, iz-zwieg ma’ martu Ingliza/Awstraljana, il-familja u xjuhitu f’art gdida li adottatu.

Jekk huwa possibli, l-awtur jixtieq li ULURU jinqara bla ebda pregudizzju ta’ religjon u patrija. Li kiteb ma kitbux b’kapricc, imma b’konvinzjoni tal-kuzjenza li tghidlu li kellu jiktbu. Halla barra ghadd ta’ poeziji tal-istess xejra li seta’ dahhalhom biex isahhah twemminu. M’ghamilx dan biex ma jidhirx dommatiku zzejjed. Dan ma jfissirx li qed jitlob apologija. M’ghandux ghalfejn. Ghalih il-kitba tal-poezija ghandha tirrifletti l-hajja reali tal-poeta nnifsu. Ma’ dan jghodd li fi lsienna sab l-aqwa ghodda li Alla zejnu biha biex ifahhar lilu u l-pjan divin tieghu ghal dinjitna li b’hasra ftit jafu bih.

Il-ktieb ULURU jinsab ghall-bejgh minghand l-awtur.
Ikteb lilu fuq dan l-indirizz elettroniku: jpasal@optusnet.com.au

Il-hlas ghandu jsir b’forma ta’ Bank Cheque lil JOE SALIBA.

Dal-hlas jinkludi l-pustagg bl-ajru.
Fl-Awstralja: $7 (dollari Awstraljani)
Malta: 15 Euros
Minn pajjizi ohra somma ekwivalenti ghal 15-il Euro.

MANUEL CASHA

2009-09-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

MANUEL CASHA

Twieled il-Birgu fit-13.12.1944 u trabba l-Kalkara. Studja f’De La Salle College. Emigra ghall-Awstralja fl-1963, fejn kompla jistudja. Mizzewweg lil Lesley Poyner u ghandhom zewgt itfal. Kiteb poezija, proza, u xoghlijiet muzikali ghall-palk, fosthom Il-Hanut ta’ Dwinu (1992), Kadanza (1998) u Malet (1999). Daqq ma’ gruppi ta’ muzika popolari. Barra li kiteb, irrekordja u pproduca kanzunetti u albums ghal kantanti u muzicisti Maltin, hareg l-albums personali, Fl-Abjad u L-Iswed, Rakkonti Mis-Seklu Ghoxrin, Neon u Tila mal-Budaj. Ma’ shabu hareg is-CD Veduti. Ha sehem u pprezenta programmi fuq l-istazzjonijiet tar-radju 3ZZ, 3EA, 3ZZZ, SBS, ABC u 3LO. Ghamel studju fuq il-muzika tradizzjonali tal-ghana u l-prejjem Maltin. Ko-awtur tal-ktieb ta’ poeziji Bejn Vjagg u Iehor (1979) u kontributur fl-antologiji Irjieh (1986) u Frott Iehor (1992) tal-Maltese Literature Group (Awstralja).

Mill-antologija Oceghanja li taghha Manuel huwa ko-awtur ghazilt dawn it-tliet poeziji li gejjin. F’dawn il-versi l-poeta jikxef hsibijietu u jghidilna xi jhoss f’dawn ic-cirkostanzi privati: waqt vjagg fuq il-ferrovija li jkollna naghmlu ta’ sikwit f’dan il-kontinenet hekk kbir anki biex forsi mmorru ghax-xoghol; stat ta’ mhabba li taghha ma jizvelax id-dettalji; u x-xewqa tal-poeta li jipprova jsib il-mistrieh fil-konteplazzjoni ghall-kreattività artistika.

BILJETT

Xtrajt biljett tat-tren bla stiva,
garrejt mieghi biss il-hsieb,
Boghod mit-tieqa li turini,

Fejn hallejt...
Fejn wasalt...
Fejn sejjer...

Inxthett fost il-qlub mahruba,
Dizulluzi halleqin.
Taht l-avviz li jikkmanda,

La tpejjipx...
La tahsibx...
La tohlomx...

Boghod mill-hgieg li jirrifletti,
L-ucuh taghna imhassrin
B'gomom ta' min hu newtrali,
Maskarati, imgarrbin,

Fid-dlam...
Bla lsien...
Bla mhuh...

Id l-arlogg fil-hdax imwahhla,
Waqqfet habel id-destin
F'harba minn tjassir l-iskeda

Bla sensi...
Bla ghagla...
Bla tmiem...

Fejn il-karba tas-suffara,
Fil-lejl tidwi minghajr hoss,
Tmut fid-dalma ta' lejl iehor,
Xhin it-tren jghaddi mill-foss

Fil-wied...
Fis-skiet...
Fis-swied...

BIRDA

Bhal faham sewdieni
li mifrud mill-huggiega
jitlef hmuritu w jiksah...
iz-zmien berred ix-xrar...

Iz-ziffa tal-harifa qallbet
il-pagni lejn zmien minsi tar-rebbiegha
qabel ma gheb is-sajf
fi fdal ta’ memorji mcajpra
u skiet mohh imdamdam.

Minn hsejjes ta’ qlugh l-ghixien
smajtek issejjahli,
izda hallejt l-eku jintefa
f’widien ta’ prokrastinazzjoni.

Issa li l-ghasafar bdew ihejju
biex isiefru ghall-ahhar xitwa,
ftakart fik
u l-parti minn ruhi
li ma tajtnix lura...

GHALIJA BISS

Issemmilix ismijiet
jew liema filosofija
mahkum minnha,
x’rajt jien fik
jew int x’rajt fija,
toqob fl-Ozone
ajru mhammeg
jew zbilanc fl-ekologija,
tfal imgewha, f’xaghri niexfa,
dbieben, kokroc,
nies minsija,
l-ingustizzja ta’ did-dinja
min ihobbok, min joboghdok,
min hu mghawweg, min hu linja...
Issemmix geografija,
geometrija,
w gerarkija,
id-distanzi li qed tilmah
go ghajnejja
u il-firda,
tal-holm tieghi,
il-barzakka,
u l-kitarra
u t-triq li ghad tisraqni...
baxxi harstek suspettuza,
tgharrixx ghall-iskizofranja,
in-Nirvana,
titlobx l-ghana
illi l-bierah
qalbek mela,
ziffen ruhek
f’tlugh it-telgha,
f’tlugh it-tarag
tlieta, tlieta,
f’toroq twal,
itturufnati
fejn int fija sibt il-farag...

Jekk minn ghandi trid li weghedtek
nghidlek li ghidt lil kulhadd
dan il-jum hu biss ghalija
m’iniex lest naqsmu ma’ hadd

Xbajt mis-“soltu”
xbajt mill-“fiss”
dan il-jum ghalija biss...

THE BACCHAE by EURIPIDES

2009-09-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

THE
COLOUR
WHEEL

A COLLECTION OF LITERARY ESSAYS
ON
HUMAN VALUES,
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONFLICTS
FROM EURIPIDES TO LOWELL

THIS IS THE FIRST OF A NUMBER OF LITERARY ESSAYS

THAT I WILL BE POSTING FROM TIME TO TIME

ESSAY 1

INNER CONFLICT
IN THE FACE OF SOCIAL PRESSURES
THE BACCHAE
EURIPIDES

The story of The Bacchae (c. 405 B. C.) by Euripides (c. 480-406 B. C.), briefly, is that of Pentheus, King of Thebes, as he attempts to stop the people of his city, especially the frenzied women, from following the new god Dionysus. While spying upon the maddened women on the mountain, Pentheus is mistaken for a lion by Agave his mother and the other female bacchants who tear him to pieces. Agave, still in delirium, carries his severed head to the city where she comes to her senses and realises that she has murdered her son.
Euripides’ play still attracts different interpretations. It is seen, for example, as a study in madness or Dionysian hysteria, public folly, the power of the gods over the feebleness of humanity, the repression and release of human, but particularly sexual instincts, and the loss of human dignity through animalistic instincts. Commentators continue to elicit morals and lessons from it, such as, that extremes of passions are dangerous, that you destroy yourself by trying to subdue the free forces of life, that it is futile to fight against great odds and that “human frailties are so great, laws are so numerous and society is so complex that few can escape.”1
The above themes are certainly part of The Bacchae. My view, however, of what the play is about is on the principle of what G. S. Kirk writes in the introduction to his translation of the text, namely that, “often his [Euripides] main moral purpose is...to present some uncomfortable truth about the world, about human nature, and about the necessities with which man is entangled”2 which, of course, embraces some of the preceding levels of interpretation. I believe that in his play Euripides reveals Pentheus’ inner conflict caused by his refusal to bend to social pressures, resulting in self-destruction. Pentheus fails to see that there are other ways to achieve human happiness and that his ways are not the only ones. His unsuccessful struggle is the result of his failure to form a totally integrated personality and of his refusal to work towards a well-balanced social structure in the face of the people’s demands.
Sophocles once said, “I draw men as they ought to be; Euripides draws them as they are.”3 Pentheus is no exception in his struggle against social pressures and the perils of kingship. He is a real person, preoccupied with his own vanity, striving to retain his supremacy. For him traditional values, reason, law and order should be the bases for personal integrity and the well being of his citizens. As a powerful monarch he commands an army, lives in a palace and has horses and slaves. According to one of his messengers, Pentheus’ impetuosity and dictatorial rule are notorious, “keenness of temper and excess of royal disposition” (670-671). Because now he faces strong opposition, he associates his rival cousin, the new god Dionysus, with “evil” (216, 512), the cult with a “disease” (223), and the women followers with “lechery” (223), “shameful deeds” (1062) and “unchastity” (354). But Pentheus is not going to bend to social pressures instigated by an effeminate deity whom women adore!
Women, according to Pentheus, should stay at home, look after their children, clean the house and weave. It is anathema, therefore, for a moralistic Pentheus to imagine that women are leaving their homes in preference for the wild orgies on Mount Cithaeron. Pentheus believes that because women have no power of their own and are easily influenced, he cannot accept their present actions:

“No, this exceeds all bounds,
if at the hands of women we are to suffer what we do!” (785-786)

Consequently he denies Dionysus for honouring women by freeing them from prisons and initiating their orgies. Their behaviour undermines the king’s authority. So, as a sign of his presumption of authority and supremacy he cuts off the long golden hair of the “stranger” (Dionysus in disguise), divesting him of his holy association with Dionysus. He also takes the thyrsus from his hands (495) in a symbolic gesture of defiance of the new religion. Pentheus is determined to subdue his enemy at all costs. Thebes has no place for a god of passion and intoxication.
Dionysus craves supremacy at Pentheus’ expense. In contrast to the king’s formality and restrictiveness, Dionysus promotes freedom, ecstasy, music and dance, elements which spell anarchy and a personal insult for Pentheus. This god encourages his disciples to seek “the pleasures of Aphrodite” (451-459) and makes his sacred religion sound universal, encompassing Lydia, Persia, Medea, Arabia and all of Asia (13-22). He has benefited mankind by giving man wine to forget his worries (280-283) and his worship is related to the miraculous. It is claimed that at his command milk, honey, water and wine are reported to flow out of the earth on his sacred Mount Cithaeron (141-143). By his power also, the vine around his mother Semele’s tomb flourishes instantly; an earthquake demolishes part of the royal palace, opening chains and barred doors to freedom for the imprisoned bacchants. The miracles are intended to show Dionysus’ divine powers. It is alleged that he also has the power to transform himself into diverse animals (918). The odds presented by Dionysus against Pentheus are great. How can a mortal king defy a god who performs miracles, disguises himself as a mortal “stranger”, sends women hysterically wild and is welcomed by the Thebans and the royal family?
Pentheus’ mother Agave with her two sisters and grand father Cadmus accept the new god and join in his worship, adding further insult to the king. Cadmus is thrilled by the thought of the splendour that will come to the royal family when his dead daughter Semele will turn out to be the mother of his grand son Dionysus:

“for since he is the child of my daughter’s womb
we must magnify him and make him
as important as we can.” (181-183)

Like Cadmus, the blind seer Tiresias tries to show Pentheus that the joy of living and the realm of ecstasy are as essential as the king’s rules and values:

“You see how you are pleased, when the multitude
throngs the palace doors,
and the city magnifies the name of Pentheus;
so Dionysus too, in my opinion delights in being honoured.” (319-321)

The blind man almost pleads for the king to change his attitude:

“...obey me Pentheus: do not be too confident that
sovereignty is what rules men;
nor, if you hold an opinion, but your judgement is sick,
take that opinion for good sense. Receive the god into this land
and pour offerings, and be a bacchant, and garland your head.” (310-313)

But Pentheus is drugged by his own pride. According to Tiresias, to refuse what Dionysus offers - wine, dance, ecstasy, joy, sleep and rest - is madness, “You are raving mad” (359). The limping old man assures Pentheus that the god expects honour from young and old (206-208), stresses Pentheus’ aggressiveness and prophesies the god’s inevitable future glory (270-274).
Everyone seems to be against Pentheus. He introduces himself as a conservative guardian of traditional values. The chorus, however, denounces him as an “unholy man” (613), exposing the city to divine retribution and urges the “swift hounds of frenzy” to destroy the blasphemer (977). In contrast, it praises Dionysus for letting people be one with nature (862-876). Even the servant who arrests Dionysus disguised as a Theban stranger feels ashamed of his act, “this beast [Dionysus] we found was gentle” (436).
When Pentheus succumbs to Dionysus’ urging and dresses up as a female bacchant to spy upon the bacchants, he loses his integrity and becomes deranged. He develops double vision. Dionysus appears to him like a bull with two horns (918-922). I feel that Pentheus’ desire to see the bacchants is less a type of voyeurism than a necessity for him to investigate for himself how the women devotees can live such a free and easy life, unrestricted by laws and traditional values. Dionysus convinces Pentheus by pampering him with the suggestion that by dressing up and thus confraternising with Dionysus and his worshippers, he has regained his sanity:

“your previous state of mind was not normal,
but now you have the one you need.” (947-948)

The king deplores the excesses of the new religion and he is only prepared to watch. But now he has gone too far and Dionysus sees his quarry “moving into the net...and to his death” (847-848). Mad Pentheus is utterly in the god’s hands, “On you [Dionysus] we now depend” (934). The hunter has become the beast to be torn to pieces.
Pentheus fails to accept the Dionysian aspect of life and is destroyed, bringing grief and despair to others. Dionysus has already punished the women of Thebes by madness (32-35) for refusing to acknowledge that Semele, Dionysus’ mother, was taken by Zeus and bore him a child. In other words, the women, including those of the royal family of Cadmus, have denied that Dionysus was the son of a god. Now Dionysus does not bring destruction and despair upon them personally but makes them destroy themselves. Agave murders her son unknowingly because she acts under the spell of delirium. Ruin comes to Cadmus and the rest of the royal house, “the god has ruined us, justly, but to excess” (1249). Agave’s triumph is a hollow victory, “for her he [Dionysus] brings tears as victory” (1147).
Is the king’s destruction of any benefit to the god? Dionysus is the spirit of joy and ecstasy and Pentheus represses his natural instincts of passion, emotion and the joy of living. Symbolically speaking, he commits suicide. Dionysus affirms that the divine forces are ruthless, gods are beyond good and evil and do not share our aspirations of mercy, “Long ago Zeus my father approved these things” (1349). The cold-hearted attitude of the gods is illustrated as Dionysus appears on the palace roof, high above all mortals, eager to depart, “why then delay over what is inevitable?” (1351). After the recognition of Pentheus’ murder, Cadmus and his wife Harmonia, Agave, the Lydian bacchants and the maddened women of Thebes go into exile. The city is deserted and Dionysus’ worship appears to cease. Thus Dionysus does not gain anything by the death of Pentheus. Only the dismembered body of the king is left.
The Bacchae is not about Dionysus and his cult but rather about the pressures a king or any human being faces from his society and his own family and how he responds to those pressures. In a way, therefore, it is the perennial struggle against self and the quest for self-knowledge. In the case of Pentheus we see his failure to grasp the need to let go of his one-sided claim for human happiness through his restrictive laws. Being a ruler the responsibilities become even greater. Changes and other people’s views should be investigated and not refused blindly. Pentheus also happens to be oblivious to the danger he puts himself in as he passionately embraces and sticks to his own traditional values.
For a wholesome and integrated life, equilibrium can only be achieved by the blending of the human and the divine within ourselves. Jesus expressed it well on two occasions, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s (Mark 12:17)”, and “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).” Pentheus, the mortal king, has refused to listen to the voice of the god within himself and the voice of the people who represent his other self.

* * * * *
NOTES
The quotations followed by their verse number are from the following text:
EURIPIDES, The Bacchae - translated with an Introduction and Commentary by Kirk G.S., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1979.
1. PHILLIPS D. E., The Human Element in Literature, Taylor Publishing Co.,
U. S. A., 1969, p. 138.
2. EURIPIDES, The Bacchae - translated with an Introduction and Commentary by Kirk G.S., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1979, pp. 10-11.
3. ROBINSON C. E., A History of Greece, Methuen & Co. Ltd, London, 1960, p. 168.

ESSAY COMPLETED ON 9.3.1983

JOE SALIBA

AUSTRALIAN MULTICULTURAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

2009-08-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

BIBLJOGRAFIJA MULTIKULTURALI

Ghal dawk li jinteresaw ruhhom fil-kittieba Maltin barra minn Malta, ta’ min ikun jaf li f'Mejju ta' l-1992 l-Università ta' Deakin fil-Victoria harget ktieb jismu "A Bibliography Of Australian Multicultural Writers". Ir-ricerka ghal dil-pubblikazzjoni bdiet daqs 20 sena qabel u kienu hargu edizzjonijiet bikrija u qosra ta' dil-kollezzjoni. L-informazzjoni ghal din l-edizzjoni ngabret mill-akkademici Sneja Gunew, Lolo Houbein, Alexandra Karakostas-Seda u Jan Mahyuddin. Dawn jahdmu ferm ghall-progress tal-kittieba multikulturali fl-Awstralja. Tant hu hekk li fl-Università ta' Deakin infethet sezzjoni fejn jinzammu l-kotba etnici.
Il-kittieba multikulturali jitqiesu hekk fuq il-kriterji li dawn ikunu twieldu fl-Awstralja jew barra, li m’humiex Aborigini, u li jkunu gejjin minn razza fejn il-lingwa primarja m'hix l-Ingliz. Ghalhekk f'dal-ktieb insibu awturi bhall-poeta maghruf Awstraljan Henry Lawson li, ghalkemm hu twieled fi N.S.W., kellu missieru Norvegiz li biddel kunjomu minn Larsen.
Il-Bibljografija ta’ 291 pagna tigbor fiha aktar minn 900 awtur li bejniethom ippublikaw xoghol fi 38 lingwa. Il-kittieba li xi whud minnhom huma tat-tielet generazzjoni jiffurmaw madwar 100 grupp etniku.
Niehdu gost insemmu li numru sabih ta' awturi Maltin jidhru f'dal-ktieb. Dawn huma, f'ordni alfabetika, Joe Abela, Baldass Armato, Rigu Bovingdon, Manwel Cassar, Maurice Cauchi, Gorg Chetcuti, Joseph Chetcuti, Albert Marshall, Rosanne Musu, Manwel Nicholas-Borg, Joe Saliba u Barry York.
Dan it-taghrif kont hrigtu fil-gazzetta IL-MALTIJA ta’ Victoria f’Dicembru, 1993.

MIN HU JOE SALIBA?

2009-08-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

KUMMENTI DWAR IX-XOGHOL LETTERARJU TAL-AWTUR
MINN AWTURI OHRAJN, RECENSURI, KRITICI LETTERARJI U HBIEBU.

DAK LI M’GHAMILX GHALIJA HADDIEHOR QED NAGHMLU JIENA B’DAWN IS-SILTIET.

KARMENU VASSALO, fid-dahla tal-ktieb Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha, 19 ta’ Lulju 1965.
Li qalb Joe Saliba hi qalb ta’ poeta mit-twelid ma nafx min jista' jichdu. Ma' fantasija mixghula u immiginazzjoni qawwija -- zewg qawwiet jew setghat intellettwali li wisq drabi jqanqlu u jqabbdu fih kotra ta' lehmiet..jithalltu u jitwahhdu ta’ sikwit hsibijiet u ideat gholja fuq ghadd ta' problemi..tal-hajja..Ghalih in-Naturu hija ktieb miftuh Ii fih eghgubijietha mhux talli jinqraw bla tbatija ta' xejn, imma talli jnisslu waqt il-qari ghaxqa kbira. F'hin wiehed, il-filosofija u l-psikologija jgelglu 'l hawn u 'l hinn fll-versi tieghu.

C. TESTA, Il-Berqa, 30.9.1966, rivista tal-ktieb Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha, 1966.
...gabra ta’ poeziji, wahda mill-gawhriet li jaghnu u jzejnu l-letteratura taghna.

JOE CAMILLERI, L-Orizzont, 5.10.1966, recensjoni ta’ Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha, 1966.
Fil-bicca l-kbira, il-hsieb huwa gholi u mfisser tajjeb. Il-muzika tinhass titferfer bejn vers u iehor li jdoqqu hlejju ghall-widna Maltija.

DOREEN MICALLEF, ittra tad-19 ta’ Mejju, 1967.
Nixtieq nizzikhajr minn qalbi ghall-kopja tal-ktieb li ghogbok tibghatli: “Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha”. Ma nistax inzid wisq ma’ dik il-kuruna ta’ tifhir ezatt u sincier li tak il-habib taghna Karmenu Vassallo..Fil-kitba tieghek, hadt pjacir insib il-hsieb gholi, u l-hsieb filosofiku, li bil-kelma mahsuba ’mma sinciera, anzi semplicI u ddoqq, jirnexxilek iddahhlu f’kull mohh li jaqrah. Prosit!

MANWEL CASSAR, fid-dahla ghall-ktieb Ferh, Biki u Poezija, 1967.
Din l-ghanja samma “Ferh, Biki u Poezija” tigbor mill-gdid f'sensiela wahda l-esperjenzi, t-twemmin u l-gherf tal-poeta zaghzugh ta’ qribi li huma mfissra fil-ghanjiet l-ohra taz-zewg kotba tieghu.

NIKOL BIANCARDI, kartolina tat-8 ta’ Awwissu, 1967.
Wasalli t-tieni ktieb tieghek (Ferh, Biki u Poezija). Int Poeta awteniku Modern -- m’hux harbiexi...

IL-PROFESSUR GUZÈ GALEA, kartolina 1967.
Nifrahlek ghal din il-bicca xoghol tieghek (Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha) li tixhed il-genju poetiku li ghandek.

DUN FRANS CAMILLERI, ittra tad-29 ta’ Awwissu, 1967.
Minn xi poeziji tieghek li jien kont qrajt, mill-ewwel gharaft u hassejt li f’qalbek u f’ruhek hemm tbaqbaq tassew il-poezija...Bil-ktieb gdid tieghek “Ferh, Biki u Poezija” inti sahhaht il-fehma tieghi. Fil-poeziji li tajtna hemm il-lehma, l-immaginazzjoni, il-qawwa u l-gmiel ta’ kliem haj u milqut. Imma, fuq kollox, il-poezija tieghek hija sinciera...Minn issa qieghed nilmah fik wiehed mill-ahjar poeti taghna - zghazagh u xjuh. U bil-poezija tieghek jien ghandi qalbi qawwija li l-Letteratura taghna sejra tistaghna mhux ftit fis-snin li gejjin.

IL-POLZ TAL-MOVIMENT QAWMIEN LETTERARJU, ghadd 1, p. 6., Lulju, 1967.
Joe Saliba jikteb poezija mqanqla, mexxejja, b’muzikalità kwazi spiritwali.

KARMENU VASSALLO, fil-Vatum Consortium, 1968.
Poeta zaghzugh emigrat li fih Malta u l-Ilsien Malti ghandhom tabilhaqq nicca ta’ mhabba u gieh.

MARIO AZZOPARDI, L-Orizzont, 11 ta’ Novembru, 1971.
Joe Saliba ... id-djamant fil-qasam letterarju Malti fl-Awstralja.

JUDITH RODRIGUEZ, poeta maghrufa Awstraljana, tikkummenta fuq xi poeziji bl-Ingliz, wara workshop maghha,1971.
Capable of quite a lot.

IL-PROFESSUR GUZÈ AQUILINA, ittra tat-12 ta’ Mejju, 1982.
Tikteb poezija tajba kif gharaftek fil-bidu meta dahhaltek fi Il-Muza Maltija.

KARMEN MIKALLEF-BUHAGAR, ittra 311, p. 251, Ghaziz Karmenu..., 1982.
Wasluli wkoll iz-zewg kopji tal-ktieb, Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha, ta’ Joe Saliba. Fraht narah imzejjen b’ismek, u qrajtu b’dehwa kbira. Nista’ nghid, ghax inhossu, li l-poezija tieghu ghandha benna li taghzilha minn dik ta’ ohrajn.

JOHN SCIBERRAS, ittra tal-21 t’Ottubru, 1982.
“’Ilma’ tieghek kien wasalli xi ftit xhur ilu. Qrajtu malajr ghaliex, kif taf daqsi, il-lum rari tara ktieb ta’ poeziji ta’ dik ix-xorta. Kulhadd irid jinheba wara s-simbolizmu u l-oskurità...ma nafx min ghadu jikteb versi attraenti u mirquma bhal tieghek. Joghgobni l-mod kif toqghod attent biex, kemm jista’ jkun, taghzel l-ahjar kelma li jkollok bzonn biex tfisser il-hsieb tieghek. Barra minn dan il-poeziji tieghek ghogbuni wkoll ghaliex, fil-bicca l-kbira taghhom, huma qosra u bla verbosità li tghajji.

RIGU BOVINGDON, ittra tat-2 ta’ Marzu, 1984.
Nizzik hajr ukoll tal-ktejjeb “Ilma” li kompla wettqek kif sirt nafek jiena l-ewwel darba li qrajt il-versi tieghek bosta snin ilu fl-ewwel zewg kotba li hrigt. Qisu holqa li tissokta - ghad fadal bosta x’johrog minnek!

CARMEL G. CAUCHI, ittra tal-4 ta’ Settembru, 1985.
Kelli cans naqra sew il-ktieb tieghek “ILMA” u kull poezija ghogbitni shIh. Xi whud fhimthom mill-ewwel, waqt li ohrajn offrewli naqra ta’ sfida biex nifhem il-hsieb profond...Innutajt ukoll li l-istil tieghek ivarja minn dak tradizzjonali...ghal dak izjed modern. Ir-rima ma tuzahiex regolarment, izda meta tuzaha tkun dejjem naturali u m’hi b’ebda mod imgebbda. Aktarx li ghandek dejjem xi tema filosofika, u s-simbolizmu jirrendi l-versi tieghek hajjin u friski. Ghandek ukoll ritmu mexxej li jaghmel il-versi poetici tieghek tassew pjacevoli.

CARMEL G. CAUCHI, fid-dedikazzjoni tal-ktieb ko-awturat tieghu HOLOQ, 17.6.1985.
Lil habibi, Joe Saliba, poeta samm u awtentiku.

RIGU BOVINGDON, fl-istudju ‘Maltese Literature in Australia’ p. 84 WRITING IN MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA 1984: AN OVERVIEW Australia Council for the Literature Board, 1985.
His latest publication ‘Ilma’ (Water) displays a mellowed attitude to life’s outlook with undertones that still betray his youth. This recent collection of his is sure evidence of how the new environment has influenced his thoughts. The years spent in Australia, and the chronological gap between his last publication in 1967 and this one, are evidenced throughout this collection in his attitude to the world around him, although he staunchly persists, with a strong bond, to his masters’ traditional verse.

CARMEL G. CAUCHI, ittra tal-4 ta’ Frar, 1986.
Jiena cert li ma kienx ta’ b’xejn li sibt l-ammirazzjoni ta’ K. Vassallo, Manwel Cassar u l-kittieba l-ohra li fissru hsiebhom favur il-poezija tieghek.

CARMEL G. CAUCHI, ittra tad-19 ta’ April, 1986.
Il-poeziji tieghek tista’ tghid li huma kwiekeb ta’ gmiel li ghalkemm ma jiddux kollha bl-istess qawwa madankollu jiddu lkoll...Bejn l-ewwel zewg kotba tieghek u l-ahhar wiehed (“ILMA”) jien nara xi ftit tal-kuntrast. F’ILMA tinhass ir-ragel iktar matur u l-lingwagg huwa iktar qawwi u effettiv. F’dan il-ktieb tbiddel ukoll l-istil. Ir-rima naqset hafna u l-versi hielsa zdiedu. Napprezza fuq kollox element importanti hafna - dak li ggieghel il-qarrej igarrab it-tqanqiliet tieghek, jew ghall-inqas jifhem xi tkun hassejt int, meta ktibt il-poezija...Naghlaq billi nifrahlek b’mod specjali ghall-poezija “Ferh, Biki u Poezija”, li hija tajba hafna mhux biss f’dik li hi teknika, u ghall-versi mhallta li fiha, izda wkoll ghall-hsibijiet profondi li thaddan.

ALBERT AGIUS, The Times Saturday, Australian Newsletter, 16.5.1987, recensjoni tal-antologija ko-awturata Irjieh.
Joe Saliba strikes a serious note in his verses. His freshness and originality are healthy because he is so wholesome in his entire treatment.

DINA DOUNIS, fir-rapport ta’ seminar ‘Successful Readings’ p. 40, RAINBOW RISING, Victorian Association of Multicultural Writers, Summer/August Issue 1988.
Joe Saliba rendered some very powerful poems, characterised by complex imagery, brilliant in texture and intensity, and skilful use of language. These qualities were particularly evident in his excellent work, ‘The Serpent’.

RIGU BOVINGDON, ittra tat-28 ta’ Frar, 1989.
So deeply have your mellifluous phrases & choice of imagery (“Lamentations”) penetrated into my inner self, that I felt the need to answer you in English which, although it is my native tongue co-existing with my other native language Maltese, my letter will give your children the opportunity, if they are so inclined, to learn at first hand how intensely your artform is appreciated...This latest contribution of yours is no less worthy of praise than its three Maltese precursors of original verse. You have proved to be a master of the Muse in a tongue which semantically and structurally is so diverse from our semitico-romance thinking.

DR BARRY YORK, ittra tat-22 ta’ Settembru, 1989.
I read your “Lamentations” from cover to cover, over a period of time, and I particularly appreciated “Ceres returning from the Field”. I thought it was simple and concise at one level, but most powerfully crafted...There were a couple of others that impressed me with their strong imagery, particularly “No Through Road” and “Horns and Hornets” - vivid, indeed...A final favourite, for me, was “Suburban Blues”. I like the way in which the rhythmic flow of words conveys the meaning, or sense, of the poem as much as the words themselves.

IL-PROFESSUR GUZÈ AQUILINA, ittra tal-11 ta’ Dicembru, 1989.
“Lamentations of a Happy Man”... authentic poetry which I enjoyed reading.

JOE VASSALLO, ittra tal-20 ta’ Frar, 1989.
I was very pleasantly surprised to receive your booklet of English poems (LAMENTATIONS OF A HAPPY MAN)...I read it right through and was fascinated by your use of imagery. I have found only delight reading through your poems.

RIGU BOVINGDON, ittra tal-15 ta’ Mejju, 1990.
Ghadni kemm kont qed nimxi id f’id mieghek fil-kotba “Ilma” u “Lamentations...”. Joe, inti poeta mhux tal-waqt, mhux ta’ l-impressjoni, mhux tad-diskrizzjoni. Inti poeta fit-tifsira shiha tal-kelma u tal-kuncett assolut.

MANOEL DE VILHENA CULTURAL AWARD WINNERS 1995, fuq il-programm dwar ir-rebbieha.
One of the most important Maltese poetic voices in Australia. Joe’s poetry is an antiphony of song that elevates both the spirit and the beauty of the Maltese language. Joe’s work is widely published and his contribution to Maltese literature has been critically acclaimed both in Australia and in Malta.

ACHILLE MIZZI, ittra tat-8 ta’ Settembru, 1997.
Ma kellix sabar qabel qrajtu (“ALWETTIERA”) kollu minn qoxra sa qoxra u sibt iz-zmien biex niktiblek dawn il-kelmtejn t’apprezzament...Fil-fehma tieghi inti fost l-ahjar esponenti tal-poezija bil-Malti, mhux biss dawk li joqoghdu l-Awstralja izda anke dawk t’hawn Malta. Jidher li l-poezija ghalik mhix semplici burdata taz-zghozija izda impenn qawwi mnissel minn tqanqil gewwieni...Jidher li l-Malti tieghek ghadu sabih u mhux imtiefes, daqslikieku m’ghaddejtx dawk is-snin kollha boghod minn xtutna...Il-Malti tieghek ghadu safi daqslikieku ghadek fostna, biex ma nghidx ahjar minn ta’ bosta li qeghdin jiktbu hawn Malta. L-isem stess ta’ l-antologija huwa xhieda ta’ dan li qed nghid. L-alwettiera tfakkarni f’missieri li kien ukoll kaccatur u nassab u hija simbolu sabih tal-poezija bhala mezz tat-trasportazzjoni li ssehh waqt il-mument ispirat...Is-suggetti li tikteb dwarhom m’humiex tal-wicc il-wicc u taghraf tinzel ghal dak li huwa fundamentali u profond fil-hajja. Taghmel uzu tajjeb mis-sorpriza finali jew dik li bl-Ingliz jghidulha ‘twist’...Madankollu tista’ tghid li l-ghodda letterarja taf thaddimha ta’ mghallem...ukoll fejn tidhol l-ironija, il-paradoss ecc ecc...Kollox ma’ kollox il-poezija tieghek mhix nieqsa lanqas minn laqtiet b’referenza socjali li jirriflettu mhux biss ir-realtà Maltija izda wkoll dik Awstraljana...anzi nazzarda nghid ir-realtà Maltija kif mifhuma u interpretata minn ghajnejn Awstraljani. Ghaldaqshekk biss il-poezija tieghek fiha wkoll siwi bhala dokument ta’ tigrib spiritwali.

NAZZARENU ZERAFA, ittra tal-21 ta’ Mejju 1997.
Apprezzajt hafna fil-poezija tieghek (ALWETTIERA), fost affarijiet ohra, il-fidi soda u qawwija li ghandek f’Alla bhala l-kreatur suprem tan-natura u l-univers, il-filosofija tieghek tal-hajja bil-problemi u l-ferh li ggib maghha, l-gharfien wiesa’ li ghandek tal-Bibbja, l-imhabba u l-onesta fil-hajja familjari, l-assimilazzjoni tal-antik mal-modern tal-karattru Malti ma’ dak Awstraljan, tan-normal accettat mal-kuntrarju, u ta’ dak li joghgob ma’ dak li jixxokkja.

CARMEL G. CAUCHI, ittra tal-14 ta’ Gunju, 1997.
Il-poeziji tieghek (“ALWETTIERA”) jolqtuni hafna kemm ghall-hsibijiet profondi kif ukoll ghall-ghazla tal-kelma kemm hu possibbli Maltija safja. Jolqtuni r-riferenzi ghall-Bibbja...u s-sentiment religjuz...Helwin hafna wkoll huma l-poeziji qosra bi 3 versi fuq stil hajku. Nammira hafna fihom il-hsieb li jasal b’qawwa minkejja l-koncizjoni tal-kliem...Kollox ma’ kollox, Joe, ghandek ktieb tajjeb li jkompli jikkonfermak bhala poeta sod u samm.

GUZÈ CHETCUTI, ittra tal-24 ta’ Lulju, 1997.
Bro. Michael gabli l-lum il-ktieb tieghek tal-poezija Alwettiera, u digà sibt ic-cans naqra whud mill-poeziji li fih. Minn dak li qrajt ghandek poeziji li jisthoqqilhom tabilhaqq tifhir. Uhud minnhom fihom twist originali li ghogbitni.

ALBERT MARSHALL, ittra tat-2 ta’ Gunju, 1997.
Ghogobni l-istil frisk u mexxej kif ukoll l-istilistika informali, li kif taf, hija tipika tal-poezija tieghi miktuba f’dawn l-ahhar snin.

FREDU CACHIA, The Maltese Herald, Lulju 1997.
Din l-antologija gdida tinkludi xoghol mill-aktar fin, kemm fil-kliem kif ukoll fil-hsieb...Joe jolqot lid-dinja minn barra u minn gewwa f’kull ma fiha...”ALWETTIERA” hija antologija mexxejja, b’ritmu mghaggel, minghajr tlaqliq u bi stil li jpaxxi l-widna b’muzika sabiha li twassal fil-boghod.

IL-PROFESSUR OLIVER FRIGGIERI, ittra tat-30 ta’ Mejju, 1997.
Qrajt kwazi l-poeziji kollha (ALWETTIERA) u ghogbuni tassew. Laqtitni l-ghazla tal-kelma daqskemm ix-xehta lirika, sentimentali li turi f’bosta waqtiet.

NORBERT ELLUL-VINCENTI, The Times, 5 ta’ Awwissu 1997, recensjoni tal-Ktieb Alwettiera.
A genuine poetic voice from Australia is that of Joe Saliba...He is the poet with a musical ear, saying even well-known things in tripping feet and syllables. He has the observant eye, quickly noting every day life as it is lived, and making connections, drawing parellisms, allowing his inspiration to kindle, to flame and then, if it be the case, to burst into flame.

MONS. L. CACHIA, recensjoni tal-ktieb Alwettiera, 1997.
...poeziji tassew qawwija u koncentrati ta’ dan il-poeta tajjeb...kittieb li jixraqlu bid-dritt kollu l-isem ta’ poeta...Saliba ghandu hakma tajba tat-teknika tal-vers, kemm meta jikteb versi fuq ritmu tradizzjonali, li huma ftit u tajbin hafna, kemm meta jikteb b’mod aktar hieles. Ghandu wkoll grazzja specjali ghall-epigrammi li f’hafna minnhom jidher ukoll umorizmu li ghandu joghgob lill-qarrejja.

IL-PROFESSUR OLIVER FRIGGIERI, L-ISTORJA TAL-POEZIJA MALTIJA - IT-TIENI NOFS TAS-SEKLU GHOXRIN, 2001,
In-nostalgija ta’ l-emigrant, is-sens taz-zmien li jghaddi u jbiddel, il-paradossalità ta’ l-imhabba huma temi li Joe Saliba (t. 1941) jittrattahom b’bilanc bejn l-emozzjoni u r-raguni. Il-lingwagg tipiku tieghu huwa mnissel mit-tradizzjoni romantika Maltija li hu jgeddu u jhaddmu ghal ghanijiet personali.

PATRICK SAMMUT, recensjoni ta’ OCEGHANJA, ko-awturat, 2001.
Dawk ta’ Joe Saliba huma versi sinciera hergin mill-qalb. Ghandhom mis-safa tat-tfulija u mill-profondità ta’ l-univers li jdawwarna, mill-kobor u mis-seher tad-dezert Awstraljan, mill-kwotidjanità tal-waqtiet ta’ kuljum.

RIGU BOVINGDON, ittra tas-7 ta’ Settembru 2002, kummenti dwar is-sezzjoni tal-awtur f’OCEGHANJA.
...il-ghanja tieghek hi marsusa bis-sustanza ta’ qofol l-ezistenza u kliemek mirqum, imsawwar f’opra estetika li toghgob, tnissel il-pjacir, tirrilassak. M’hix tqila fuq il-widna. M’hemmx tqanzih. M’hemmx stunar. Il-kliem li taghzel jolqot, waqt li jinserixxi ruhu bhall-frak gewwa muzajk. Triqtek hi watja; ma tghajjikx. Il-piz iggorru int flok il-qarrej. Ghax it-tahbila tithalla suggestjoni. Isibha min irid u min tolqtu. Ir-rabta bejn il-kelma, ambjentazzjoni, stoticità, trobbija, injezzjonijiet ghorieb ghad-dinja Maltija fik (li ilek taf minn tfulitek), fdalijiet arkajci minghajr ma jzarzru, ilwien minn prizma friska u aktar moderna, wesghat bla tarf li ma jikklaxxjawx ma’ l-accettazzjoni tal-konfini tal-pajjiz minuskoli li gejt minnu, kliem baziku u kliem l-art li go Malta ta’ llum qieghed kulma jmur jintesa joqghod fit-tifsila bla diffikultà. Madankollu, wara tant snin gewwa din l-art, ma naqsitx il-klima t’hawn thalli fik il-ghelma ta’ pajjiz mill-aktar antik u li jitlob ir-rispett partikolari tieghu f’Wandjina.

STEPHEN CACHIA, imejl 20.8.2003.
Nghidlek minghajr tlaqlieq li l-poezija tieghek lili mhux biss toghgobni, imma ispiratni wkoll, u minbarra dan inqisek wiehed mill-aqwa kittieba kontemporanji taghna.

IL-MALTIN F'KITBIET AWSTRALJANI

2009-07-31T01:39:00.000-07:00

IL-MALTIN F’KITBIET AWSTRALJANI

Waqt il-qari tieghi ta' xoghlijiet ta' awturi Awstraljani sibt xi kitbiet interessanti fejn jissemmew Malta u l-Maltin. Din kienet sorpriza li ferrhitni. Hawnekk ma nistax ingib il-poeziji shah minhabba l-Copyright, u ghalhekk ikolli nikkwota biss xi siltiet 'l hemm u 'l hawn.

Dawn li gejjin huma xi versi mill-poezija 'Playing With My Coronet' ta' Randolph Stow fl-antologija POETS AUSTRALIA CATALOGUE migbura minn Susan Jeffrey (Australian International Press & Publications Pty Ltd, 1978. p. 98). Stow twieled fil-Western Australia fl-1935 u kien ghal xi zmien lettur fl-Ingilterra, fil-Kanada u fid-Denimarka. Huwa maghruf ukoll bhala kittieb ta' rumanzi, l-aktar wiehed famuz tieghu TO THE ISLANDS (1958). Ninnotaw li f'dil-poezija l-poeta Randolph Stow jirreferi ghalih innifsu bhala "Mikiel tal-Awstralja". Ippruvajt infittex l-origini u aktar dettalji ta' dil-poezija imma ma rnexxilix. Mill-kontenut tal-versi u n-noti jidher li l-poeta kien qatta' xi zmien Malta ma' zewg bdiewa, u kiteb dil-poezija wara li kien ircieva ittra minghand il-mara tal-bidwi fejn qaltlu li hi u r-ragel taghha kienu hadu pjacir meta hu kien maghhom fir-razzett.

...I write for you, Vittur, though you won't hear
and Carmelo hasn't ever known my language,
thinking of lamplit meals, when Pastard came
with a sailor's yarn, or to wrestle Guzepp Haddiem;
and of Xidi, with his reliably non-news;
and of MALTA TIBKI LILL-PAPA on your door.
Remembering wine-dark dreams in the midday shade
under the weird green asps of the harrub,
...And the taste of capers fresh from crannied walls...
The Turks of time have scarred our ramparts now,
but pasts endure. Let us, for us, endure,
stubborn as Malta, stubborn as Mnajdra
-- stubborn, Maltin, as you.
Randolph Stow
(Mikiel tal-Awstralja)

Poezija ohra li sibt hi ta' Frank Kellaway bl-isem 'Eros' (OVERLAND, Nu. 100, Melbourne, Settembru 1985, p. 80). Fit-tmeninijiet kelli x-xorti niltaqa' ma' Kellaway meta attendejt Poetry Workshop imtella' minn poetessa Awstraljana Judith Rodriguez u smajtu jaqra xi versi tieghu. F'dil-poezija l-poeta jiftakar meta kien Malta fl-ahhar gwerra. Jidher li kien bahri. Kien jinzel Malta u jmur il-Belt Valletta fi Strada Stretta bhal hafna rgiel ohra tas-servizz. Kien jaf wahda min-nisa t'hemm u kienet hi l-ispirazzjoni ta' dal-versi tieghu. Baqa' jiftakarha. Naghzel xi ftit versi mill-poezija ta' Kellaway.

When mines were popping Eros kept me sane...
A sonnet never could contain this girl,
Julie, who worked in Malta's hungry gut
who sang and pranced like an impulsive gale...
The price arranged she'd give a man her key,
leave him and earn more drinks, bubble and leap,
grabbing another man to whirl and dance...
She was my girl when I got in from sea...
among bombed buildings, a crumbling rubble-heap
in that town of shadows, my permanence.

Giet f'idejja poezija ohra li ssemmi l-Maltin, did-darba l-Maltin ta' Sydney. Fil-ktieb tieghu ta' poeziji THE WAY IT IS (Darling Downs Institute Press, Toowoomba, 1984, p. 102) il-poeta Michael Sharkey ghandu wahda bl-isem ta' 'Merrylands', post fejn hemm hafna Maltin. Il-poeta, waqt li jiddeskrivi l-hajja mghaggla t'hemmhekk, il-hwienet u l-hajja socjali, josserva:

Merrylands has got the biggest Big Mac in the West;
the Chicken Shacks along the main road,
Pizza Hut, the Coolibah; Enrico's eats,
best tucker in West Sydney.
Merrylands has got the biggest homes you ever seen,
Georgie, he's my broth-in-law,
knows everyone, the Muscats,
Camilleris, and the Sammuts, and Spiteris, everyone.

Ghalkemm ftit huma l-ezempji ta' din ix-xorta ta' kitba fuqna l-Maltin, qed nindunaw, jekk naqraw dak li nkiteb minn awturi Awstraljani, li ghallanqas kultant tidher xi haga. Ahjar ftit milli xejn.

MANWEL CASSAR

2009-07-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

MANWEL CASSAR twieled l-Imsida fit-3.1.1933. Fl-1955 izzewweg lil Josephine Spiteri (ghandhom hamest itfal) u fl-istess sena emigraw ghal Melbourne, l-Awstralja. Hadem bhala ghalliem u fic-Civil. Fl-1959 waqqaf L-Ghaqda tal-Letteratura tal-Maltin fl-Awstralja li issa ma tiffunzjonax. Kien President tal-Maltese Literature Group -- Grupp Letteratura Maltija. Kittieb stabbilit, poeta, prozatur u pittur li jesebixxi spiss. Imsieheb f’bosta ghaqdiet letterarji f’Malta u fl-Awstralja, fosthom l-Akkademja tal-Malti. Xoghlijietu nstemghu fuq il-mezzi tax-xandir u dehru f’ghadd kbir ta’ gazzetti, gurnali u antologiji. Jikteb bil-Malti u bl-Ingliz. Kwalifikat bid-Diploma, bil-B.A. u bil-Postgraduate Diploma fl-arti u issa qed jistudja ghall-M.A. fil-letteratura u fl-arti Maltin-Awstraljani. Din il-poezija tirrifeletti, fost hwejjeg ohra, sfond multikulturali fejn jiddomina s-sens storiku Awstraljan.

FIL-KAZIN TAR-RETURNED SERVICES LEAGUE, EAST BENTLEIGH

Ma jixjihux kif ahna
li bqajna hawnhekk nixjiehu.
Ahna lhaqna s-sittin,
ahna lhaqna s-sebghin,
... imm’ahna ma xjahniex,
ahna nizfnu mal-muzika
Spanish Eyes,
Down By The River Side,
You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine
you make me happy
when skies are gray
......
Ilbiesna joqoghdilna,
l-antaccjoli jlellxulna,
sema Texan u smewwiet ohra jitbissmulna,
il-qargha tidhebilna taht il-globu elettriku,
iz-zarbun ibblakkat ileqqilna,
induru cippitatu fuq ponot subghajn saqajna
bhall-qawsalla t’isem il-banda ddoqqilna,
imdendla zaqqna ta]t ic-cinturin.

Huma ma jixjihux -- kif jistghu?

Fit-truncieri tal-qobra middewhom
fl-ahjar ta’ hajjithom,
xagharhom ceda ghall-haxix selvagg,
lahamhom ga miksi bit-trab tat-taqbid
neza’, thallat ma’ l-iehor,
fil-kanali sotterranji ta’ mnifsejhom imekkek igerrem id-dud,
il-hofor t’ghajnejhom jiddemmghu
bix-xita li tnixxi,
ma tistenniex li l-Mewt
tehtieg tistudja l-binja
tal-ghadam uman
jew qieghda tghasses process it-tmermir?

Huma ma jixjihux -- kif jistghu
la l-haj jixjieh?

... Izda lanqas ma xjahna
ahna li nizfnu kull zifna,
ukoll tax-xjuhija,
ghajnejna Awstraljani, Spanjoli, Maltin... ileqqulna,
f’xatt ix-xmara taz-zmien ninhabbu,
ix-xemx thobbna minn smewwiet cari
u l-mahbuba xxemmixna minn smewwiet grizi
fil-pajjiz ixxurtjat.

VERSI GHAC-CENSURA

2009-07-26T02:07:00.000-07:00

VERSI GHAC-CENSURA

Dawn il-versi nixtieq li jkunu xhieda ta’ xi nhoss, x’nahseb, x’nemmen u tigribi ghal nofs seklu fl-Awstralja, ’il boghod minn Malta, b’religjon gdida li habbejt u haddant f’zghoziti meta kelli ghoxrin sena, wara li nqtajt u twarrabt mill-qadima ta’ tfuliti.

MANIFEST TA’ TWEMMINI

Habib, tghoddnix b’Kattolku ghax m’ghadnix.
Fil-kalendarju ta’ kuljum m’ghandix
festi ta’ ‘qaddisin’. It-talb mitruh
ghal dawk li mietu, billi vojt, maqtugh
minn dmirijieti. Nitlob ghall-hajjin.
M’hemmx x’taghzel bejn il-bhejjem u l-bnedmin.
Kohelet qal, il-mejjet ma jaf b’xejn;
il-mejjet mejjet, bla widnejn u ghajnejn;
kelb haj ahjar minn iljun mejjet smat.
U kollox, kollox, frugha tal-frughat!
M’hemmx ‘qaddisin’ ghal talbkom. Lill-mejtin
tweghdulhom fis-smewwiet il-premju bnin
flok qiegh l-infern, il-qabar, fejn kulhadd
ghandu jispicca -- dan huwa l-kuntratt.
Pasprulek li xi angli rribellaw
kontra Alla u saru xjaten jittantaw
lill-bniedem. Ahna x-xjaten, l-ghadu haj
tas-sewwa, ahna s-sriep li gibna l-gwaj
tad-dnub u l-mewt, l-ugigh, is-sahta u l-mard.
Se jkollna f’din id-dinja l-genna fl-art
meta Gesù jkun fostna l-Kmand, sultan
tas-slaten f’hajja eterna ta’ serhan
mill-gwerer u min-niket, l-ghakx u d-dmugh,
fejn mieghu jiggvernaw dawk li jhobbuh,
u l-hlas ghall-imwarrbin id-dlam dejjiem
tal-mewt fil-qabar, bla mistrieh, bla sliem.
M’ghadnix tal-Mara u tal-Bhima lsir.
Dawn tmiemhom wasal u se jkun bil-kbir!
Mela, minn bejn is-seba’ gholjiet, habib,
ahrab qabel il-hruq, l-ghawg u t-tigrib!
Twemmini safi bla tingis pagan.
Slittu mill-Bibbja, mhux mill-Vatikan!

ENCIKLIKA BLA BOLOL

Nahseb li ma smajtux
bl-esperimenti
ta’ sperma muzikali
mal-hajt tal-garigor
fuq xebba illi ommha
kienet tmur tittallab ghal bintha l-ohra
li taparsi riditha
tmurhielha soru.

Lanqas nahseb ma smajtu
bil-hwat
ghall-hasil
tal-hwejjeg
fuq il-bjut ta’ Vincenti Buildings
Triq l-Ifran fil-hamsinijiet
fejn kien jitla’ z-zebbiegh mizzewweg
jahsel
xi zewg sefturi
zghar daqs bintu.

Imma fuq dan li tahsbu:
fid-demm ta’ Dun Gorg Preca
li zamm it-tabib tieghu ghall-fidili
bhala relikwa.

Lil Kristu,
minflok zammejtuh haj fil-qiegh ta’ qalbkom,
qajjimtu x-xbieha tieghu bic-cuqlajti,
ksejtuha bil-vernic u fuq spallejkom
mat-toroq dortu biha
bhal ghogol tad-deheb fin.

Daz-zmien m’ghadhomx jinbnew bazilki bl-indulgenzi
u bwiet il-qassisin m’ghadhomx jittaqqlu
daqs qabel bil-quddies ghall-erwieh mejta
biex ma jinxtwewx fit-tul fil-purgatorju.

Dil-genna kollha ma niflahx ghaliha!

IC-CELEBAT

Qassis modern b’kullar ftit issikkat
xhin irrikkmanda d-dmir tac-celebat
imdejjaq hassu bih u qisu fgat.

RELIKWI

Ma nazzardax nibni l-futur fuq holma
li fit-thewdin tal-mohh webbluni biha.

Hemm min jemmen bir-ruh li tigi taghha
meta fl-infern titbaskat
jew fil-genna
xi darba tmur tithenna.

Ohrajn hsiebhom fis-shab...
fil-qaddisin jitbahhru
bil-mewg ta’ talb fidil jinbaram lejhom
xhin dawk ta’ fuq
b’xita ta’ grazzji
mad-devoti taghhom jerhu jdejhom.

Hemm dawk li jbusu l-brieret
mill-Gharb tal-Gzira Ghawdxija.
Ohrajn li ghal dnubiethom
jehel denb Lucifru
u jghidu m’ghandhomx tort
ghax dak hu l-htija
ta’ kull nuqqas f’hajjithom
u ta’ kull ghelt f’did-dinja
bil-hazen hekk mimlija.

Nisimghu x’jahsbu n-nies sabiex nitghallmu
ghax minn dan l-gherf dejjem niehdu xi haga
u m’hemm xejn mohli,
imma sikwit,
billi l-fehmiet jinbidlu,
jew nemmnu fl-ghama,
jew mghammdin ghall-ahhar,
bla hsieb ta’ xejn insibu lil twemminna
li fuqu mxejna u li fih intlifna
qed jixwi lilu nnifsu fiz-zejt moqli.

Ma nazzardax nibni l-gharix
fuq art taflija.

PROFANITÀ

Tghid sirna aghar maz-zmien?...B’diqa ghal missierhom,
Eli l-Qassis il-Kbir, dardru d-dmir taghhom
iz-zewg subien meta fit-Tabernaklu
meddew lin-nisa, raqdu u zienu maghhom.

Il-Mara fuq il-Bhima ggieghlek tirkeb
warajha u kif l-Unjoni Ewropea
tqassam lill-imsehbin, lilek tbamballek
spiritwalment il-mard tal-gonorea.

Kanonku f’nofs il-kor jintona s-salmi,
joffri l-inbid u l-ostja fuq l-artal,
minn fuq il-pulptu jishaq fuq is-safa,
imbaghad fis-sagristija jmiss ’it-tfal.

Mhux talli flok tezor sibt il-flus foloz
meta l-ghalqa qallibt u bdejt inqejjes,
anzi xammejt jien stess l-ipokresija:
m’hemmx x’taghzel bejn il-briedel u xi knejjes.

L-EWWEL GEBLA

O x’qed jaraw ghajnejja!
Fiex gejna?! Fejn sejrin?!
Tlifna kull direzzjoni
bhal fkieren maqlubin.

Bandist li jhobb inemmes
jiftah malajr hanut
hdejn skola sekondarja
ghat-tfal subien migbud.

Ragel xwejjah tal-qniepen
jiggerra fuq il-bjut
tal-knejjes mnejn it-tifel
jahrablu, jaqa’ u jmut.

Ministri tal-pulitka,
irjus t’ghaqdiet u qrati;
sa gewwa l-presbiterji
b’dan-nies l-irkejjen fgati.

Qassis mghawweg bhall-virga
joqtol ghall-purità
li ghandna lkoll inzommu,
’mma f’hajtu rarità.

U b’ghajb ghal dinu u dmiru
jiehu guvnott id-dar
u juri bi hzunitu
kemm hu bniedem mill-aghar.

Kien zmien meta s-suttani
hsibtuhom jghaxxqu t-triq;
ghosfru, ’mma dell ftit minnhom
baqa’ ghas-suttar u l-bzieq.

Mill-Kurja jmorru jqerru
ghand Borgia l-Bugarrun,
u min jistenna l-barka
minn ghandhom jahbi l-qrun.

Tal-pulptu, tal-pastizzi,
u xi mhallfin tal-mazza,
surmastrijiet u ohra
ta’ kull livell u razza.

O x’qed jaraw ghajnejja!
Fiex gejna?! Fejn sejrin?!
Tlifna kull direzzjoni
bhal fkieren maqlubin.

INVOKAZZJONI

It-tfal fit-triq dejqa dejquha
iwerzqu fil-loghob bil-ballun
quddiem il-bieb taghha u jahasra
imisshom jaghtuha ragun.

L-irqad hu kalvarju ghaliha
bl-istorbju u l-ghajat tal-girien
f’xi pârti kultant meta ’l-muzka
thoss thezzez sas-sebh lis-sisien.

’Mma l-aktar li tgerger, miskina,
ghax tahdem billejl, u binhar
tistrieh mix-xoghol iebes ta’ qahba
li sservi l-klijenti fid-dar.

Qassis qalli tajjeb: kull bniedem
li jaqla’ l-ghajxien ghandu l-jedd.
Tassew! Gharkopptejh jew bilwieqfa,
bilqieghda! U din xhin timtedd!

HADD MHU MA TIEGHU

Illum fiz-zfin tat-tigijiet
hadd mhu ma’ tieghu
hlief Fonzu l-ballarin
jizfen ma’ siehbu
Wigi tat-tamborlin.
’Mma f’nofshom jigru t-tfal
ghax tieg bla tfal bhal zwieg minghajr ulied.

Nifirhu bit-tfal zghar u kif narawhom
qed jikbru
jigi l-hsieb: kemm hi qasira
hajjithom u hajjitna!
Mur ghidlu
lil Pietru tac-Caqquf,
buznannuwi,
li kien fuq skuna ma’ xi hbieb
isalpa
lejn Monte Carlo
biex jilghabhom hemmhekk,
bit-tfal li gew warajh.

Imma lili
Alla halaqni cuc.
Id-dnub li writt ghalija hu dan:
uliedna aktar makakki
minn dan ix-xih ta’ qrib is-sebghin sena.
Jghadduh
minn ghajn il-labra
u bl-ingassi jdawwruh.

Ix-xjuh jghidulna dari mhux bhal zmienna.
Illum m’ghandnix rispett.
Insew l-ghonienel
kemm satru tahthom gwief ta’ demm barrani
li habblilhom giehhom.
Ghall-antenati karfa z-zghazagh taghna
ghax jizzewgu darbtejn; huma li baqghu
imhabba l-knisja, x’jghidu n-nies, u t-tfal.

ULURU

Jigu l-kbarat minn Malta u jparprulna
b’hafna paroli li se jwettqu kollox,
b’weghdi ta’ gid li ftit li xejn jissarrfu
fostna l-imsiefra, imma b’liema hegga
jiddikkjaraw xortina bla ma jfakkru
li dak li ghandna hdimna ghalih, mhux huma
tawhulna shun fuq platt. Gew ghall-kirjanza
u jibqghu jigu sakemm ahna nqumu
minn dan il-hmar il-lejl li qed johnoqna
bl-inhiq giddieb li ghadhom ihobbuna.

Ejjew nifirhu b’rixna ghax jekk innizzlu
l-ghodda li qbadna u nhalluha f’rokna,
nitilfu s-sehem li tajna s’issa: xogholna,
il-kitba, il-kanzunetti, l-ghana taghna,
ilsienna, ir-radju u l-palk. Inbierku
lil dawk tal-bidu fl-oqsma kollha mxierka
m’ohrajn l’ ghadhom jithabtu biex bejnietna
nibqghu maghquda ghall-ahjar. Inzommu
bis-sahha taghna u minghajr ebda rtokk
l-identità li bnejna fuq Ayers Rock.

Nota: Uluru jew Ayers Rock huwa monolit kolossali
f’nofs l-Awstralja, b’dawra ta’ 5 mili, 1000 pied gholi,
u mil u nofs midfun taht l-art. Dan il-post bil-leggendi
u t-tpingijiet antiki tieghu huwa sagru u sinifikanti
hafna ghall-Indigni Awstraljani.

BHALL-HAXIXA TAS-SAQQIJIET

Il-mingel Tork li ried jaghmilna trietaq,
l-iljun Ingliz li skitna taht gerzumtu,
il-pett Nazist li xtaq jghattanna b’rifsu,
u l-imperjalisti
illi ghalihom fettahna
l-haxixa tas-saqqijiet
biex jorqdu fuqna komdi u bla strapazz,
fejn huma llum?
Taru mar-rih jew tkissru jew iddghajfu.
U intom ghadkom hemm,
izda’issa
bhal saba’ tafli
ta’ sieq l-Unjoni Ewropea.

FESTIN

Inhabbru l-mewt
ghal dawk li jisthoqqilhom
u jmisshom jisthu.

Johrog il-bandu biex fil-pjazza jqabbdu
taht kaldarun daqsiex hgejjeg kontinwi
u jitfghu fl-ilma jbaqbaq
lill-viljakki
li jsaltnu ma’ saqajna
jinsultawna
bl-ghemejjel koroh u d-dnubiet
imwettqa
bla sens ta’ ndiema.

Ma’ tmiem il-bandu l-baned b’ritmu mqabbez
idoqqu l-innijiet dwar dil-kefrija
li saret bicca wahda minn hajjithom.

Mal-hoss tat-tamborlin jinstema’ l-biki
ta’ dawk imwaddba fl-ilma li stenniehom.

Is-sindku fl-gholi
jikkalkula l-krizi
ta’ din l-inkwizizzjoni
u kemm nies gew ghal dal-festin ta’ dwejjaq.

OASI WAQT IL-BTALA

Kemm qieghed tajjeb
hawn
gewwa l-Awstralja.

Madankollu
niftakar
waqt il-btala
fdewni xi ftit
il-kxif
tal-monument-tifkira
ta’ Karmenu Vassallo
gewwa s-Siggiewi,
il-Katakombi
ta’ San Pawl ir-Rabat,
Marsaxlokk
u l-Barrakka ta’ Fuq,
xi qraba u hbieb,
u fuq kollox
il-laqghat familjari
ma’ huti fi Kristu,
il-Christadelphians,
Walter, Josephine, Victor, Salvu u Gino,
ma’ Derek u Mike,
oasi ta’ ferh u farag f’dezert Nisrani.

NOTI MID-DJARJU TIEGHI DWAR IL-POEZIJA

2009-07-24T02:56:00.000-07:00

NOTI MID-DJARJU TIEGHI DWAR IL-POEZIJA

Ikteb ghas-sodisfazzjon tieghek u mhux ghall-approvazzjoni u t-tifhir tal-qarrejja. Tistenniex lill-qarrej li jifhem il-versi tieghek kif kellek f'mohhok int. Anzi ahjar li l-qarrej ma jkunx limitat fl-interpretazzjoni ta' vrusek. B'hekk tkun hlaqt livelli differenti li jghinuh jespandi l-emozzjonijiet tieghu u jesplora orizzonti godda.
* * *
Lill-kritiku letterarju ghoddu dejjem bhala bniedem ta' vizjoni wahda tax-xoghol tieghek. Mitt bniedem mitt fehma. Bla ma jrid il-kritiku ta' sikwit jikkritika bi pregudizzju morali, intellettwali, socjali u politiku. Taghtix kas hafna tal-kummenti li jaghmel kritiku li qatt ma ppubblika vers ta' poezija. Il-kritiku letterarju li ghandu lsienu dejjem mimli velenu jitlef il-karriera tieghu. Daqsxejn arseniku hu stimulanti ghall-poeta, imma hafna velenu jeqred lill-kritiku nnifsu b'xi mod jew iehor (David Martin, Overland, 1962-63).
* * *
Aghzel l-istil li thossok komdu meta tikteb bih. M'hemmx differenza bejn stil tradizzjonali u modern, sakemm tohrog poezija tajba. Fl-Awstralja stess ghadna naraw il-poezija tradizzjonali mhaddma mill-ahjar poeti Awstraljani ta' zmienna.
* * *
Il-versi tradizzjonali jehtieg li jimxu dejjem fuq il-metrika fejn jidhlu r-rima, ir-ritmu, in-numru ta' sillabi fil-vers u hwejjeg ohra. Min-naha l-ohra l-poezija kontemporanja ma tfissirx bicca proza mqassma fi vrus biex tidher qisha forma ta' poezija. Iz-zewg ghamliet ta' versi jridu jinhaddmu bil-ghaqal u bis-sengha mehtiega.
* * *
Qis li l-poezija li tikteb ikollha xi haga ta' siwi u mhux hafna kliem vojt.
* * *
Il-versi awtentici ghandhom imissu l-hames sensi u jhalluna f'sens ta' ghogba.
* * *
Il-poeta jehtieg izomm il-kontroll fuq l-immaginazzjoni u d-direzzjoni tal-versi. Dan ma jfissirx li ghandu jkollu dejjem f'mohhu kif ser tispicca l-poezija, ghax tajjeb li l-poezija kultant tispicca ferm differenti mill-pjan originali tal-kittieb.
* * *
"Iddeskrivi sigra partikulari b'tali mod li ma tistax titfixkilha ma' sigra ohra." (Flaubert)
* * *
"Il-poezija aktar tinghogob meta tiftiehem fuq livell generali milli bit-dettalji kollha taghha." (Coleridge)
* * *
L-esperjenza poetika hi rizultat ta' kurzità u osservazzjonijiet li ma jaqtghu qatt.
* * *
Poezija ordinarja hi wahda li tirrifletti dak li l-poeta digà jaf fuq id-dinja ta' madwaru. Din il-poezija tkun akkademika, sfurzata, mekkanika, artificjali u bla ruh. Bil-maqlub, il-poeta genwin juza l-kitba biex ifittex u jesplora hwejjeg godda.
* * *
Uza vokabularju haj, mhux imqanzah; kliem naturali li thossok komdu bih u mhux kliem missellef li ma thossx rabta mieghu.
* * *
Hafna tixbihat f'poezija wahda sikwit itellfu l-unità u l-hsieb ewlieni li xtaq il-poeta.
* * *
Dak li nghodduh kontraversjali f'xi xoghlijiet poetici mhux l-ewwel darba li jkun il-verità li ma nkunux indunajna biha.
* * *
Zomm ruhek aggornat ma' dak li qed jinkiteb minn ohrajn b'kemm lingwi taf.
* * *
Dak li ma jinkitebx, imma jkun issuggerit biss, hafna drabi jkollu aktar effett u prominenza minn dak li jinkiteb, ghax anki l-kitba ghandha s-silenzji taghha.
* * *
Biex tohrog poezija tajba m'ghandekx bzonn suggetti straordinarji. Mill-irkejjen tal-hajja personali ta' l-awtur, bhat-twelid, bhall-hajja, bhall-mewt u bhall-imhabba, li huma fihom infushom temi universali, jixirfu l-isbah versi memorabbli u lirici.
* * *
Aqra, studja, tghallem...u ppublika meta tkun sodisfatt ghal kollox b'dak li tkun ktibt.
=================
=================

FREDU CACHIA

2009-07-20T03:09:00.000-07:00

FREDU CACHIA

Wiehed mill-ghanijiet tieghi ta’ dawn il-puntati hu li nipprezenta versi ta’ poeti Maltin-Awstraljani fejn l-ambjent endemiku Awstraljan jispikka aktar minn elementi letterarji ohra. Qed nibda b’dawn il-versi ta’ Fredu Cachia. Cachia twieled Haz-Zebbug fit-12.3.1939. Mar fl-iskola ta’ rahal twelidu fejn thabbeb mal-Malti u baqa’ jhobbu dejjem. Emigra ghall-Awstralja fl-1960. Mizzewweg lil Vicky Agius u ghandhom erbat itfal. Jaqla’ ghajxienu bhala mastrudaxxa. Hu skultur bl-injam, ghannej u daqqaq folkloristiku bil-kitarra. Kien ghal xi zmien membru u Vici-President tal-Maltese Literature Group -- Grupp Letteratura Maltija. Poeziji tieghu xxandru fuq ir-radju u dehru f’gazzetti u fl-antologiji tal-Grupp Irjieh (1986) u Frott Iehor (1992). Karatteristika tal-versi tieghu hija l-ghazla tal-kelma hafifa imma mexxejja, nuqqas ta’ pretenzjoni letterarja u pinzellati satirici. Din il-poezija tieghu taghti hjiel ta’ kif ihossuhom xi Maltin emigranti fl-Awstralja, b’identità konfuza u l-lealtà romantika lejn Malta pjuttost imcajpra.

IL-GEWLAQ U MATILDA

Kemm nixtieq kelli gewlaq sabih
U xlief u qasba ghall-hut tal-qiegh...
Din kienet l-ghanja ta’ tfuliti,
U ta’ missieri, Lanca gejja
U ohra sejra...

Hekk il-hajja, ibni, fid-dinja.
U darba veru giet il-Lanca
U hadet mir-rahal taghna
Liz-zghazagh, lil tas-snajja’
U ta’ hila,
Lejn l-art fil-boghod
Fl-ahhar tad-dinja,
Fejn kwiekeb ohra jixeghlu bil-lejl,
Fejn Jannar jixwik bis-shana
U Awwissu jrezzhek bil-bard.

Gejt ma’ l-ohrajn
Mohh ir-rih, fejn laqat laqat,
Fejn kisser kisser,
Bla arlogg,
Bla kalendarju...
Iz-zghozija ma tafx zmien jew hin.
Mieghi gibt dak li ghallmuni
U dak li tawni dawk li habbewni,
Mhux go xi bagoll jew kaxxa,
Lanqas fil-bagalja
Li kull ma wesghet zewg qomos u qalziet.

Izda go fija,
Go qalbi,
U go mohhi...
X’jiswa li ggib iddendlu mal-hajt
Jew jekk prezzjuz taghlqu f’kexxun...
Kollox ixabba’ fid-dinja.

Imbaghad ghax kollox hinu
Beda x-xoghol u l-hidma
Li taghha gensna msemmi mill-qedem.
Ix-xoghol salmura tal-gisem
U ahna nies midhla sewwa tas-salmura
Ghax l-incova u s-sardin hbieb tal-haddiem.

Ghadda z-zmien
U thallatna mal-ohrajn
U l-ohrajn thalltu maghna
Kif ghamlu l-gnus kollha,
Izda dejjem zammejna,
Jekk mhux ghal kollox,
Naqra Bajda u Hamra.

Ghallinqas hekk ghext jien
F’din l-art li tant habbejt,
Li fiha kabbart u li fiha rabbejt,
Daqqa mnikket,
Daqqa ferhan.

Ghax kull meta hsiebi
Johodni fejn darba ckejken
Kont nonsob ghall-pitirross
L-Awstralja minn wara tigbidni lura nhoss...
Din hi l-hajja ta’ dan l-emigrant.

Jiena noqghod go dar Maltija,
Sa xatba u bajtra tax-xewk ghandi fiha,
U jekk xi darba tkun lil din-naha
U tisma’ b’lehen zarzari
L-ghanja Awstraljana
Jew dik ta’ dari,
Il-valz ta’ Matilda,
Matilda ta’ qalbi,
Imhallta ma’ l-ghanja tal-gewlaq sabih
U xlief u qasba ghall-hut tal-qiegh...
Inkun jien.

L-AMBJENT U L-KITTIEB

2009-07-17T02:36:00.000-07:00

Fil-blog ta’ habibi Patrick J. Sammut
www.patrickjsammut.blogspot.com
dan l-ahhar qrajt b’herqa kbira ghadd ta’
intervisti li hu ghamel ma’ numru sabih
ta’ kittieba. Element prominenti li kien
diskuss huwa l-ambjent u r-responsibiltà
tal-kittieb li juza l-arti tal-kitba biex inharsu
ahjar il-holqien kollu. Bhala reazzjoni ghal dak li
qrajt, qieghed ingib hawnhekk numru ta’ poeziji
tieghi fuq dan is-suggett. Xi whud minnhom
ktibthom xi ghaxar snin ilu.

PIENA PLANETARJA

Kemm tidher sbejha d-dinja mill-ispazju,
gawhra li taghti fl-izraq go sfond vjola,
ibhra, oceani, xmajjar ziguzajgi,
turgien ta' shab iduru garigori,
tizwiq ta' lwien fuq artijiet tal-pupi,
u kollox pajjiz wiehed bla fruntieri.

U jekk hemm hlejjaq ohra f'dinjiet akbar
u jahslu jitrombjawlna, tghid jarawna,
kif ahna naraw lilhom jiddu sielma
minghajr dettalji x'hemm qed jigri fihom?

Imma mill-qrib xort' ohra. Kulma qlajna
fil-bidu farraknieh. Nittinna l-ibhra.
Hammigna 'l-art u 's-sema u kulma fihom.
Biddilna d-dinja f'xbiha taghna nfusna.
U jekk xi darba kellna nindukrawha
lid-dinja ha' tmantnina, illum tlifnieha
dil-hatra ta' gwardjani u ghamilnieha
taghna bla qatt ma kellna fuqha l-jedd.

U fuq ir-ramel li wittielna kollox
l-istatwa ta' Memmnon m'ghadhiex tkantalna
kif maz-zerniq kienet tolqotha x-xemx.

JINQERDU DAWK LI QED JEQIRDU D-DINJA

Dal-lejl ma nistax norqod
u mohhi m’ghandux kwiet;
inhossni qieghed neghreq
f’bahar ta’ hsibijiet.

Id-dlam igibli xeni
ta’ wgigh u ta’ tbatija,
ta’ qtil, imrar u diqa,
ta’ jasar u kefrija.

Jurini met’ ghal sufhom
biccirna ’l-foki z-zghar...
Baxx baxx gellidna ’s-sriedaq
b’difrejhom jarmu x-xrar...

Qtilna liz-zwiemel joghtru
jo’ mwegggha tat-tigrija...
hallejna f’nofs l-arena
lill-barri agunija...

U nfidna l-ors bil-mohbi
bil-holoq go mnifsejh
u kaxkarnieh bil-ktajjen...
accjomu nharsu lejh...

O lejl, zammejtni mqajjem
nhewden kif lill-holqien
ma harisniehx bil-ghaqal
u shetna kullimkien.

Iccaqcaq ic-canfira
tal-hlejjaq imharbtin
li bl-ahrax qed jixluna
b’hatjin, hatjin, hatjin!

U jkollna nhallsu d-danni
talli l-ambjent kasbarna,
u ninsgu l-ghajb f’kuruna
tax-xewk ghal fuq qabarna.

Nota: It-titlu ta’ din il-poezija huwa kwotazzjoni mir-Rivelazzjoni11:18.

IL-KOLLEZZJONI TAL-FRIEFET

L-ghalliem m’ghallimniex sewwa...
Kien passatemp ghalih
li jaqbad u jibbalzma
kemm seta’ friefet sbieh.

Nghid issa xi dritt kellu
li jzomm f’kaxxa msakkrin
gol-hgieg daw’ l-innocenti...
darba kienu hajjin!

Tassew li lwienhom jidhru
minn barra sahharija,
’mma min hu mgarrab jifhem
xi thoss ir-ruh mifnija.

Ic-celel qatt ma nbidlu
f’burdelli ta’ pjacir,
u l-hakem qatt ma serva
jew obda lill-ilsir.

U l-jedd ghal hajja hielsa
ma rajtx fil-kollezzjoni
tal-friefet, ’mma ghall-kuntrarju,
l-eqqel kontradizzjoni.

IL-PAPPAGALL

Il-pappagall jitkellem
harrabtu ghax fid-djuq
ma flahtx narah imdejjaq,
imjassar u maghluq.

Harrabtu meta wliedna
kienu barra mid-dar.
Ridt niskans’hom mid-dehra
ta’ swied il-qalb u mrar.

Zmien twil kien ilu ghandna
dan l-imsejken t’ghasfur
mghakkes go gagga ckejkna
wara l-hadid idur.

Nahlef l’ghozzejtu bhalhom
daqskemm kien jaf. Xi lsien!
’Mma qalbi taret mieghu
meta tajtu l-helsien.

Skantajna! Ftit jiem wara
gol-bitha t-tfal lemhuh,
u hasbu, ghax saffrilhom,
lura xtaqhom johduh.

Farragthom: “Postu l-berah,
u biex din it-taghlima
tiftakru, gie jroddilkom
b’kull hajr l-ahhar tislima!”

MISSJONI ALBATROSS

Il-ponta ta' lsienhom
xkubetta kkargata fid-dlam...
Jistennew ghall-barka bikrija...
Qabel ma jbexbex,
l-imtiehen
jittewbu bla ziffa fuq l-gholja.
Hdejn xifer l-ghadira
l-imqadef iqattru
bid-dawl ta' qamar jirrifletti
fuq qliezet tal-plastik.
Hamrana l-ucuh,
gharqana l-ucuh,
bla sabar jishru biex ikunu tal-ewwel
ghall-qatla mat-tokk taz-zerniq.
Nista' qatt ninseg ghanja
bil-labar tan-niket
ghall-mewt mistennija?
Naqsam ghommti mal-qasab tax-xmara
u nistenna jifhmuni
ha' jgerrxu 'l-borok imbezzgha?
Nitla' nixher minn fuq minarett?
Naffruhom!
Itilqu!
Harrbuhom!
Mill-kaccatur ehilsuhom!
Mas-sebh fil-hin dikjarat
jinghata s-sinjal
biex tibda t-tragedja.
Titwaqqaf il-forka.
Tmut l-ewwel borka.
Wicc l-ghadira jihmar
bl-ghenieqed ta' rix u demm
maqtughin bl-idejn tal-qattilin.
Kif ghadna ma fhimniex
li meta noqtlu t-tajr,
il-hut u l-bhejjem,
ghall-gost u l-pjacir taghna,
nergghu nwaqqghu fuqna s-sahta tal-Bahhâr
u nqajmu mill-imwiet
dell l-Albatross?!
Kull sena
bi protesta
jibqghu jintnu l-katavri
tal-ghasafar protetti
fuq l-ghetiebi tal-Parlament Statali.

IT-TORRI

Fil-bajja ghall-ftuh tal-Wirja Ambjentali
mal-gurnalisti gew in-nies kurjuzi.
Wara kelmtejn mill-President inkixef
Monument fuq ir-ramla jmiss mal-bahar,
Torri tal-Melh gholi sular u jlellex,
esperiment modern t’arkitettura
mahdum u mtella’ minn student tal-arti.

Inkiss inkiss il-mewg kiber u lahaq
sa taht it-Torri illi bicca bicca
tnaqqar u tgerrem sa ma nhall gol-ilma.

Il-membri tal-Kunsill gibdu r-ritratti
ferhana bil-progett. Ohrajn...min tbissem...
min baqa’ mbellah b’dak li ra...min capcap...
min waqaf iccassat bic-cinga f’idu
tal-kelb idur u jxemmem qalb il-folla...
U xi hadd iehor -- bejn halltejn x’kien deherlu
dwar il-hela u l-abbuz ta’ flus mormija
u x’hila wera l-iskultur b’din l-opra --
tnikker, paqpaq il-horn u ssokta triqtu.

L-INKWIZITUR

Is-serp li gie fil-bitha
gheb...
imma m’ghosforx ghal kollox.
Ghax ma qtilniehx
b’xi mghazqa,
hallielna mat-tkexkixa
x-xbieha tieghu
tlebleb gox-xquq u t-toqob
tal-memorja.

Kien ibni z-zghir li rah,
u sakemm dahal
jigri jghidilna mbezza’,
is-serp
sparixxa.

Aktarx l-inxif tas-sajf
u l-art mikwija
ressquh
ifittex l-ilma
li nhallu barra ghall-klieb.

Issa,
jekk ghadu hawn,
min jaf fejn stahba u tgeddes?
F’xi ferq fl-injam?
go xi katusa mkissra
jew qasrija vojta?
Qalb saratizzi qodma,
laned,
gebel,
skart?

Stajna qallibna
kullimkien
u shaqnielu rasu,
’mma mhabba l-harsien
tal-hlejjaq
u l-ghozza tan-natura,
jista’ jergghalna lura.

Ghall-anqas nittamaw
li sa ma x-xitwa traqqdu,
jibqa’ mkebbeb fejn hu,
ma jfiggx fil-berah
fejn ghandna
z-zewgt iklieb jaghmlulna r-ronda.
Ghax wara kollox,
bejn is-sriep u l-klieb
nafu
liem’ huma l-hbieb.

AMBAXXATURI

Xena 1

Fis-Suq ta’ Salamanca, Hobart, b’wicchom
mizbugh hadrani u b’libsa trasparenti,
f’nofs ix-xerrejja, tliet tfajliet bhal statwi
jiddefendu l-ambjent bla armamenti.

Xena 2

Fil-berah tal-kampanja ghal gharrrieda
iceklem wahdu, jien u nsuq ninnota,
mal-genb tat-triq, ragel igorr fuq dahru
salib imserrah u migbud fuq rota.

Xena 3

Mal-lejl, bhal dell imnaffar, ragel xwejjah,
maghruf mill-bixra ghall-eccentricità,
johrog idur mal-belt u qabel jghosfor
ihazzez mal-hitan ‘Eternità’.

BANK TAD-DEMM

Il-gzira l-ohra illi tatni l-hajja
hdejn din li qed thotthieli bla serhan,
ghac-cokon sifja, farka ramel, tikka,
werqa go bosk, qatra ilma f’ocean.

’Mma jien hawnhekk imbieghed minn gheruqi
aktar minn cittadin ta’ zewg blatiet,
jiena wild l-univers indur fuq gebla
maqtugha mill-barriera tas-smewwiet.

U l-pezza drapp li minnha nqtajt hi wahda,
minnha tfassal kull bniedem ta’ kull zmien;
il-lewn tal-gilda jvarja bhall-fattizzi,
’mma demmna wiehed, shun, ahmar nirien.

Dad-demm ixoqq u bih tissaqqa l-qiegha
tmewweg f’kull art bi twapet ta’ peprin,
u slaleb fid-dezert u arbli fit-toroq
bil-fjuri jfakkru l-frak tal-imfarrkin.

Niehdu u naghtu d-demm, l-òrgani npartu,
biex forsi ntawlu s-snin u nbieghdu t-tmiem,
imbaghad noqtlu ’l xulxin, avolja l-loghba
nibdewha bit-titjir ta’ kocc hamiem.

TQANCIC

Il-grajja tal-bnedmin
katalgu ta’ successi u bravuri,
imhallta hallata ballata
ma’ telf u kundanni.
Il-bniedem ihuf u jissajja b’saqajh mal-art,
ihares ’il fuq, jissaltja, jithajjar jilhaq u jlahhaq
mal-Hallieq u jsib (jahseb) helsienu.
Il-bniedem zatat
jibni l-oghla torri gewwa Dubai konkrit u hgieg
f’gieh ismu.

O dawn l-eccessi tat-tamiet
li nilhqu s-smewwiet
bi slielem zlugati,
li nirbhu l-ispazju,
li nrossu u naqflu go kejla l-kalkoli
taz-zmien u tal-wisa’!

Ha nghidha kif inhossha: xbajt mid-dinja
ta’ gwerer, glied, razzizmu u terrorizmu.
Kollox sar idejjaqni fuq il-midja:
l-intietef u t-tqancic li nara u nisma’.
Nipotizmu, tixhim, opportunizmu.
Misluh daharna bl-gherik ta’ dawk l’ ghorokna.
Irjus li jhobbu biss jaraw il-kpiepel
ghalihom imnehhija;
purcissjoni
ta’ puritani
f’nofs it-triq
imgennba
b’gemgha ohra safja,
bla dnubiet,
troddilhom
hajr u tifhir ghal meta jmisshom huma
li jgorru t-tbatijiet fil-Gimgha l-Kbira.

U ssib f’nofs dawn il-folol
xi nies
ghala bieb ghajnhom minn kulhadd,
f’kawza u effett ma jemmnu qatt
u jghixu
bhalkieku
huma biss
jezistu
f’dinja li nxorbot, qdiemet.

Sirna rahal ckejken
u mank ma nafu nieklu
minn platt wiehed
ftit ross b’subghajna.

KOMPROMESS

Nghidu ma rridux izjed annimali,
u nispiccaw biz-zewgt iklieb, bl-akkwarju
u l-pappagall. Bl-ghajat girienna ddejqu.
Wiehed mill-klieb izappap, wara l-hgiega
ma niflahx nara l-hut maghluq u mjassar,
u l-pappagall hadilna rasna jtaqtaq.
Ma xi trid taghmel jekk it-tfal gabuhom,
ghalkemm ghall-ikel u t-tindif mhux huma
li jiehdu hsiebhom, kollox f’idejn marti.
Tmigh ghal kulhadd kif ghall-kelb it-tobba,
tilqim, licenzji, sa mill-bitha jkollna
kuljum innaddfu l-hmieg ghax se jnittnuna.

Ma nafx x’inhu l-ahjar. Bihom? Minghajrhom?
Il-klieb tal-ghassa, il-hut ileqq jghaxxaqni
b’tizwiq ilwienu, u l-ghasfur jitkellem,
johrog u jidhol kemm irid mill-gagga.
Il-hut twieled fil-hgieg, ghaliex nithassru?!
Il-klieb isibu kollox lest. X’jonqoshom?!
Sa saqqu fil-garaxx ghall-kenn frixnielhom.

Li kieku l-hut, il-klieb u l-pappagall
jafu biex gejt, dawn zgur li jidhku bija,
’mma billi jidhku u jibku ma jafux
u lanqas jhewdnu kif qed naghmel jiena
ghax ma jirragunawx, nitkellem flokhom:
naccetta l-ikrah u s-sabih li jtuna
u nzommhom maghna...Waqt li jien, bla htija,
nibqa’ b’li ghandi. Min se jhenn ghalija?

B'TIFKIRA TA' KARMENU VASSALLO

2009-07-16T03:34:00.000-07:00

NIFTAKAR LIL KARMENU VASSALLO (1913-1987)
SILTIET MILL-ITTRI LI BAGHATLI

30.8.1959
L-aqwa u l-ahjar mghallem ta’ xoghlijietek ma jista’ jkun hadd hliefek. Int biss trid tkun biex tizbor, tnaqqi u ssaffi dak li tkun ktibt. Ara qatt ma tahseb li kien hawn xi darba poeta jew kittieb kbir li ma kienx jongor xoghlu b’ghaqal kbir qabel ma johorgu ghad-dawl.
Hag’ohra. Ahjar nofs tuzzuna poezijiet tajbin minn sitt mitt wahda bla ruh u bla hajr.

13.6.1961
Fost il-poeti kollha Maltin, m’hemmx ghalfejn inghidlek, bl-aqwa u bl-ahjar imghallem tieghek qis li jkollok lil DUN KARM...L-ewwel u l-aqwa haga ghalik hi li thaddem kif titlob il-Metrika u minghajr tqanzih u tigbid...Ma jidhirlix li ghandek tinhela ghal kollox fuq ghamla wahda biss ta’ versi...Jien ghandi hafna minnek, jew int minni, kif trid int. Pjan jew disinn bil-miktub, qabel ma nibda nhazzez xi poezija, tista’ tghid li ma naghmel qatt. B’danakollu ma nghidlekx kemm gie li ndum immahhah u ntalla’ u nnizzel qabel ma naghti bidu ghall-kitba. Izda min-naha l-ohra, pjan jew disinn fuq fuq dejjem naghmlu f’mohhi. Ghad li qajla nhobb noqghod ghal dik li hi “a hard and fast rule", kien hemm drabi li fihom, qabel ma bdejt naqta’, qist u qist u qist..Fl-ahhar mill-ahhar, imbaghad, biex tikteb irid ikollok fuqiex, u li biex poezija tirnexxi trid tkun tassew imnebbha. Regola ohra ta’ min ighozzha bis-shih fil-kitba tal-poezija hija din: jekk tista’ tinqeda b’zewg kelmiet biex tfisser dak li tixtieq, tiktibx tlieta jew erbgha. Ftakar dejjem ukoll li damma ta’ versi, kienu kemm kienu sbieh u mexxejja u jdoqqu tajjeb fil-widna, mhux dejjem jaghmlu dik li hi tabilhaqq poezija...Il-hagar ghaziz (prezzjuz) qatt ma nstab bir-rfus u bir-radam! Ghax kieku ma kienx jibqa’ jissejjah hekk.

6.3.1962
Il-poezija ghandha mill-imhabba li fuqha jitkellem San Pawl fl-Ewwel Ittra tieghu lill-Korinti, XIII, 1-13. Il-Poezija la tghir, la tobghod u lanqas ma taghmel jew tixtieq deni lil ghajrna. B’dankollu, Hi m’ghandhiex xaba’ f’dak li hu mixi ’l quddiem jew tixbit fil-gholi. X’norqmu fiha u fina nfusna dejjem insibu...Il-ghan tal-poeti ghandu jkun xi haga hekk ukoll - jigifieri dak li jilhqu, jekk jista’ jkun, il-perfezzjoni artistika. Naqblu jew le?

18.10.1964
Dwar il-ktieb gdid tieghek ta’ poeziji, ‘Ilhna tar-Rebbiegha’ nifrahlek u naghli mieghek. Nifrahlek ghall-kuragg li ghandek li bhali tistampa x-xoghlijiet tieghek; u naghli mieghek ghax naf kemm jinbighu tassew ftit il-kotba bil-Malti..Nizzikhajr ta’ kollox. Ghoddni u zommni dejjem b’wiehed mill-eghzez fost hbiebek.

17.5.1968
Li nahraq £1,200 fi hrug ta’ ktieb (Vatum Consortium) ta’ bejn 600 u 700 pagna biex imbaghad jinqara minn madwar mitt ruh biss, narah u nqisu dnub kbir li ma jinhafirx. U jien lil hbiebi u lil ghajri ma nhobbx insallabhom mieghi. Jekk jinhtieg, nissallab wahdi...Nixtieq kieku nippublika xi ktieb iehor, imma nhoss u naf li mhux ta' min. Ahna konna u ghadna ‘barranin’ f’pajjizna. Tnehhi xi erbgha bhalek u bhali, il-bicca l-kbira ta’ hutna l-Maltin f’Malta hsiebhom biss filli jistaghnew bl-inqas tbatija.

18.4.1969
Kieku taf kemm swieli u ghadu qieghed jiswieli tahbit u nkwiet u glied dan l-imbierek ktieb tieghi (Vatum Consortium). U dan imbarra l-mijiet ta’ liri li jonqosni nhallas...biex narah xi darba stampat. Kieku taf! Sa avukat kien htiegli nqabbad, biex il-ktieb jitkompla; billi l-istampaturi, ma nafx ghaliex, wara li kienu hadmu sehem minnu, donnhom iddejjqu u ma ridux ikompluh. Hwejjeg li bilkemm jitwemmnu. Thallas il-belli flejjes (mijiet shah) biex tistampa ktieb, u taqla’ sahhtek u ghoddok tasal biex titla’ l-Qorti halli b’miraklu tarah xi darba mitmum! La l-Gvern u lanqas ebda wahda mid-Ditti Kbar ta’ Malta ma riedu jafu b’ghajnuna ghal ktiebi. Ebda habba ghajnuna ma nghatatli: u lanqas ghajnuna ohra f’dik li hi korrezzjoni ta’ provi. Marti u binti biss gie li kellhom jaghtuni daqqa t’id.

19.1.1971
Il-bierah..kif kont hiereg minn Putirjal...iltqajt mal-poeta Dun Frans li, kollu mghaggel, qalli li fix-xahrejn li dam l-Awstralja ha pjacir kbir bil-laqgha li ghamiltulu intom (L-Ghaqda Tal-Letteratura tal-Maltin fl-Awstralja).

IL-MILIED 1971
Nhar l-Erbgha, 1-12-71, il-Kummissarju Gholi Awstraljan ghal Malta, Sir Hubert Opperman, ipprezenta xi 60 kopja tal-ktieb tassew sabih taghkom, “Driegh Ma’ Driegh”, lill-Ministru ta’ l-Edukazzjoni u Kultura, is-S.na Agatha Barbara, biex jitqassmu fl-iskejjel tal-Gvern u fi skejjel ohra privati. Nifirhilkom u nizzikom hajr bis-shih.

18.10.1980
Flok ktieb ta’ qlib ta’ versi minn ilsna barranin hbatt kieku nithajjar nohrog ktieb b’gabra gmielha ta’ ittri li wasluli mill-1929 ’il hawn, fosthom xi tnejn jew tlieta milli bghattli s’issa int innifsek u milli baghtuli shabek u hbiebi msifrin x’imkien bhalek. Izda wisq nibza’ li mhux se’ jirnexxili naghmel dan: mhux ghax xi darba f’ghomri naqsitni r-rieda, imma minhabba xjuhiti u l-mard li gibitli maghha.

12.10.1983
Jisghobbija li whud minn hbiebi, jekk ma kinux hbieb taparsi, donnhom insewni ghal kollox u bdew ighodduni b’mejjet qabel ma mitt. Ma felhux jistennew ftit iehor. Waqtiet jaghtini li nibki: nibki mhux biss minhabba l-mardiet u l-ugigh li gibitli f’parti minn gismi xjuhiti (ghalaqt 70 sena f’Marzu li ghadda), imma wkoll minhabba l-ugigh li xi whud qeghdin igaghluni ngarrab f’qalbi. Qed ninnota li saret bidla ghall-aghar fil-qlub tal-kotra minn xi snin ’il hawn.

9.5.1984
Jekk kulma sehh fija wara l-1938 ma jaqbilx ma' dak li dhert jew kont tassew f'NIRIEN, il-htija tieghi hi li, aktar milli poeta, kont u bqajt dejjem bniedem - bniedem dghajjef tad-demm u l-laham bhal bosta ohrajn. Nitlob mahfra 'l-Mulej Alla u lill-qarrejja ta' NIRIENi wkoll.

18.10.1986
...poeti u kittieba u hbieb ohra li ghandi fl-Awstralja, ara ma jfettlilkomx tahsbu li jien ser ninsiekom xi darba. Kunu afu lkoll li jien ta' sikwit insaqqi hajr imhabbitkom bi dmugh imhabbti. U bhalissa tassew hiereg id-dmugh minn ghajnejja.
Hemm wisq x'wiehed ighid dwar "IRJIEH": 16-il poeta Malti...fihom pis gmielu u mhux lakemm taqbad u ggorru.

4.1.1987
(L-ahhar ittra tieghu miktuba fuq 'visiting card')
Ghaziz, tassew ghaziz habib ta' qalbi, Joe Saliba, poeta u awtur, nahliflek li xtaqt u ridt tabilhaqq, u ghadni nixtieq niktbilkom daqsxejn ta' recensjoni ghall-antologija "Irjieh", imma s'issa ma rnexxilix. Xjuhiti bil-mard ta' maghha u bl-inkwiet li ghaddej minnu minhabba li ninsab kif ninsab nixxfitli mohhi. Gie li jaghtini li ntemm hajti b'idejja, izda kull darba nsib xi jzommni lura.
...Lili hadd m'ghadu jghidli xejn - lanqas bit-telefon: tkabbru wisq it-taparsi hbieb li kelli.

KARMENU VASSALLO MIET TLIET XHUR WARA, FIS-7 TA' APRIL, 1987.

Il-versi li gejjin ta' Karmenu Vassallo huma xhieda tal-personalità qawwija u l-karetteristika genwina u onesta ta' bniedem u poeta kbir.

(Mill-ktieb tieghu "NIRIEN", 1938)
LIL...
Inti kelb bin il-klieb, u qalbek ghandha
mill-haxix kollu tajn ta' gol-widien...
Jekk ma jishtekx Min halqek
nishtek minflokU jien.

Int mohhok dghajjef: bniedem ta' qalb xierfa;
u, ghax bla hniena, m'intix bniedem kbir.
Jiena sultan tal-faqar;
inti tal-ghana rsir.

Jien immut bikri; inti le: haxixa
hazina u hajna, jghidu, ma tintemmx.
Ismek jidfnuh ma' gismek;
ismi jhozzuh fix-xemx.

(Mill-ktieb tieghu "HAMIEM U SRIEP", 1959)
LIL GASPARE PACE
(Silta)
Ilsieni jaf ixoqq daqskemm idewwi,
jibni daqskemm ihott,
bl-gholliq u x-xewk ixeblek
daqskemm bl-ghasel ibennen u bil-frott.
X'jien hdejn Orazju, Leopardi u Shelley?
Ghabra trab, hajta dell!
Imma bhalhom, bi vrusi,
naf inhannen u nhobb, nishet u nqell!

ENGLISH POEMS

2009-07-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

THE GENTLE TOUCH OR A MANNER OF SEEING

She touches flowers, dainty cups,
knobs and dials,
as if they are sacred.
Handles fruit and vegetables
fearing she might hurt them.
Places cushions on sofas solemnly
like wreaths on cenotaphs.

And when she picks up a baby in her arms
we expect the child
to disappear into thin air.

JOE SALIBA

WITNESS

I know the drill to disaster,
the loaded rifle under the mattress,
the child unattended
near the rim of a pool, envy green.

I count the accessories
separating life from death,
hijacks and drugs digging deep.

These are no flower people.
I mark their faces parading
towards nightfall.
I hear the time-bomb ticking
with every step they take;
witness the bank hold-up,
the sound of the runaway car.

There's a knocking on my door.
A blue light twirls.

JOE SALIBA

ELEGIJA

2009-07-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

A COUPLE OF MY POEMS IN ENGLISH

2009-07-13T00:25:00.000-07:00

FLOWER-ARRANGEMENT

I'm no good at arranging flowers,
keeping in mind the middle line,
what goes where, front or back,
propping up stems with wet paper,
blending colours,
balance,
the over-all shape.

There's something odd in the art.
I prefer others doing the trick,
making nature look natural by unnatural means,
elevating leaves for support,
disciplining dahlias, daffodils, daises,
regimenting roses
to show their best part.

Flowers sprouting
from vases of china, copper, or glass,
seem to come out of one root,
floating,
no earth attachment.

Savouring these passing pleasures
drying before my very eyes,
I nearly forgot to turn off
the water outside.

JOE SALIBA

RENDEZ-VOUS

When we die,
crossing the road,
saying our prayers,
reading a book,
making love,
having a cup of tea,
watering the garden,
pruning a tree,
awake, asleep,
in health or sickness,
it is that moment
we have waited for,
avoided,
ignored,
or even tried to forget.

It is the point where no roads meet,
when love and hatred don't exist,
no work, no rest,
no joy, no pain,
the pointless moment we let go
of precious life
in which, though full of strife,
we loved to cross
the swelling stream,
have a drink,
see flowers grow,
hold someone dear,
or simply take our beauty sleep
and wake to do the same again,
awaiting,
avoiding,
ignoring,
forgetting,
with every breath,
our rendez-vous with Life or Death.

JOE SALIBA