With apologies to our English-only readers…

The following is a poem (about some ogre of a coach somewhere) written in Maltese as sent in by one of my clients.

I thought it was too good not to share with my Maltese readers so here it goes.

Guess I (I mean the ogre…) must have made some kind of impression.

 

L-UGIGH U L-PAL TAL-BAJTAR

Kelli wgigh ma flahtux izjed
Minn go koxxti sa gol-pexxun
La stajt nimxi w lanqas nigri
Mank li nilbes iz-zarbun

It-tabib elf pirmla tani
L-ispizjar ha gost mhux ftit
Izda kollha flus fil-hela
Ghax jghaddi ma kienx irid

Ghamilt weghda ma Sant’ Anna
Irbatt faxxa darba tnejn
Ghollejt sieqi ‘l fuq u ‘l isfel
Imma kollha swew fix-xejn

Fl-ahhar hsibt biex nirrikorri
Ghand coach Ghawdxi minn ta’ Sannat
Dan kien jismu Donatello
Wiehed mazza, qisu blat

Dlonk tefghani hemm min tuli
Demmi kesah, xammejt x’gej
Qalli “Ara biss ticcaqlaq!”
Ghidtlu…”Orrajt, imma ghalfejn?”

“Issa tara,” ghajjat f’wicci
“Xogholi nafu jiena biss
Inti iskot u halli f’idi
Ha ntik gharka kif imiss”

Ommi x’biza griet ma gismi
Hekk kif rajtlu dawk l-idejn
Qishom zewg paliet tal-bajtar
U daqs tal-iljunfant widnejn

Beda jaghfas, joghrok, jigbed
‘L hawn u ‘l hinn u ma nafx kif
Jien intlaqt hemmhekk ghal mejta
Nitlob fost dan it-teftif

Ghadmi kollha bdew ifaqqghu
Ugigh jigri ma’ kullimkien
Hruq, tingiz u kruhat ohra
Le hassejt f’kemm ghandi zmien

Ghidt hawn ahna, hawn se nibqa’
Ma nahrabx minn dawn l-idejn
Frenc tal-Gharb, Madonna ta’ Pinu
Ghinni w inzurek ghal sentejn

Hekk kif kont ghoddni qtajt qalbi
Minn dil-kruha ta’ destin
Dlonk faqqaghli l-ahhar daqqa
W ghajjat, “Qum ghax sar il-hin!”

Bilkemm stajt nemmen xortija
Tirt minn hemm f’sekonda w kwart
Qalli “Issa ara kif thossok
Meta tmidd sieqek mal-art”

Ghall-ewwel lanqas tajt kasu
Tant kemm kont qieghda nirtoghod
W il-hsieb li kelli f’rasi
Kien minn hemm nahrab ‘il boghod

Imma hekk kif qomt bil-wieqfa
Differenza dlonk hassejt
L-ugigh kien donnu sparixxa
U ma baqax itini l-mejt

Giezu Giez, lanqas jitwemmnu
Xi bcejjec dawn, x’affarijiet
Sieqi nhossha qisha gdida
W dlonk mort nghid lil Arcipriet

Qalli, “ma tafux hawn x’ghandna?
Xi hsibtuna ahna, cajt?
Donatello l-ahjar trainer
U coach f’daqqa li qatt rajt”

“Issa ghidli, mhux se nindahal
‘Ma kemm hadlek, ghal kurzita?
Ghax hemm ziti vera batuta
Nahseb artrite, ta’ dik l-eta…”

Dak il-hin hemm gieni f’mohhi
Lil ‘l Donatello ma hallastux!
Tant kont imwerwra, li hemm se nibqa’
Li dan il-hsieb ma ftakartux

Santa Gerita,  x’wahda gratli
“Sur Arcipriet, taghmlu pjacir?
Hallsu ghalija, f’gieh kemm hemm angli
U thallix aktar hin tard isir”

“Ghax naqbel mieghek, li coach u trainer
Dat-tifel taghkom huwa l-ahjar
Imma wisq nibza’ li jekk jaqbadni
Brodu jaghmilni, ghal nofsinhar!”

 

 

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