Maltija / Maltese

A poem by Nadia Mifsud.

Image: Silver gelatin print (colorised) by Raisa Galea

 

 

This poem is also available in audio as part of the Isles Aloud Podcast.

 

 

fil-bokka tal-bieb
tfajla
x’aktarx barranija
żnella, kemxejn ġinġrija
laħamha abjad, sabiħ
dejqitha s-sħana
t’għajnejh kannella
msammrin
fuq is-salib tal-fidda
mitluq imxaħxaħ
fuq sidirha tari
minn wara l-ħġieġa ħoxna
għajnejh kannella
iniggżu ’l għajnejha ħodor
staqsieha

– Maltija ? –

xtaqet tgħidlu
tirrakkontalu
lil ommha
Maltija ta’ veru
issoff bħal perlina
it-tifkiriet ta’ tfulitha

Wied il-Għasel
Ħagar Qim
Għajn Tuffieħa
Ħondoq ir-Rummien
Għar Lapsi
Għar Dalam
Fomm ir-Riħ

imbagħad
mifxula, imgerrxa

– iva –

weġbitu
b’daqsxejn tlaqliqa

– Maltija… Maltija ta’ barra –

iggustaha

 

fil-bokka tal-bieb
tfajla
klandestina
kemxejn mixruba, pjuttost gustuża
għemiżha
daħħlitu ġewwa
dejqitha s-saħna
t’għajnejh kannella
jberrqu lejn sidirha għeri
kexkxitha l-kilba li biha
għaffiġha salib taħtu
weġġgħuha subgħajh sindikajri
jfittxu ġo fiha
bla sabar
bla mistħija
stħajlitu jrid iqalleb
 jaħkem
kontinent ieħor
xtaqet tgħidlu
tirrakkontalu

Biet Gabriel
Sawa
Kassala
Khartum
Al-Kufrah
Awjilah
Benghazi
As Sultan
Tripli
u l-ħdura tal-baħar

x’jimpurtah?
jimpurtah biss
laħamha rħis
u meta kien lest
ġej u sejjer fuqha
għajnejha suwed
jisomtu ’l għajnejh kannella
leħinha skalda

– Fawżija –

qaltlu

– jisimni Fawżija

tawni passaport
ġdid fjamant
qaluli issa sirt Maltija –

 

 

 

Maltese

translated by Maria Grech Ganado

 

on the threshold
a girl
a foreigner, most probably
slim, a bit of a red-head
lovely white skin
she’s annoyed by the heat
of his brown eyes
nailed
to the silver cross
resting drowsily
on her soft flesh
behind the thick glass
his brown eyes
prodding her green ones
he asks her

–  Maltese? –

she’d love to tell him
tell him about
her mother
true-born Maltese
sucking like a sugared almond
the memories of her youth

Wied il-Għasel
Ħaġar Qim
Għajn Tuffieħa
Ħondoq ir-Rummien
Għar Lapsi
Għar Dalam
Fomm ir-Riħ

then
shy, confused

–  yes –

she answers
with a slight stammer

–  Maltese… of Maltese origin –

he thinks her sweet

 

on the threshold
a girl
illegal immigrant
quite pretty, though a bit too thin
he winks at her
she lets him in
she’s annoyed by the heat
of his brown eyes
staring at her naked breast
she shudders at the lust with which
he squashes her like a cross beneath him
his inquisitive fingers hurt her
searching inside her
impatient
immodest
she imagines he wishes to overthrow
dominate
another continent
and she’d love to tell him
tell him about

Biet Gabriel
Sawa
Kassala
Khartum
Al-Kufrah
Awjilah
Benghazi
As Sultan
Tripoli
and the heartlessness of the sea

what does he care?
he cares only
for her cheap flash
and when he’s finished
going in and out on top of her
her black eyes
scalding his brown ones
her voice a thorn

–  Fawzia –

she tells him

–  my name is Fawzia –

they gave me a brand new passport
told me I was now Maltese –

 

 

Nadia Mifsud was born in Malta, but moved to France in 1998. Her first collection of poetry, Żugrara, was published in 2009. Her second collection, Kantuniera ‘l bogħod (Skarta, 2015), was awarded the 2016 National Book Prize (poetry section). Mifsud is also a literary translator. She is interested in feminist literature and theory. For years, she has taken part in programmes that aim to encourage reading among children. As part of central coordinating team of Inizjamed, she has been involved in the organization of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival since 2011.

This poem was originally published in the catalogue of to be [defined], an artistic-anthropological exhibition, which forms part of RIMA project.