Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Poesia con Menzione Speciale al Nosside 2008


Jum ta’ Btala
(Versione originale in maltese)

Ghad-dell ta’ sgajra mgennba
nara l-hajja tifrex quddiemi
wirja shiha ta’ affreski dinamici
waqt jum ta’ btala.


Fuq din il-firxa tila hadra
mijiet ta’ tfal u familji jinsgu
l-waqtiet sbieh taghhom.
Ir-roti hfief wahda wara l-ohra
u s-sewwieqa ckejknin imbissma
xuxthom bnadar ghar-raggi tax-xemx titbaskat.
Mad-dawra l-hsejjes kwotidjani ta’ dinja ccencel
ghal darba mistrieha minn toqol il-hajja
mill-uff u l-ajma tal-frosta ta’ l-arlogg.
Fil-gholi s-sema mcajpar jalterna
ma’ waqtiet intensi ta’ dija qawwija
u t-tajra terhi wrajha xija ta’ dnieb imlewna
u l-blalen bla heda joqomsu ’l fuq u ’l isfel
bhal atleti fuq trampolini
u l-vann tal-gelati jhabbar genna ta’ toghmiet
friski ghat-tfal ferhana.


Fuq din il-firxa tila hadra
mijiet ta’ lwien u strixxi kkuluriti
fin-nofs roqgha bajda u blu ta’ sorijiet
jigru henjin ma’ l-orfni...
Il-hin ghaddej u l-folla kielet u xorbot
u griet u dahket u laghbet
u tkellmet u xejret u ghajtet u ghajjiet
u ttewbet u strahet....

Ghad-dell ta’ sgajra mgennba
nara l-hajja tifrex quddiemi
u niftakar li xi darba anki dil-wirja
ghad izzarma u taghlaq.



(Versione in inglese)


A day of rest

Sitting under a shadowy tree
I watch life spread its arms in front of me
A solid demonstration of dynamic frescoes
during a day of rest.
On this wide green cloth
hundreds of young and not so young weave
their beautiful moments.
The bicycles speed away one after the other
and the young drivers smiling
their hair flags baking in the rays of the sun.
All around the daily sounds of a world ringing,
for once resting from life’s toll
resting from the “uff” and “ouch” of time’s lash.
High up the cloudy sky alternates
with intense moments of radiant light
and the kites let behind wakes of colourful tails
and the balls restless, bounce up and down
like athletes on a trampoline
and the ice-cream van announces a heaven of
fresh flavours for the happy children.

On this wide green cloth
hundreds of colours and colourful stripes,
in the midst a white and blue patch of nuns
who happily run with the orphans...
Time is ticking and the crowd ate and drank
and ran and laughed and played
and talked and waved and shouted and got tired
and yawned and rested...

Sitting under a shadowy tree
I watch life spread its arms in front of me
and remember that one day
curtains will be closing even on this spectacle.

Free translation by the author himself


(Versione in francese)


Une journée de repos


Assis á l’ombre d’un arbre
je regarde la vie étendre ses bras devant moi
une démonstration continue de fresques vivantes
durant une journée de repos.
Sur cette nappe verte et étendue
des centaines de jeunes et de moins jeunes tissent
leurs agréables moments.
Les bicyclettes défilent les unes derrière les autres
et les jeunes automobilistes sourient
leurs cheveux au vent brûlés par les rayons du soleil.
Entouré des sons quotidiens d’un monde en éveil
pour une fois les bruits de la vie se reposent
se reposent des « ouille » et des « aie » de ses coups.
Là-haut, le ciel nuageux alterne
avec des instants de luminosité rayonnante
et les cerfs-volants trainent leur queue colorée
les balles rebondissent continuellement
comme des athlètes sur un trampoline
et le vendeur de glaces déclamant
ses parfums aux enfants heureux.

Sur cette nappe verte et étendue
des centaines de couleurs et de zébrures colorées
se détachent des religieuses de bleu et blanc vêtues
courant joyeusement avec des orphelins…
Le temps passe et tous ont mangé et bu
et couru et ri et joué
et bavardé et gesticulé et crié et ont été épuisés
et ont baillé et se sont reposés…

Assis à l’ombre d’un arbre
je regarde la vie étendre ses bras devant moi
et me souviens qu’un jour
le rideau se fermera sur ce spectacle.

Traduit par Catherine Milet



(Versione in spagnolo)

Un día de descanso

Sentado en la sombra de un árbol,
miro a la vida extendiendo sus brazos delante de mí.
Una manifestación sólida de frescos dinámicos
en un día de descanso.
En esta tela amplia y verde
centenares de jóvenes y no tan jóvenes tejen
sus momentos bellos.
Las bicis se van rápidas, corriendo una detrás del otra
y los ciclistas sonríen,
con su pelo cociendo como banderas en los rayos del sol.

Todo alrededor, los sonidos diarios del mundo se oyen,
descansando por una vez del daño de la vida,
descansando del Ay y del Uff del látigo del tiempo.
En alto, el cielo nublado alterna
con momentos intensos de luz radiante
y las cometas desprenden huellas coloridas en el cielo
y las pelotas sin descansar, rebotan hacia arriba y hacia abajo
como atletas en un trampolín
y la furgoneta del heladero anuncia un paraíso de frescos sabores
para los niños contentos.

En esta tela amplia y verde
centenares de colores y rayas coloridas
en medio de una mancha blanca y azul de monjas
corriendo alegremente con huérfanos…
y el reloj nunca se para y la multitud comió y bebió
y corrió y rió y jugó
y habló y saludó y gritó y se cansó
y bostezó y se descansó…

Sentado en la sombra de un árbol
miro a la vida extendiendo sus brazos delante de mí
y me acuerdo que un día
las cortinas también cerrarán este espectáculo.

Traducción el español de Stephen Cachia

Winners at the Nosside 2008 (Reggio)





















Top left: Patrick Sammut with Nosside President, Prof. Pasquale Amato.
Top right: Patrick Sammut with other winning poets at the Reggio TV centre.

Bottom left: Patrick Sammut (first from left, with other winning poets of Nosside 2008, at the Archaeological Museum of the Magna Grecia, Reggio).

Bottom right: Patrick Sammut being given his prize during the Ceremony at the Local Council of Reggio.

MALTESE POET EXCELS AT NOSSIDE INTERNATIONAL POETRY CONTEST 2008

Nosside is an international poetry competition open for all countries from all over the world. Participants send their poetry written either in one of the five main languages (Spanish, French, English, Portugese, Italian) or in their native language (or dialect), with a translation in one of these five languages.
This year Nosside hosted 40 participating countries, 29 languages in all. There was one overall winner from Italy , four other winners and then 10 special mentions. Sixth Form teacher and poet Patrick Sammut featured among these last 10, with a special mention for his poem written in Maltese, Jum ta’ Btala, and translated into English as A Day ofRest.
The prize-giving ceremony was held on Friday, 28th November, at the Reggio Local Council. Poets from all over the world ( Italy , Brazil , Venezuela , Mexico , Colombia , China , Russia , Croatia , Congo , Malta ...) met and read out their winning poem.
Before the ceremony the group of poets, together with Prof. Pasquale Amato (the mind behind Nosside) were interviewed on Reggio TV. They also had the opportunity to visit the Archaeological Museum of the Magna Grecia in Reggio, where one can admire the world-famous Bronzi di Riace. In the evening they were treated to a superb Italian dinner in a restaurant nestled in the nearby hills. On Saturday morning a Seminar was held in Messina , where the poets discussed Cultural Differences and Poetry. Mr Sammut was given a silver plaque, together with a certificate commemorating the occasion.