U nghallmek tbus...

English translation below

Nghabbik fuq spallti

U narmik minn tarf l-irdum;

U nghallmek tbus.

Norbtok minn ghonqok

Indendlek ma dnubieti;

U nghallmek tbus.

Nisqik minn kliemek

Mis-semm ta’ bezghatek;

U nghallmek tbus.

Nghabbilek salib

U nsammrek b’ghajnejja;

U nghallmek tbus.

Norbtok fuq blata

U nsawwtek bil-htija

Ta’ qalb meqruda

W ghajnejn imdemmija.

U nghallmek dak kollu li naf,

Nghallmek tbus.

01/06/09

Æ

And I'll teach you how to kiss

I'll carry you on my shoulders

And throw you off a cliff;

And teach you how to kiss.

I'll tie a rope around your neck
And hang you from my sins;

And teach you how to kiss.

I'll feed you your own words

From your poisoned fears;

And teach you how to kiss.

I'll give you a cross to carry

And nail you to it with my eyes;

And teach you how to kiss.

I'll tie you to a rock

And beat you with the lies

That destroyed my heart

And reddened my eyes.

And I will teach you all I know

I'll teach you how to kiss.

01/06/09

Æ

English translation below...

Hemm ugiegh

Li ma jitfejjaqx

Tista tkeffnu

Fit-tama tal-fejqan

Izda ma jitfejjaqx.

Hemm mistrieh

Li ma jinstabx

Tista torqod

Fit-tama tal-qawmien

Izda ma tistriehx.

U hemm dlam

Li ma jintemmx

Tista ddawlu

Bit-tama tal-ghabex

Izda ma jintemmx.

Æ

Hope

There's a pain

That can't be cured

You can bandage it

In the hope of healing

But it can't be cured.

There's a rest

That can't be found.

You can sleep

In the hope of rising

But you can't rest.

And there's a darkess

That never ends

You can light it

With the hope of dawn

But it never ends.

Æ

Fuq il-Fosos

English translation below...

Taht dan il-gebel,

Fejn darba ltqajna

Ghad-daqq ta kant stunat

U birra kiesha,

Hemm biss vojt.

U issa

Li zarmajna l-palk imzegleg

U l-ghana mzarrat gheb,

Qed inhoss go fija

Il-vojt ta’ taht il-fosos

Jidwi stunat.

Æ

29/01/09

On the Granaries

Beneath these flagstones,

Where once we met

To the sound of strained singing

And a cold beer,

There is but emptiness.

And now

That the stage is dismantled

And the singing has stopped

I am feeling the emptiness

That lies beneath the granaries

Echoing within me.

Æ

29/01/09

Tradiment II (Betrayal II)

English translation below...

Bilkemm missejtu.

Ghajnejh ma rajthomx
Jew rajthom u nsejt;
U gismu mghotti
Ma jmurx jidhol xi hadd
U ninqabdu.

Bilkemm missejtek.

Ghadni nhoss il harstek
Tahraqli l-habbiet t’ghajnejja.
U qalbek maghluqa
Ma jmurx jidhol xi hsieb
U ninqabdu.

U l-mohh li qatt ma nesa
U l-qalb li ma baghditek qatt
Joftquni bit-tghajjir:
Traditur! Traditur!

Æ

I barely touched him.

I could not see his eyes
Or maybe I did, and forgot;
His body was covered
In case someone walks in
And we get caught.

I barely touched you.

I can still feel your eyes
Burning into mine;
And your heart closed
In case you think again
And we get caught.

And this mind that hasn't forgotten
And this heart that hated you
Rip me apart, crying:
Traitor! Traitor!

Æ

Ghanja II (Song II)

English translation below

Ghal dawk il-jiem minghajr sebh
Fejn ix-xemx ma twarradx
Nghannilek ghanja.

Ghal dawk il-jiem minghajr tbissim
Bis-sema comb, harrstu mkemmxa
Nghannilek ghanja.

Ghal dawk il-jiem bhal eremita
Imwarrab minn kulhadd
Nghannilek ghanja.

Ghal dawk il-jiem mcajjpra
Bid-dmugh fuq irdum ghajnejk
Nghannilek ghanja.

Ghal dawk il-jiem li dejjem lejl
Nghannilek ghanja.

18/12/08

Æ

For all those days without a dawn
When the sun doesn't bloom
I will sing you a song

For all those days without a smile
Mith leaden skies and wrinkled brow
I will sing you a song.

For all those days you feel alone
Rejected by all
I will sing you a song

For all those days veiled in mist
WIth tears hanging to your eyes
I will sing you a song

For all those days forever night
I will sing you a song

18/12/08

Æ

Lehen

English translation below

Kultant nieqaf
U niftah qalbi
Max-xafra ta’ harstek
U nisma’ lehen jghid:

‘B’min qed titnejjek?’

Æ

10/12/08

Voice

Sometimes I stop
And tear my heart open
On your razor-edge face
And I hear a voice crying:

'Who the fuck are you kidding?'

Haiku VIII

English translation below

Kemm hu ikrah
Li tkun aghmi u tibqa tara,
Li tkun trux u tibqa tisma’,
Li tkun titkellem, u tibqa mutu.

Æ

14/11/08

How dreadful it is
To be blind, and yet see
To be deaf, and yet hear
To speak, and yet remain mute.