Xi kummenti minn Patrick Sammut

Dan il-prequel għal rumanz ieħor ta’ Darren Agius itul mal-189 paġna u huwa mqassam f’16-il kapitlu. Fid-“Dedika u Ħajr” naqraw hekk: “Permezz ta’ din l-istorja nixtieq insellem il-memorja ta’ dawk il-Maltin li bis-sagrifiċċji u bil-ħajja tagħhom jagħmluna dak li aħna llum.” Darren Agius bħal sa mill-bidu nett iberraħ l-għan tal-kitba tiegħu: mhux biss dik li jagħti gost, imma anki li jixħet ftit dawl fuq l-istorja ta’ ġensna u jistedinna nsiru nafuha, napprezzawha u nimxu fuq il-passi ta’ missirijietna li ħabbew verament lil Art twelidhom, Malta. L-awtur tkellem mal-medjevalista akkademiku Charles Dalli dwar l-istorja tal-epoka inkwistjoni u dan sabiex ir-rakkont ikun verosimili kemm jista’ jkun. Tkellem ukoll ma’ J. Neville Ebejer, riċerkatur għall-grupp Medjevali “Compagnia Castellammare”.

F’dan il-prequel naraw li pont li jgħaqqad ma’ dak li ġej wara hi t-tverna tal-Lhudi Xiloma. In-narratur huwa l-Burgi, imma wieħed jistaqsi liema wieħed eżattament? Insiru nafu li huwa “l-aqwa furban”, Wenz, missier Johanni. Dan tal-aħħar għadu kemm twieled u min qara l-ewwel rumanz jaf li huwa l-protagonist ta’ Imħabba Taħt Assedju. Storja Kbira, jew le?

Minn kapitlu 1 għal kapitlu 2 isseħħ qabża temporali ta’ tmien snin. It-tarbija tikber u tfittex l-indipendenza tagħha. Jinbidel in-narratur u l-punto di vista jgħaddi għat-“tarbija” li issa għandha tmien snin, Johanni Burgi. Issir qabża temporali oħra ta’ sentejn bejn il-kapitli 2 u 3, fejn jingħata spazju għar-relazzjoni bejn missier u iben. Missier Johanni għandu flus biżżejjed biex iħallas lil persuni differenti sabiex iħarrġu lil ibnu fl-użu tal-armi u jitgħallem l-ilsna. Johanni jitkellem ma’ missieru dwar l-idea ta’ “Malta tagħna”, mela dwar Malta tal-Maltin. Missieru jgħidlu biex jikkonċentra fuq l-attività tas-sibi fuq il-baħar.

Għaliex missier Johanni bħal jitfantas jew ma jweġibx meta ibnu jistaqsih dwar ċerti ħwejjeġ? Tissemma soċjetà sigrieta. Dawn huma aspetti li qrajna dwarhom fir-rumanz oriġinali. Anki hawn Johanni jgħaddi minn prova ta’ rġulija, kuraġġ u lealtà. Imma l-awtur bħal iħallina indeċiżi dwar il-vera identità ta’ Johanni: huwa dak li rajna fir-rumanz oriġinali jew nannuh, ladarba t-tnejn jgħaddu mill-istess prova biex ikunu parti mis-Societatem Verum Melitensis? Hu hawnhekk meta nifhmu li Johanni hu n-nannu ta’ Johanni li hu ċentrali fl-ewwel rumanz. Hawn Johanni jieħu grazzja ma’ Marija, filwaqt li Johanni n-neputi jinġibed lejn Pawlina. L-ispazju hu dak ta’ Bir Mula u Ħaż-Żabbar.

Anki f’dan il-prequel jinxteħet dawl fuq ħwejjeġ interessanti marbuta mal-epoka storika. Jissemmew iċ-Civitas u s-sibi, id-drawwa li l-irġiel ma setgħux ikunu qrib marthom waqt il-ħlas. Niftakru li l-mewt kienet komuni ħafna f’din l-epoka, kemm fost it-trabi, kif ukoll fost l-adulti. Anki hawn jissemmew xi kunjomijiet tal-epoka, bħal Habdille. Interessanti wkoll il-muniti tal-perjodu – uqija, rbiegħi u ħabbiet -, imma anki l-logħob tat-tfal, fosthom dik tal-iskjavi. Jissemma anki l-ikel fit-taverni: inbid, ħobż abjad, ġobon, sardin, flimkien mal-logħba tad-damma fost l-irġiel. F’kapitlu 6 naqraw deskrizzjoni ħajja ta’ festa f’taverna fejn l-irġiel li kienu se jieħdu sehem f’azzjoni ta’ sibi kienu jiltaqgħu, jixorbu u jiddevertu l-lejla ta’ qabel. Kapitlu 7 jagħtina deskrizzjoni ta’ xi armi li kienu jġorru magħhom is-sibbien u l-protezzjoni kontra d-daqqiet. Il-fusta kienet imbarkazzjoni ħafifa li tista’ timxi bil-qlugħ u bl-imqadef. Toħroġ ukoll l-idea li fis-sibi mhux biss is-saħħa fiżika kienet tgħodd, imma anki l-ħsieb u l-intelliġenza. Apparti hekk, min kien jaf ilsien il-għadu kellu vantaġġ ukoll. Jissemmew il-bombi differenti li kienu jintużaw waqt attakk kontra ġifen tal-għadu, fosthom il-bomba taż-żejt biex iqabbdu n-nar; il-bombi bil-ħmieġ tal-bniedem u tal-annimali; il-bombi tal-ġir. Huma kurżitajiet li jkomplu jgħinu biex ir-rakkont joqrob kemm jista’ jkun lejn ir-realtà.

Anki hawn Malta hi dik taħt it-tmexxija tal-Aragoniżi. Hemm kunflitt bejn Johanni u Rodrigo, suldat Spanjol tal-Ħakem. Anki f’dan il-prequel ma jonqsux ix-xeni drammatiċi: kapitlu 7 jiddeskrivi attakk tal-Maltin u Sqallin fuq villaġġ mal-kosta tat-Tuneżija. Naqraw b’xeni tal-biża’ fejn iseħħu stupri u qtil mill-Maltin u mill-Isqallin. Johanni jistaqsi lil missieru jekk hemmx unur f’dan kollu, imma Wenzu jispjegalu l-bżonn li jixrief u jidra għax din hi attività bżonnjuża kemm għad-difiża kontra l-għadu, kif ukoll ekonomikament. Toħroġ sewwa r-realtà diffiċli tassew fejn jew toqtol jew tinqatel. Kien hemm drabi meta l-attività tas-sibi kienet tkun falliment u jmutu bosta Maltin qalbiena waqt xi attakk. L-awtur iwasslilna anki t-tbatija tal-familjari li kienu jistennew lis-sibbiena Maltin jirritornaw lura Malta, imma għalxejn.

Intant Agius bħal jintroduċi fil narrattiv ieħor li jagħmel il-ġrajja iktar eċitanti: Marija tiġi mwiegħda lil Rodrigo minn missierha. Rodrigo b’xi mod ifakkar fil-kiefer don Rodrigo ta’ I promessi sposi ta’ Alessandro Manzoni. Anki hawn mela jitħalltu l-istoriku u l-fittizzju. Importanti hu kliem Wenzu li jgħid lil ibnu: “… Malta hi ikbar minni, ikbar minnek u mill-problemi tiegħek. Malta trid devozzjoni, imħabba u sagrifiċċju. Kull darba li Malta ssejjaħ, aħna lesti…” (81) Nifhmu kemm huwa importanti l-aspett patrijottiku f’dan ir-rumanz.

F’kapitlu 9 tissemma data speċifika: “… llum Awwissu 1394” (99). Kien żmien ta’ taqlib soċjali u politiku ladarba Malta kienet għaddejja minn taħt idejn Ħakem għal ieħor. Data speċifika oħra nsibuha f’kapitlu 12, din id-darba permezz ta’ ittra ddatata Lulju 1396. Ningħataw stampa tal-ħajja tipika fil-pjazza mimlija bejjiegħa u nies, anki bil-palk fejn kienu jinbiegħu l-iskjavi (126-127). Jinħass b’saħħtu l-appell għas-sensi: l-għajjat tal-bejjiegħa, u r-riħa tal-bhejjem fis-sħana tax-xemx. Data speċifika oħra tissemma f’kapitlu 14: 14 t’Ottubru 1397. Ningħataw b’hekk l-idea taż-żmien għaddej.

Agius jixħet anki dawl fuq kif kienu jaħdmu l-affarijiet fuq livell nazzjonali: matul xi kunflitt kienu jinħtieġu bosta rġiel biex jiġġieldu, mela bosta raba’ ma kienx jinħadem għax il-bdiewa kienu jaqbdu l-armi; l-ikel l-ewwel ma kien jingħata kien lis-suldati u b’hekk kienu jbatu l-ġuħ ix-xjuħ, in-nisa u t-tfal. Kien hemm ukoll il-Castrum Maris li kien diffiċli ħafna li jintrebaħ f’każ ta’ assedju. Realtà oħra kienet dik li l-Maltin fis-seklu 14 kienu jitkellmu djaletti differenti minn irħula differenti u għalhekk ġieli ma kinux jinftehmu ma’ Maltin oħrajn bħalhom.

F’kapitlu 15 l-awtur iħawwar iktar ir-rakkont mistħajjel billi jintroduċi ċerti kumplikazzjonijiet: tarbija illeġittima, imħabba u adulterju, u dan kollu fuq sfond storiku li seħħ fir-realtà.

F’ċertu punt tar-rumanz jissemma ċertu Apostoli, li hu wieħed minn erbgħa, fosthom Johanni, li jidħlu b’mod sigriet fil-Castrum waqt l-Assedju tal-aħħar. Iktar tard niskopru li dan mhux l-Apostoli tal-ewwel rumanz, imma dan t’hawn huwa l-persuna li għalih issemma z-ziju Apostoli. U dan ikompli jikkonferma li Johanni hawn hu missier Apostoli u ħuh jiġi missier il-protagonist u narratur tar-rumanz preċedenti, jiġifieri Johanni n-neputi.

Fi tmiem dan il-prequel Malta terġa’ tgħaddi taħt il-kuruna ta’ Spanja, u ma tibqax iktar taħt is-sinjuri fewdali, mela iktar libertà biex il-Maltin jamministraw direttament lil pajjiżhom.

Fl-Epilogu ssir qabża temporali ta’ 5 snin. Minkejja li ma naqsux traġedji u mwiet, it-tmiem hu wieħed hieni. Imħabba Taħt Assedju. Deċennju Qabel hu rumanz storiku u epiku fl-istess ħin għax jiġu rrakkuntati anki l-ġesti erojċi ta’ għadd ta’ Maltin qalbiena li tqabdu u ġieli anki tilfu ħajjithom għal Malta. Dan hu anki xogħol fejn tinħass sewwa l-kollaborazzjoni bejn l-awtur kreattiv u r-riċerkatur u storiku taż-Żmien Nofsani, imma anki r-rabta b’saħħitha bejn il-gost tal-qari u l-istedina biex nitgħallmu aktar dwar pajjiżna u l-poplu tagħna.

Birds have long been powerful symbols in literature. The imagery of birds has been used to convey complex themes and emotions, allowing writers to explore the depths of human experience. In war poetry, birds often symbolise both the longing for freedom and the sombre realities of conflict, often serving as powerful metaphors for hope, resilience, and the fleeting nature of peace amidst chaos.

In the anthology Unsilenced – Poems for Palestine, several poets often use the fragile yet stubborn figure of the bird to express their grief. In Lana Derkac’s poetry, birds become tender mourners and gentle healers whose song “wraps up the bones they find /… / as if providing them with new tissue,” an elegiac imagery that repairs flesh with music. Zeynep Karaca, on the other hand, utilises the avian symbol through a single, fleeting moment of Edenic peace: “the bird singing in the garden” conveys a sense of suspense, since in its fragility, it is dangerously poised on the brink of violence. Similarly, Sonia Maddouri’s “cooing of a dove on festive days” drapes peace in memory and ritual; it is as if the dove’s gentle yearn is merely emphasising the bitter absence of celebration. Shirani Rajapakse likewise associates “the sounds of gulls” with the idea of a promised peace which, till now, persists in its elusiveness.

In other poems of the anthology, avian imagery shifts from comforting to menacing, mirroring Palestine’s brutal reality. Birds become dark omens rather than symbols of hope. Ridvan Ardic’s image of black swans choking in a strait suggests the idea that even the most extraordinary creatures suffocate under siege. Furthermore, Franca Colozzo’s birds are agents of death; with her “Black Ravens” that “sow hatred,” she recasts these black birds, once tied to death, as active symbols of human malice. In another poem of hers, she even describes how the “crow’s wings” brush “against angel wings” – a salient imagery that dramatises the collision between the oppressors’ wickedness and the victims’ sanctity. Abigail George’s stark imagery depicting “skulls of birds” reduces nature itself to mere bones, a visceral emblem of mortality and violence. Jeftimiljević Lilić turns the dove – traditionally a symbol of peace — into a relentless black observer, hovering as a portent of doom rather than hope, whilst Sonia Maddouri’s imagery of “birds pecking the heads of the Bereaved” and Marwan Makhoul’s vultures swooping down, on the other hand, transform grief into spectacle. Finally, Mirela Leka Xhavi’s description of the cuckoo’s lament, presented as both curse and echo beyond the grave, blends folklore with the supernatural, framing sorrow as a spectral refrain that haunts the living. Together, these darker avian symbols dramatise how war warps nature’s song into silence, flight into entrapment, and hope into horror.

Across several poems in this anthology, birds seem to trace the fragile arc of Palestinian life from birth to death. Josie di Sciascio-Andrews uses an avian extended metaphor to create a contrast between the innocent children “hatching in mine fields” and the perilous setting imposed on their lives. Marwan Makhoul uses similar symbolism when he depicts the idea of “two dove’s eggs / to hatch, male and female, from me and for me,” turning each birth into a hopeful, almost sacred, gift amidst military conflict. The avian metaphor is also utilised in the final stages of life. Ghassan Zaqtan’s euphemism, “when the birds sleep,” turns death into a collective lull, a moment of sorrowful stillness that blankets the living. Franca Colozzo’s elegiac use of avian register transfigures the fallen into a silent, feather-light procession: “Wings spread to the wind, they rise / In a silent procession, / Drifting like feathers, / They ascend into flight / From the hospital in Gaza.” Together, these poetic images chart a cycle in which hatching represents miraculous beginnings, sleep signifies gentle passage, and flight enacts the soul’s ultimate liberation.

In these verses dedicated to Palestine and her people, birds carry the weight of hope and grief across every line. Some poets cast them as gentle healers or beacons of inner compassion, wrapping loss in song and carrying fledgling lives through war-torn streets. Others summon darker wings —ravens that sow hatred or vultures that feast on despair. Yet, through images of hatching, peaceful sleep and final flight, these verses trace a full circle. This anthology suggests that the bird endures as one of the most potent symbols of resilience and release. As Mehmet Murat Ildan once wrote, “Wherever there are birds, there is hope.”

Dr David Aloisio

Xi riflessjonijiet jien u naqra r-rumanz.

B’dan ir-rumanz tiegħu Salv Sammut joħodna fid-dinja tal-pubblikazzjoni tal-ktieb, b’wieħed mill-personaġġi jkun pubblikatur u ieħor il-kittieb. Mela hawn għandna ktieb li jittratta d-dinja tal-ktieb, dwar il-proċess tal-kitba u l-karatteristiċi li jagħmlu storja tajba. Il-grigalata li għaddejja barra b’xi mod diġà tirrifletti l-problema li l-pubblikatur għandu jħabbat wiċċu magħha. X’inhi eżattament?

Sa mill-ewwel paġna l-qarrej jifhem li l-istil ta’ kitba huwa mexxej, u n-narrazzjoni fl-ewwel persuna. Insibu riferiment intertestwali għall-kittieb Edgar Allan Poe. Hemm il-kelba li tħoss affarijiet li l-bniedem jasal għalihom iktar tard. Dan kollu jgħin sabiex Sammut iżomm il-qarrej fuq ix-xwiek jaqra. Minkejja li r-rakkont huwa ambjentat fiż-żmien preżenti, taħkem atmosfera gotika f’rabta mad-dar. Riferiment intertestwali ieħor isir f’paġna 243 meta tissemma l-kittieba Irlandiża kontemporanja, Cecilia Ahern. F’paġna 251 tissemma kanzunetta ta’ Acker Bilk, “Strangers on the shore”, mela din id-darba m’għandniex test letterarju imma test liriku.

Jiġi inkluż l-element oniriku, mela d-dinja tal-ħolm, u dan f’rabta mas-seħer tal-baħar. Fil-ħolm hemm twaħħid bejn elementi immaġinattivi u oħrajn letterarji, bejn il-fantasija u l-kitba, imma anki logħba bejn ir-reali u s-surreali. Dan biex nippruvaw nifhmu minn fejn titwieled il-letteratura. Ir-ritratt li jiskopri n-narratur jorbot ir-realtà mad-dinja tal-ħolm: fiż-żewġ każi hemm tfajla preżenti. Hemm drabi meta Sammut iħallat il-ħelu mal-morr, l-oniriku mar-reali, l-idilliku mal-vjolenza domestika. L-oniriku jerġa’ aktar ’il quddiem fir-rumanz, meta l-omm tidher lil bintha f’ħolma: x’riedet tgħidilha bil-ħarsa tagħha? Lura għad-dinja reali l-bint tinħakem minn iktar dubji u mistoqsijiet li għalihom tesiġi tweġibiet.

Interessanti l-introduzzjoni tal-manuskritt li nstab fid-dar. Dan hu rakkont miktub fit-tielet persuna singular, miktub mill-eks sid tad-dar. Mela għandna rakkont ġewwa rakkont ikbar (dan miktub minn Salv Sammut innifsu). Fil-parti intitolata “L-ewwel ġabra ta’ tifkiriet” Sammut idaħħalna fil-kontenut tal-manuskritt (bl-ismijiet tat-titli miġjubin fil-korsiv u ittri minuskoli) u b’hekk il-qarrej jittieħed lura fiż-żmien. Niltaqgħu ma’ Benjamin (nieqes mill-vista), Edith u żewġha Samwel (sakranazz u vjolenti). Jidħol l-użu tad-diskors dirett. Nindunaw li s-sitwazzjoni domestika mhi xejn sabiħa. Min-naħa l-oħra l-baħar hu l-element li jserraħ mill-piż tal-problemi umani. Hu anki l-imkien fejn jinkixfu veritajiet tal-imgħoddi u jseħħu ħwejjeġ li minħabba ċerti raġunijiet ma seħħewx fl-imgħoddi. Għalhekk, bil-mod il-mod Sammut jikxef dak li seħħ fl-imgħoddi fid-dar tad-dellijiet.

Hemm drabi meta ningħataw il-perspettiva taż-żewġ ulied bniet  – Mildred u Caroline – li jkollhom jgħixu tterrorizzati f’dan l-ambjent, l-iktar iż-żgħira Caroline li spiss il-missier xurban iħares bl-ikrah lejha. Il-qarrej jistaqsi, għaliex dan?

Il-kunflitt hawn isir mekkaniżmu letterarju ieħor li jżomm lill-qarrej jaqra bla ma jegħja jew jiddejjaq. Hemm elementi oħrajn li jikkontribwixxu, fosthom l-għajbien ta’ persuna, l-investigazzjoni, l-introduzzjoni ta’ kundizzjoni mentali bħalma hija d-dimensja jew il-qtugħ mir-realtà immedjata, u anki l-element sopranaturali jew inspjegabbli. F’rabta ma’ dan tal-aħħar nistaqsu x’inhuma d-dellijiet li jissemmew, u kif il-ġiżirana bidlet postha? F’kapitlu 42 naraw lil Edith – li tkun ilha snin twal tgħix fis-solitudni – waqt passiġġata fil-masġar li tidħol fi djalogu ‘mistħajjel’ ma’ Benjamin li jispjegalha ċerti affarijiet kif verament seħħew fl-imgħoddi. Hawnhekk l-assenti jinbidel fi preżenza.

Sammut jintroduċi iktar sorpriżi u tensjoni: stupru u inċest bejn missier u bint, u jsegwu dipressjoni emozzjonali u psikoloġika, u aktar tard, tqala mhix mistennija. Fejn tidħol it-tema tfulija naraw li mhux kollox ward u żahar. Minkejja dan, fir-rakkont naqraw ukoll dwar tiġrib pożittiv bħal imħabba, altruwiżmu u s-sens tas-sagrifiċċju. F’kapitlu 43 hemm il-mara għaddejja waħedha fix-xatt – id-dell taz-‘zija’ Caroline li jinsisti li toħroġ għad-dawl il-verità –  u li ħadd ma jaraha ħlief Amanda. Dan kollu jqanqal iktar interess fil-qarrejja, mela jservi bħala spinta lid-dieġesi jew storja tar-rakkont.

Aktar ’il quddiem Sammut jintroduċi flasback ieħor u joħodna aktar lura fiż-żmien, meta Benjamin u Edith kienu għadhom żgħażagħ fejn tinkixef ir-rabta bejniethom fil-passat. Dan kollu jibda minn oġġett, eżattament ħannieqa magħmula mill-qxur tal-bebbux li Benjamin kien għamel lil Edith.

Meta tieqaf l-istorja rrakkuntata fil-manuskritt nittieħdu lura fil-preżent, u l-ismijiet tat-titli tal-kapitli jerġgħu għall-ittri kapitali fil-grassett. Nerġgħu lura għan-narrazzjoni fl-ewwel persuna singular. In-narratur hawn jgħaddi mill-istess ħsus u esperjenzi li ngħaddu aħna l-qarrejja, fosthom il-kurżità u l-istennija. Hemm aħna li qed naqraw ir-rumanz ta’ Sammut, imma hemm ukoll in-narratur-pubblikatur-protagonist li qed jaqra l-manuskritt misjub. Hemm ukoll l-idea li l-awtur tal-manuskritt juża psewdonimu, mhux ismu proprju, għax mhux qed ifittex il-fama personali imma jixtieq biss ifakkar dawk li  xi darba għexu fid-dar.

“It-tieni ġabra ta’ tifkiriet – Diżillużjoni” terġa’ toħodna lura għall-manuskritt. Għall-ewwel l-ispazju hu dak ta’ Pariġi –  waqt btala qasira – u hawn jidħol indirettament Salv Sammut li nafu li siefer bosta drabi u dar ħafna mkejjen fl-Ewropa u lil hinn. Naqraw mill-perspettiva ta’ Samwel li bħal jinbidel u jikkonverti; omm li ma trid bl-ebda mod it-tarbija li għadha kemm twieldet; persuna li titħalla tinġarr mill-mewġ qawwi tal-baħar (suwiċidju?). Il-baħar din id-darba hu dak lil jisraq ħajja umana, imma anki sodda fejn jista’ jinsab il-kenn etern. Fir-rumanz il-baħar jisraq il-ħajja ta’ tliet karattri. Hemm is-sens taż-żmien li jinħass il-ħin kollu għaddej.

Min-naħa l-oħra, il-masġar (Kapitlu 30) jinftiehem bħala post li wieħed jistkerrah, bħalma jiġri fil-ħrejjef: “… u t-tnejn għajtu u daħku sakemm waslu biswit il-masġar. Ħarsu lejh u ma tkellmux. Is-swidija li s-siġar folti kienu jixħtu, ġegħlithom mingħajr ma jafu għaliex jisktu mill-għajjat tagħhom.” (184) Ftit aktar ’il quddiem naqraw: “Dawk is-siġar kbar u twal bil-friegħi u zkuk miftuħin bdiet tistħajjilhom mostri ħerġin mill-ħrejjef li kienet tħobb taqra imma xorta titmeżmeż minnhom.” (185) Gilbert u Amanda b’xi mod hawn ifakkru fil-ħrafa ta’ Hansel u Gretel. Hemm saħansitra d-dar f’nofs il-masġar, element ieħor rikurrenti fil-ħrejjef tradizzjonali.

Il-masġar jintrabat ma’ aspetti pożittivi wkoll: joffri kenn lil Samwel ladarba jixjieħ u ilu jgħix waħdu. Ironikament naqraw li, “ Mistur f’dak l-imkien kien iħossu protett mill-ilpup ta’ barra l-masġar”, meta sa ftit żmien qabel kien hu stess ‘lupu’. Id-dellijiet li spiss jissemmew jistgħu jirrappreżentaw is-sens ta’ ħtija li Samwel jaħrab minnu. Anki l-għadira f’nofs il-masġar għandha karatteristiċi msaħħra u tfakkar fil-ħrejjef.

Bħala parti mit-teknika narrattiva Sammut jalterna l-azzjoni li sseħħ fi spazji differenti: daqqa fid-dar ta’ Mildred, daqqa fil-masġar jew qrib il-baħar, daqqa fi spazji magħluqin bħal xi bar. Apparti hekk, aktar tard fir-rakkont, Sammut bħal iġiegħel lill-qarrej jitħassar lil dak li xi darba kien bla ħniena u ħajjen, imma joħodha anki kontra dik li xi darba kienet vittma.

Lura għar-rakkont ewlieni mill-ġdid u għalhekk waqfien mill-qari tal-manuskritt u mill-ġdid mal-kittieb. Il-pubblikatur jikkummenta dwar il-karatteristiċi u l-valur tal-manuskritt li qed jaqra. Din hija l-parti metanarrattiva tar-rumanz preżenti. Niskopru li l-istess spazji li jissemmew fil-manuskritt imur fihom ukoll il-qarrej-pubblikatur, fosthom ir-ramla, il-baħar, il-masġar, l-għolja, id-dar f’nofs il-masġar. Dan hu vjaġġ fiżiku li jagħmel il-pubblikatrur sabiex ifittex lill-kittieb tal-manuskritt. Hu anki vjaġġ letterarju fil-passat meta jaqra l-manuskritt. Il-qarrej jibqa’ kurjuż dwar min hu fir-realtà l-kittieb tal-manuskritt: tgħid Samwel, jew le? Hemm sett ta’ noti li nkitbu, li mbagħad ġew żviluppati f’rakkont mill-kittieb, li mbagħad spiċċaw f’idejn il-pubblikatur. Il-kittieb isejjaħ lid-dar fil-masġar dar ta’ “diżappunt u wġigħ”. (234)

Bil-mod il-mod nifhmu wkoll li dan hu rakkont dwar it-tiġrib ta’ tliet ġenerazzjonijiet differenti. Lejn tmiem ir-rumanz climax isegwi lil anti-climax ladarba toħroġ il-verità tant mixtieqa, imma mhix dik li ssopona u stenna l-qarrej. Sammut, bħala kittieb tal-esperjenza, iħawwar sewwa r-rakkont tiegħu b’ingredjenti varji: il-qarrej jibqa’ sal-aħħar jistaqsi min kien verament missier Amanda.

Fl-aħħar kapitlu naqraw dwar żewġ ġesti simboliċi mill-pubblikatur: it-tfigħ tal-kriżantemi fil-baħar u l-ftuħ tat-twieqi tad-dar sabiex joħorġu d-dellijiet u l-iħirsa minnha. Dan hu rit ta’ tisfija u fl-istess ħin katarsi. X’inhuma l-aħħar deċiżjonijiet tal-pubblikatur: se jibqa’ jgħix fid-dar? Se jippubblikah il-ktieb? Dan kollu f’rumanz ta’ 288 paġna. Bħal dejjem, dan hu rumanz ieħor ta’ Salv Sammut li jżomm lill-qarrej attent u kurjuż sal-aħħar anki billi ma jħallihx passiv imma jinvolvih u jnissel fih ħsibijiet u ħsus diversi waqt il-qari tiegħu. Id-Dar tad-Dellijiet hu garanzija ta’ qarja li toffri ħin ta’ mistrieħ u pjaċir.

Patrick Sammut (April 2025)

(an appreciation of Ġo Baħar Jiskura sad-dlam, by Gioele Galea)

For all of us who were biting our nails, waiting for the sequel to In-Nar Għandu Isem, where the writer leaves us in awe at a supernatural experience that propelled him onto a road of deep conversion wondering what came next, the recently published Ġo Baħar Jiskura sad-dlam does not disappoint. Excelling expectations, it keeps the reader’s eyes glued as to what’s coming next in the autobiographical rendition of the writer’s riveting saga towards the hermitage where Mirela still sits wide eyed, waiting to hear the story. The narrative in his new book picks up from the divine gaze that had just transformed him (“Kienet ħarstu li tatni l-bidu.” p 9). With typical unshackled verve the author proceeds to describe his journey towards his goal step by step, giving us a blow by blow description of his intimate experience. The result is a veritable ode to life in the Spirit, where the experience of God throughout life’s journey is wholesomely exposed as a life worth living.

In Ġo Baħar Jiskura sad-dlam, Galea renders his prose with the balancing skill of a tightrope performer. Choosing his words carefully, he weaves through his story line simultaneously revealing what was happening on his outside as well as his inside: how the one was propelling the other, unveiling two sides of the same coin (his life) in the process. He is careful however to intimate that while on the outside it is he who is acting on his decisions, on the inside it is God who is the agent and actor of his (the author’s) existence, and the arduous episodes he describes occur in reaction to the Divine. Despite the suffering this existence entailed, the author still decides that life, and his existence in God are both “tremendous” (p 202), his living from the bottom of the abyss (il-qiegħ) “beautiful” (p 203) and “profoundly calm” (p 237). And ensconced in the lush green lull of the forest at the Abbey he finds love, peace, and hope (p 237).

Galea’s allegorical style returns in his new book, so does his imagery as well as his rare but precious aphorisms. As we follow him at the start of his journey through light, joy, prayer, sweetness, a sense of direction, and a song that danced in his heart, the road becomes deeper and the darkness denser. He explains to Mirela how “Everything became a metaphor for me, that is to say everything [outside me] started to inform my interior” (Kollox beda jsirli metafora, jiġifieri kollox beda jkellimni minn qagħda ġewwiena. p 85). Striking metaphors that bubble up from the stream of Galea’s script include: dark solitude (p 78), God’s tears (p 82), blinding light (p 88), the desert (p109), the anchor (p 123), the sea lurking around gnawing at [his] naked roots (p149), the clamp (p 224), the nail which for him represents the Will of God (p 224), profound littleness, and intimate silence (p 93). Ravished by his call to silent solitude, the protagonist successively mulls over silence as desert ( p 96), as refuge (p 142), as beginning (p162), and as the space for the Presence ( p 169). The silence at the bottom of the abyss (p 169) which he describes with aplomb, would perhaps be his most intimate articulation of this particular metaphor. Because the bottom of the abyss is for him a paradoxical reference to the top of the mountain whereto he has set his eyes. For Galea, the paradox is a most convenient figure of speech when it comes to his interior life, as he explains to Mirela: that for him the ascent is descent, the apogee is the bottom [of the abyss], death is life and the true light is that which blinds him unto the densest of darknesses (p.12). Among his vibrant metaphors all laden with meaning, the one that stands out is the darkness, a figurative expression which appears in the very title of the book. It is the darkness that he experiences at the bottom of the abyss to which he refers as the pinnacle of God (p 203), a darkness experienced as abandonment which in turn became his refuge (p 31). Hence his explicit reference to his journey towards God as through a darkening sea.

The interior darkness on the spiritual road evokes the words of the Mystical Doctor St John of the Cross, who explains the way towards God as through a dark night, for when God is spiritually near to the soul, the soul experiences Him as “intolerable darkness … for the supernatural light darkens with its excess the natural light.” (Spiritual Canticle, Stanza 13, 1) The aim of the spiritual life as the Mystical Doctor elucidates, is the state of perfect union with God through love, a journey he compares to climbing a mountain. (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Prologue). Which brings us to the mountain our protagonist is trying to ‘climb’ but is experiencing as “the bottom of the abyss.” This in turn echoes the words of another Doctor of the Church, St Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, who in her autobiography writes about her own experience of ‘climbing’ towards the ‘top of the mountain’ not by scaling it on the outside, but going forth as through a dark tunnel: “one would have to travel through this dark tunnel to understand its darkness.” (Story of a Soul, Manuscript C, p 5v).

For Galea, God is the Absolute (p 126), the Creator (p 84) who hides in his heart (p 122), and the Cross is central to his personal spirituality: “My God is a God of fire, who carved his face on the central spot of the cross, there where the vertical beam meets the horizontal one.” (“Alla tan-nar hu l-Alla tiegħi – Alla li wiċċu naqqxu hemm, fil-punt fejn l-għuda l-wieqfa tiltaqa’ mal-għuda mimduda” p 74). Ravished by the Love that attracts him, he is adamant that his ultimate goal is nothing short of complete union with God (p 76). Wrapped within the intimate account of his spiritual journey, a message of hope shines through Ġo Baħar Jiskura sad-dlam. That when the Spirit is poured upon us, the wilderness truly becomes a fruitful field (Isaiah 32, 15). That the dream for union with God can be fulfilled despite all obstacles. The key attitude required on the part of each person called to it being one: surrender.

Rita C. Grima  M.A. (Melit.), B.A. (Hons.)

21^st November 2024

The Shadow: Poems for the Children of Gaza

By Ahmed Miqdad & John P. Portelli

Published by Horizons, 2024

It’s tempting to switch channel when confronted with streams of death and destruction, but at what point does avoidance turn into complicity? The Shadow: Poems for the Children of Gaza is an invitation to resist the urge to look away.

The friendship between Ahmed Miqdad, a displaced Palestinian poet in Gaza, and John P. Portelli, a Maltese-Canadian poet and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, emerged on social media. An exchange of poems reflecting on the humanitarian catastrophe became the poets’ outlet for shared grief, anger and frustration. Despite the unrelenting bombardment of Gaza and Miqdad’s limited access to internet, their poetic dialogue has persisted throughout the past year and culminated in this transparent collection.

Scavenging street dogs, winds carrying a scent of decaying bodies and seagulls fleeing the sound of bombs: this is the unfiltered reality The Shadow immerses its readers in. With visceral imagery and emotional resonance, the read feels hauntingly confrontative. For a moment, we sit on the cold soil in the tent next to Miqdad and his family. We are entering the depths of a collective wound, felt through the parents who are unable to protect their toddlers. This is a running theme across many of the verses, here captured by Miqdad: “I keep your blanket ready in hopes that you’ll find your bed once more, even though I know, the dead will never come back”.

Children are at the heart of the dialogue, and Portelli urges us to see the world through their eyes: “I was the six-year-old girl from Rafah, exhausted from saluting the dead for the last time, shrouded in the bloodstained drapes of a life I always hoped would change one day, if only I were allowed to live”. All proceeds of the book are being donated to Gaza, where the child death toll has reached incomprehensible levels.

Through evocative portraits and unflinching honesty, readers are forced to reflect on the dangers of indifference. With each verse, remnants of detachment are crumbling away and replaced with an unyielding sense of shared responsibility. In the piercing lyrics of I am a Gazan Girl, Portelli touches upon a double-edged phenomenon: “You do not know me, but at times you send me some euros, a cathartic exercise to clear the conscience you inherited from the powerful, their sin of daily bombings”.

For a digital audience oversensitized with constant flows of imagery and clickbaits, this collection is a testament to the profound capacity of words to reignite our sense of empathy and engagement. “Get angry, when you see terrified, hopeless Palestinian parents, innocent children being shredded, with your tax money. Get angry, when you hear the voices of the voiceless burning, buried under the rubble. […] Get angry, if you are human”, Miqdad echoes.

It’s more than a selection of personal reflections – it’s an outcry for the experiences of Palestinians, a letter to humankind. As Gaza has become a landscape of ruins where Israeli warfare has led to unprecedented numbers of civilian casualties, readers are reminded that the “hopeless faces” aren’t one; they are millions.

Despite the book’s heavy tone, there’s a fierce spirit of resilience that surfaces as we journey through the pages. Drawing upon symbolism of kites rising above the smoke and a phoenix reborn from ashes, the poems also convey a message of liberation, renewal and hope. The publication is an embodiment of quiet defiance and a refusal of erasure. As Miqdad puts it: “We are not numbers, we are the difficult number no one can divide or subtract, we are Palestine”.

Sarah Warderberg

Sarah Warderberg is a lawyer based in Malta, Master of Laws (LL.M.), Örebro University and Master of Intellectual History (M.A.), University of Gothenburg.