Mejju gie bil-Ward u Zahar
 by Gian Francesco Bonamico

EXCERPT:

"The second oldest work written in the Maltese vernacular, this time from the 17th century, is a song of praise to Grand Master Cottoner. In his Sonetto entitled 'Mejju gie bil-Ward u Zahar' (May came, with its flowers and blossoms), Giovanni Francesco Bonamico's words are quite easily decipherable to modern day Maltese persons, though they still reverberate very much the Arabic sound (some 120 years into the Order's rule and around 580 years after Count Roger's conquest of Malta from the Arabs). "

The Maltese Language (Part 2)


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Bonamico's poem, considered the oldest written work in Maltese prior to the discovery of Caxaro's Cantilena, is attributed to the year 1672, though no concrete evidence exists todate to substantiate this precise year.   This sonnet sings praise to Grand Master Niccolo' Cottoner (1663-1680), hence the infered date of writing.

The poem's orthography is very different from today's spelling, but the phonetics of the words used by the writer are easily understood by modern Maltese.

The following is the original version of Gian Francesco Bonamico's sonetto:


Mejju gie' bl'Uard, u Zahar
Aadda l bart, e Sceta, u 'l Beracq
T'ghattiet l'art be nuar u l'Uueracq
heda e riech, seket el Bachar
Tar e schab men nuece e'Sema
Sa f'l'e Gebiel neptet el chdura
Regeet t'ghanni col Aasfura
U' f' el fercol cqalb t'ertema

E qaila ferh kien fe di Gesira
li ma Kiensce min i uuennesha
li ma Kiensce min i charisha
Kecu tepki el giuh phl lsira

Enti el ferh, u 'l hena taana
Cotoner daul ta aineina
Tant li e Sema i challic chdeina
Fl'achar bart i colna e schana



and this is our English translation:


May arrived with its flowers and blossoms,
Gone are the cold, the rain and lightning,
The ground is covered in blossoms and leaves,
The wind grew lighter and the sea has stilled,
The sky is clear of clouds,
As greenery springs forth even in the hills,
And the [female] bird sings anew
And pleasure overflows from the heart

And there would be little joy on this Island
Were it not for him who looks after her,
Were it not for him who protects her,
She would weep for hunger in slavery.

You [alone] are our happiness,
Cotoner, light of our eyes
    [i.e. indispensible]
For as long as Heaven grants us your presence
Even in the worst cold will we have warmth.




Notes:

  1. Wettinger-Fsadni, 1968: There is no direct evidence of its date of composition the year 1672 commonly given being an obvious inference from the year of publication of his Latin poems in praise of the same Grand Master.

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  2. Arnold Cassola, 2000: "G.F.Bonamico's poem has been kept for posterity by the Maltese 18th century scholar, G.P.F.Agius de Soldanis (1712-1770) ... There are two versions of this poem in De Soldanis' manuscript: one reproducing Bonamico's orthography and the other re-written according to the Gozitan scholar's orthographic rules.

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