Jum il-Poezija - Poetry Day

Uhud aktarx jabbinaw il-kelma profeta ma’ bniedem li jbassar il-gejjieni. Forsi ghax fl-Antik Testment il-profeti kultant kienu jaghmlu dan. Izda l-verita, it-tifsira ta’ profeta hija ghalliem.

Ghalhekk, il-poeta tradizzjonali kien u ghadu l-ghassies tas-socjeta'; u hekk ghandu jkun. Importanti jsegwi l-grajjiet li jsehhu madwaru, u fejn jinnota nuqqasijiet ghandu jhossu fid-dmir li bi prudenza kbira jiftah halqu u jsemma’ lehnu.

Hekk ghamlu fl-imghoddi diversi poeti kbar, specjalment f’dawk il-pajjizi li kienu mmexxijin fuq linji dittatorjali. Insemmi b’ezempju lic-Cilen, Pablo Neruda, u lis-Sovjetiku, Alexandre Solzhenitsyn, li t-tnejn spiccaw hazin u daqu l-ezilju ghax ghamlu dan. Imma ma bezghux iwettqu dmirhom. U tahsbux li dawn huma hwejjeg ta’ l-imghoddi biss. Skond l-IWA ftit xhur ilu, poetessa Izlamika spiccat il-habs ghax kitbet versi dwar l-Izlam illum; versi li gew ittimbrati mill-awtoritajiet ta’ pajjizha bhala poeziji terroristici (terrorist poetry).

Importanti pero, li l-poeta jimxi mal-qawl Ciniz li jghid: Il-poeta ghandu jkun dejjem mera tas-sewwa. Dan jimxi id f’id ma’ dak li jsostnu xi whud, illi l-Kitba, inkluza l-poezija, ghandha ghan wiehed: li taghmel il-gid.

Dr. Alfred Sant, politiku u kittieb maghruf sewwa f’pajjizna, waqt attivita' li saret ad unur it-tabib Guzé Bonnici fil-kwartieri tal-Partit Laburista, il-Hamrun, nhar is-Sibt 6 ta’ Ottubru 2007, heggeg lill-kittieba Maltin kollha biex ma jibzghux juru l-fehmiet dwar dak li jkun qieghed isehh madwarhom. Ma jimpurtax li jista’ jkun hemm min jittimbrahom politikament.

Hekk ghandu jkun. Hekk titlob id-demokrazija. Hekk titlob il-libertá. Hekk titlob il-missjoni ta’ kull kittieb serju – inkluz il-poeta. Ghalhekk, xi drabi l-politici jibzghu mill-kitba. Jista’ jkun li ghal dan il-ghan inholoq il-qawl Ingliz: The pen is mightier than the sword.

Imma, b’dan il-mod biss il-poeta jkun tabilhaqq jixraqlu jissejjah profeta.

Din hija mistoqsija li tista’ tinbet f’moħħ diversi individwi meta jiftakru kemm qegħdin ngħixu f’dinja materjalista. Iżda din kienet l-istess mistoqsija li għamel il-poeta Taljan, Eugenio Montale (1896-1981) quddiem il-membri ta’ l-Akkademja Svediża fit-12 ta’ Diċembru 1975 meta tkellem waqt iċ-ċerimonja ta’ l-għoti tal-Premju Nobel għal-Letteratura mirbuħ minnu f’dik is-sena partikolari.

Qabel xejn, tajjeb nirriflettu ftit x’nifhmu bil-kelma Poeżija. Fil-verita, it-twe

ġiba għaliha mhix faċli li wieħed jagħtiha. B’danakollu, bosta poeti jorbtuha ma’ ħajjithom, iħossuha maġgħuna magħhom. Għalhekk, għad hawn min jemmen fl-espressjoni poeta nascitur

Il-Professur Prospero Grech OSA (1925- ) jgħid li biex tkun poeta dak li jgħodd tassew huwa l-mod kif tinterpreta l-esperjenzi ta’ kuljum. (Daħla: “Dun Karm, il-Poeta Nazzjonali” ta’ Mons. L. Cachia). It-Taljan Giovanni Pascoli (1855-1912) jistqarr li il-poeżija tinsab f’dak kollu li jeżisti madwarna. (“Il-Fanciullino”). Min-naħa l-oħra, il-poeta minn Wales, Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) isostni li l-importanti li l-poeżija toġgħob lill-qarrej - mingħajr ma joqgħod jipprova jiddefiniha (“Dylan Thomas” minn Andrew Sinclair).

Minn dawn il-kwotazzjonijiet wieħed jintebaħ li l-poeżija tibqa’ valida sakemm il-bniedem jibqa’ fuq din l-art. Naturalment, fil-versi tiegħu l-poeta għandu jittratta suġġetti attwali, immaterjali mil-libsa li jlibbishom. Għax il-poeżija wkoll teħtieġ li biex tibqa’ ħajja u attraenti trid timxi maż-żmien. Iżda dan ma jfisserx li għandha twarrab l-ispiritwalita’ li televa l-qalb u l-moħħ ta’ min jaraha jew jismagħha.. Forsi mhux għalhekk iż-żewġ poeti kbar Taljani, Francesco Petrarca (1304-1378) u Giuseppe Ungharetti (1888-1970) sejħulha sagra u talba rispettivament!

Minnu li l-poeżija trid timxi maż-żmien, imma mingħajr ma twarrab il-klassiċi kompletament. Kemm Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) kif ukoll T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) isostnu, li l-klassiċi għandhom jibqgħu jinqraw ħalli fuq xogħlijiethom tissokta tinbena l-poeżija kontemporanja.

Għax wara kollox, it-tajjeb u s-sabiħ fil-ħajja ma jmut qatt. Għalhekk il-poeżija tibqa’ valida, jgħaddu kemm jgħaddu s-snin.

This question may easily come to the mind of the cynics who take a good look at the materialistic world that surrounds us. But this same question was also raised by Italian poet Eugenio Montale (1896-1981) before the members of the Swedish Academy on 12 December 1975 , when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

But first, one would do well to reflect on the word itself: poetry. In all truth, the question is not easy to answer. Many poets, however, have inextricably linked poetry to their very lives; they felt it and made it a part of them: and they stil do! Thus, poeta nascitur (at least) is still valid. And that is in itself a huge consolation!

Prof. Prospero Grech OSA (1925- ) insists that an authentic poet can interpret his everyday experiences. (Introduction: Kun Karm, the National Poet by Mons . L. Cachia). Italian poet Giovanni Pascoli (1855-1912) avows that poetry can be discovered in everything that surrounds us (Il Fanciullino). On the other hand, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) insists that poetry should please the reader - without the latter bothering about definition (Dylan Thomas by Andrew Sinclair).

Judging by these quotations, one realises that poetry was, is and shall always be valid, as long as man shall inhabit the earth. Needless to say, each poet invariably links his lines with actual subjects, irrespective of the tints and hues he chooses to clothe them with. For even poetry has to succumb to the rules, to tune in with the times, evolve and regenarate itself, if it is to remain active, appealing and alive; if it is to go on attracting an audience.

But this does not mean that it has to make do without the spirituality that ennobles the heart and the mind of whoever reads or listens to it. Maybe that’s why those two great Italian poets Francesco Petrarca (1304-1378) and Giuseppe Ungharetti (1888-1970) regarded poetry as sacred and described it as a prayer respectively!

It is true that poetry must adapt itself to the times, but in so doing it must never eradicate its innate classicism completely; it may only re-invent it and, most important, it must remain an Art, one of the greatest of all Arts! Both Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) and T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) insist that classic poetry must still be read and analysed, to serve as the basis for contemporary poetry.

For, after all, what is good and beautiful in life never really dies. Thus, poetry will be forever valid, no matter the age, the years or the times!

Messaġġ Għal Jum il-Poeżija 2006 mis-Sur Alfred Massa, President tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin.

President

POEŻIJA LILL-POPLU (2005)

Messaġġ Għal Jum il-Poeżija 2005 mis-Sur Alfred Massa, President tal-Għaqda Poeti Maltin.

l-Ghaqda Poeti Maltin twaqqfet min Mons.Dr.Amante Buontempo fl-1975. Dan ifisser li dis-sena qiegħda tfakkar it-30 anniversarju ta’twelidha.

Tul dawn is-snin l-Għaqda organiżżat b’risq il-poeżija . Nista’ nsemmi l-Konkorsi għall-kbar u għat-tfal, il-pubblikazzjonijiet ta’ antoloġiji, manifestazzjonijiet poetiċi, ir-rivista Versi li ilha toħrog regolarment tliet darbiet f’sena sa mill-1986, eċċ.

Imma fil-fehma tiegħi,l-aktar attivita’ fejjieda għall-poplu tagħna f’dawn l-aħħar hija l-Lejliet ta’ Poeżija li l-Għaqda Poeti Maltin ilha ttella’ għal dawn l-ahhar snin bil-kooperazjoni ta’ diversi Kunsilli lokali u għaqdiet oħra f’bosta bliet u rħula Maltin.

Dawn il-Lejliet huma importanti għax fihom qed jitwaqqa’ dak il-preġudizzju li l-poeżija hija xi ħaġa li ddejjaq lil dak li jkun. Forsi għax ċerti studenti jassoċjawha ma’ l-eżamijiet u allura trid tkun studjata bilfors. Min-naħa l-oħra, għaddejna anke minn żmien hekk imsejjaħ “preokkupanti” meta l-poplu beda jżomm ruħu lura mill-poeżija; u dan għal raġunijiet deversi.

L-Għaqda poeti Maltin irnexxielha bil-ħidma tagħha terġa’ tiġbed il-poplu Malti lejn il-poeżija. Dan jixħduh l-attendenzi li jkun hemm fil-Lejliet imsemmija, li għalihom jattendu mhux biss poeti, imma anki nies minn kull strata tal-ħajja li sempliċiment jattendu biex jisemgħu l-qari tal-poeżiji. Fi kliem ieħor, l-Għaqda irnexxeilha tħajjar lill-poplu tagħna biex jibda jħares lejn din l-arti b’lenti kif ħares lejha l-poeta minn Wales, Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) meta stqarr; All that matters about poetry is the enjoyment of it.(Andrew Sinclair; Dylan Thomas, Ed. Joseph.)

Kieku l-Għaqda Poeti Maltin wettqet dan biss, ukoll kien ikun pass impoertanti b-riżq il-poeżija f’pajjiżna. Imma hija tagħti wkoll opportunita’ lil diversi poeti biex joħorġu xogħlijiethom mill-kxaxen ta’ djarhom. Dan jistgħu jagħmluh kemm fil-Lejliet li semmejt, kif ukoll fir-rivista Versi u anki fil-pubblikazzjonijiet li minn żmien għal żmien toħroġ għad-dawl.

POETRY TO THE PEOPLE (2005)

Message for Poetry Day 2005 from Mr.Alfred Massa, President of the Mateses Poets Association.

The Maltese Poets Association (Għaqda Poeti Maltin) was founded by Mons.Dr.Amante Buontempo way back in 1975. Thus this year marks the 30^th anniversary of its incipience.

Throughout these thirty years, the Association has organized countless activities for the sake of poetry. Worthwhile mentioning the poetry Contests for young and old, the publication of various anthologies, poetic manifestations, the periodical Versi, issued since 1986 and so on.

But in my opinion, the most plausible activities were, and have been, the Poetry Evenings by the Għ.P.M. for the general public in association, and with the co-operation of various Local Councils (and other societies) held in a good number of Maltese towns and villages.

If nothing else, these evenings help to shatter the prejudice that poetry is boring. Could be because many students link it with exams, something to be studied no matter what. On the other hand, there was the so-called preoccupying phase, when the general public willfully distanced itself from poetry, for more reasons than one.

The Għ.P.M. has succeeded in recalling the Maltese public back to poetry. Proof are the ever-heavier attendances for the evenings in question, which comprise people from all walks of life who simply attend just for the joy of listening to poetry. In other words, the Association has convinced the people to look at poetry as did the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) when he declared; All that matters about poetry is the enjoyment of it. (Andrew Sinclair ; Dylan Thomas, Ed.Joseph.)

If the Għ.P,M. had only this to its credit, it would have been a very important step to the rescue of local poetry. But it also offers the opportunity to otherwise disillusioned poets to bring forth their works to light. This, during the evenings mentioned in the periodical Versi and in the anthologies published from time to time.

The Għ.P.M. utterly believes in the spirituality of poetry and fully agrees with Italian poets Francesco Petrarca and Giuseppe Ungaretti: the former defined poetry as sacred whilst the latter defined it as a prayer. (Franco Lot: Poesia No.171 p. 76