Saturday, February 14, 2009

Intervistat Alfred Palma: poeta u traduttur.

(Fir-ritratt Alfred Palma jidher quddiem il-kappella fejn hu midfun Dante Alighieri, f'Ravenna, Settembru 2008).


1. Il-Malti Semitiku u s-sistema trilittera (ezempju mrabbat flok marbut). Kemm sibthom utli l-aktar fit-traduzzjonijiet tieghek?



Il-Malti Semitku hu ghani hafna, u llum bosta minnu m’ghadniex
nuzawh. Lili dan il-vokabularju vast gheni hafna, l-aktar fit-trad-
uzzjoni tad-Divina Commedia, naturalment minhabba l-istess element
arkajk tieghu. Izda dejjem qghadt attent li fir-rimi dejjem nuza bosta
vokali, biex b’hekk inzomm l-armonija Semitika-Maltija fit-test u dik
Romantika-Taljana fir-rima; b’hekk nemmen li hloqt bilanc ideali bejn
iz-zewg ilsna, Malti u Taljan, u nhoss ukoll li fix-xoghol tradott baqghet
issaltan l-atmosfera tal-grajja nfisha u taz-zmien li fih sehhet, biex
hekk bqajt fidil lejn l-awtur u xoghlu u fl-istess waqt tajt gieh u seddaqt
il-Letteraura Maltija. Is-sistema trilittera dejjem uzajtha fejn hassejt li
kien jaqbel, l-aktar fejn kelli accenti li kienu jaqghu hazin jew jinstemghu
stunati fuq kelma u b’hekk jaghmlu l-vers kollu inqas muzikali milli
dejjem fittixt li naghmlu.

2. Fit-traduzzjonijiet tieghek taghti piz lill-element Semitiku jew lil dak Rumanz l-aktar? Ghaliex?

Tajthom piz tista’ tghid kwazi ndaqs, ghax hassejt li f’xoghol hekk
ggantesk il-bilanc kien essenzjali. Dan jghodd l-aktar ghad-Divina
Commedia u ghad-drammi ta’ Shakespeare; izda fix-xoghlijiet ta’
Wilde u ta’ Voltaire kelli naghfas l-aktar fuq ir-romantiku. Ma tista’
bl-ebda mod tittraduci lil Wilde b’Malti Semitiku ghax tinholoq atmos-
fera letterarja inverosimili, kemm fix-xoghol letterarju nnifsu, u aktar
u aktar f’dik li hi epoka. Barra minn hekk, dejjem fejn jidhol Wilde,
certa sofistikagni titlob hafna l-Malti Romantiku, l-aktar fejn jidhlu l-
battuti celebri ta’ dan l-awtur. L-istess nista’ nghid ghall-Candide ta’
Voltaire.

3. Ghal Palma kif jintrabtu flimkien poezija, muzika u pittura?



Il-poezija, il-muzika u l-pittura huma t-tliet Arti li ddominawli hajti. l-
aktar li taffettwani artistikament hija l-muzika, u kwazi kull poezija li
ktibt kemm ili haj dejjem twieldet minn xi bicca muzika. Peress li
ndoqq il-pjanu u iffissat fuq Chopin, ma jistax jonqos li l-muzika hi
l-pern ta’ kulma nohloq artistikament. Dan jghodd ukoll ghall-pittura.
Meta tigini l-muza ghall-pittura, inkun irrid il-muzika f’widnejja
sahanasitra biex nohloq it-tonalita’ ta’ l-ilwien; u minn dawn l-ilwien
imbaghad naf nislet aktar poezija, li aktarx inkompli nirfinaha b’aktar
muzika. Ghax tabilhaqq, ghalija dawn it-tliet Arti huma tliet ahwa
kapriccuzi li kemm-il darba habbtuni u kwazi gennewni; izda wara
dejjem sibthom bhala katarsi ghall-istess tbatija li jkunu holquli.

4. Xi tfisser tkun awtodidatta?



Awtodittata – certi talenti jitwieldu ma’ dak li jkun; u dan japplika bil-
bosta fejn tidhol l-Arti. Nghid ghalija sa minn meta kont ghadni tifel
zghir kont inhoss gibda naturali lejn it-tpingija; kif nara pjanu kont
intir fuqu u nittanat nsib l-armonija halli ndoqq xi haga, l-istess il-
poezija, kont inhossha go mohhi, bir-ritmi u l-accenti b’kollox; l-
iskola kont nissahhar bit-traduzzjoni, u nhossha ga maqluba ghall-
Malti: kemm innizzilha. Dan kollu, flimkien mal-fissazzjoni li ghandi
bil-qari ippermettewli li nkun hieles u b’hekk inkompli nirfina dak li
tatni n-natura bla ma nersaq lejn l-ebda Universit¿, ghajr dik tal-
Hajja li, fil-fehma tieghi, ma thallilek ebda ittri wara ismek, izda
taghtik is-sodisfazzjon uniku tal-originalit¿.

5. Dik tal-kittieb hija fuq kollox hajja ta' qari u sagrificcju. Kemm hu minnu dan?



Nahseb li jekk hawn xi hadd li jista’ jitkellem fuq is-sagrificcju huwa
jien. Sa mill-bidu tal-karriera letterarja tieghi, u sewwasew ghax
qatt ma rfist fl-ebda Universit¿, l-intellettwali Maltin, li hargu minn
hemm iperrcu l-ittri wara isimhom, ma setghu qatt igerrghu l-fatt li jien
kelli nidhol ghat-traduzzjoni tad-Divina Commedia , u meta stamp-
ajtha, fl-1991 (spejjez tieghi, naturalment), dawn l-istess nies halfu li
jinjorawni ghal kollox. L-istess f’Shakespeare u f’kulma bdejt nittra-
duci. Ghajnuna minn Stat, Banek, Azjendi? Xejn. Ftaqart biex nippub-
blika xoghlijieti. Izda qatt ma qtajt qalbi; anzi l-ghira ta’ dawn l-
indivdwi issoktat taghmilli l-kuragg u, minkejja li baqghu dejjem
jinjorawni, il-premju tas-sagrificcji kollha tieghi hadtu sewwasew f’
Ravenna, l-Italja, meta s-sena l-ohra, bit-traduzzjoni tieghi tad-Divina
Commedia , isem Malta zdied ma’ dawk tal-pajjizi l-ohra li ghandhom
dan il-kapolavur tradott fl-lingwa taghhom.


6. Ghalik personali x'inhi l-mira tal-vera letteratura?



Il-vera letteratura ghandha tkun primarjament Arti; li tpaxxi kemm
lil ruh l-awtur u kemm lil dawk li jaqrawh. Ghandha sservi kemm
bhala taghlim u kemm bhala divertiment. Hi x’inhi l-letteratura: poezija,
drama, traduzzjoni, novella ecc. fiha ghandu jkun hemm messagg,
l-awtur jaghmel dmiru li jeduka, u l-qarrej ghandu jikseb ghallinqas
xi ftit tal-gid minn dak li jaqra. Jiena nemmen li kotba jew letteratura
li tinqara b’obbligu, bhalma mill-istudenti bhala parti mill-kurrikulu,
ftit li xejn thalli frott. Wara kollox, l-Arti mhux kulhadd ihobbha u
japprezzaha, u dizgrazzjatament, minhabba certa apatija sistem-
atika, f’Malta il-kultura hadet diksata sewwa ‘l isfel. L-Arti letterarja,
bhalma f’kull fergha ta’ Arti li wiehed jista’ jimmagina, inhakmet
mill-kilba materjalistika ta’ certi awturi u pubblikaturi li, aktar mil-
leteratura per se, ifittxu biss li jdawru lira. U min jirnexxilu jidhol
f’certi crieki jgawdi u jiffanga, u haddiehor jibqa’ jcejjaq. B’hekk din
l-Arti hekk nobbli issa saret tista’ tghid wahda kummercjali, mili ‘l
boghod mill-ispiritwalita’ li suppost) izzejjinha.


7. Il-kitba li m'ghandhiex piz morali, li ma timmirax biex ittejjeb b'xi mod lill-qarrej, hi letteratura? X'tahseb dwar din it-tip ta' letteratura li qieghda wkoll tigi ppremjata anki lokalment?



Bhal kull hag‘ohra fil-hajja hemm letteratura tajba u letteratura
hazina. Issa drajna li l-Arti kollha minn mindu bdiet tissejjah
moderna, saret taghraf aktar lill-artist (jew lill-psewdo artist) milli
x-xoghol tieghu. Jekk pittur, awtur, muzicist illum jiehu certa fama,
allura xoghlu jilhaq il-quccata artistika, jaghmel isem u l-flus; izda
dan ma jfissirx li x-xoghol hu necessarjament artistiku. Kif ghidt,
illum l-arti kollha cediet (ukoll) ghall-kummercjalizmu sfrenat; u jekk
awtur ikun ‘jirrendi’ ghall-pubblikatur, allura kulma jaghmel, ukoll
jekk ikun kollox barra letteratura (jew hi x’inhi l-Arti) ikun apprezzat
u, kif ghidt tajjeb int, anki jigi ippremjat.


(Frar 2009)

Friday, February 13, 2009

A young poet from India: Ninad Bhangle

I have received a comment directly from Mumbai by an 18 year old student, blogger and poet. I visited his blog: www.ninadbhangle.blogspot.com and must admit that I soon loved what I read. Ninad seem to be a reflective, pensive, sensitive, sincere being, and is still not corrupted by ambition, power and egoism. His verse is about love, altruism, but also poverty and backstabbing. Ninad writes about different aspects of life and this he does regularly. He calls a spade a spade.
I'll be uploading some of his verse and a photo as soon as I'll have his permission.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

More photos from a sister island: Gozo




Xlendi Bay during a windy day in winter is almost deserted. However, being there is a real blessing as one feels part of nature.















The countryside in winter is very pleasant and green. Rainfall these last weeks was abundant and so islanders can experience many magical corners, especially in Gozo.
The salt pans in Qbajjar Bay near Marsalforn.
Salt is still collected in sacks and left to dry in nearby caves.







Gozo is also the island of contrasting colours and forms which go back many centuries in time. Many a writer or poet find refuge and inspiration on this small and peaceful island.