jab.raq bhur ghat r:u.h kemm mej­tiJn indo u jista' wkol~ j,ahraq boor daI1bte1n u t1ieta ghal t'Ul\ tao mej­jet wiehed. Imbagnad. daJqs kelllim bhur i.!<Jun haraq. daqs hell ikohliu iqieghed fius gewwa bieqaa onTa !l tlmn £uq il-mejda wkol.1. u wara j,ehodhom iJ-qassis.

Hemm drawwa onTa Ii nies ill­majjet imorru fu!q .q a:bar il-me,jtiet ghal rashorn Ui jliehdu rn,aghhom menen u bomm. Meta jaslill heimm. iqa!bbclu n-lnar frl-'k.wienen u ignaJlltu J-qam'h fil-;bo.rolm .u jsaf­fuh u jroxxu fuqIU z-rokkor u jhall­ttl mieglhu fitirt helu u jghajo1u IiI' foqra u t-taIJaJba (1i dej.:ern ikun hemm .m:lIlnhom qrib I-oqbra) biex kJum Wiiened j~w wahda. jiehdu qa:b­c1a. qamn u jekluha ghar-rub i:-mej­ti.n. U mibaJg;had ji~at'IJU Ii rna

jemmtllU'x bil-Purgatorju, jigi&eri 'bil-Mathar!

Jekk issaqsli I~I xi qassis j.ew xi r~ge~ Qopti ghaliex jaghrn1nl hekk La darba rna jemmnux fil-Mathar. iwie~bek li dawk huma drawwiet flodma. 11 gha:dhf)iJ11 iitnar,;u imma li xe.j rna jiswew g!lal llUh ;: mej­tin. U jekk ig>giblu ~-,uri!.iet koll­lIha. milll-Bi'bbja (kO'tlba tal-Makka­bin) u rniIrr-kotlba tas-Smo Patri' 11

mi:x-xnijjiierl:. jew tradizjotti, kQl,lJu ghal xejn, ghax rna ;sehhlek qatt H ~iegh!'u ;em:lwn. ('hai l:(;kk rna Jiibqax haga ohra x'wieh.ed jaghrpel ghajr l:i jitlOib ghalieh biex AHa jagh­t,ih id-dawl; u iekk iIrun maria, Ii jrnur jaghlrniHill xi :hja,ra u jhejjlh mil.l-an:,ar :Ii jista' ghat mewt.

P. GUZEPPI CREMONA O.F.M.

IT-TIENl TAQSIMA -- IMMABBA

IT ~ TBERJK L~IiI1(g)1:ii, milnlIl iJmjen zemZern,

johol'gu Mie:b danba fil'-gimgha, kol­:ttl tisw.i,r, i,ism,u Illustrated London News. F'wal1da rni.nn dawlIl il-har­giet, x.i rena i:u, kien hemm kilt'ba msemmija: "A Prophet Honoured liD: His Own Coootry", fejn fiha 1-kittieb tkelUem fuq statwa ta' Sant'EI~a mahdurna minn naqqax mi'III'-PaleSitina u mwaqqfa fuq GebeJ KarmeJ, fUlq ir-·ri:h ta' Hajfa, il-Pa­IeSitTina ",kot!. F'riltratt mir-ritrattl Ijidher 'lassis, rna' ragel ras khira: il-qassis, rnik:uib taMu I.i hu Mon­Si'Djur Vellgani, Dele;gat tai-Patriiar­ka Latin fil-Ca:ti" ~ja.

Dak U-~Io:lsin:jur. meta kien gha­c1u qassis biss, £tit wara li qaddes l­ewwel quc1diesa, kieIliu baghtulb ka\p-

54

FIS -SALT piJaan ta;-Latini {'Ibelt jisimha s­Salt, f1It-Tnmsgonla.nja. Jiena, dak ii-zmien lwrut nghaJlem naqra tal­i~ko~a hemmekk, ghaT hekk iiI Dun .Verga,ni, nafu sewwa. M'hux talli naiu, talai meta kien mur ghand 1-Insara X] mkjen Jbghid mill-belt, gewwa r-.raba' (ghax hemm min.n wahar ir-reibbiegha sa hokor ix-xi,t­wa, hafna nics imorru j:ghixu gew­wa km3lffiM i~w ghcrien fir-ralba') kicn jghidili bie,x imrnu,r mieghu. U jicn kant ~lTlim:UQ" bil-qaJIb, ghax in­h')bb nara xi hag-a gtlariba. Darba, wara Chid il-Khir, mar ~bierek 'dar' 'tal-In;;ara fuq gebel ghoJi u ~iena 'l1or.t mie-gnu. U hawn sa nikteb dak 11 ghatdni niftakar tuq dik il­ma.wra.

Mela, tlaqna ghal habta Itas-sa,gh­tejn u nofs jew iHl.ieta, Dun Ver­gailii u jien. Hu iarrnm i:-ktieb u :,ien iammeljt:IU l-imra:'\'x 'u I-isto­la. L-e,wwel qsamna tI1iq imbaghad 'bdejilla telghin tellgha xorija, hemm, ' fuq ir-fi,h tal-belt. Gha;.}-ewwel irt:­te~gha kcnet bbal sqaq tar-raba' imibaghad ghalqet u saret trejqa.

TeUghin u telighin, qailb ix-xe:wk u I-hax~x u l-hagar. Tla<;na minn bhal ta.ra:g dejjaq, maqtugh fi']-blat u kif wasalna iug, hargu gha;ina xi seba' i,e\\' tlminlt iikLieb taJ-Gha­rab, b'denrbhom mcrfugh 'i! mq, munxar suf fuq daharhom, ~mien­

hom mikrxufa, jin'bh'll gha:ina. U f'dagga fegget mara, ghajlte,t mal­beb, Ii teLg,u Ij:na u bdew jinlthu wiehed ghall-iehor, u qa:et jil Du n Vcrgani: "Tfadd.! u, Abuna!" (j i­g'fieri: I dhlu, Sur kappillan!).

~'IOiTna warajha u ;mahna d-'dar ' . ld-dar kienet g.har imhaffer f'ha­nek tal¥ a: w1ieqaf. G!lax hem­':nekk, I-istha tad-djar, : ,~g;tie,ri i­bjut, ma jaghmluhomx tas-siment ;ew tad-deffun, bha : MaLta. _ Isibu biara ratba u bajda, ihaffru tiha u j:ehdu dak iHra'b. Iha!Hl1 m;egh'l t"b E'l t3Jf-Iiqiq, jagllgnu'h u jaghrrn­u i.,t ,:u,t bh. Dan iI-ghar fii~zmien

kien tahlfira minn clan .jt-tahfir Ii ghie:ed ;nsernmi, E wara Ii xelbghu jiebrdru t-tr<lJb mi-Ildl'll, marru jgham­mru fih in-niles. Hemm hafna ghe­rien otlra bhalu. K~f wasalna . na­raw ir-ra/gel qie,ghed fildbieb jisten­ruiena. Qalilna "Tfaddllu! ' I (idh}u) Il dha!'na. 'II~ gewwa mirH-bieb lcien 'hemm' bhal kamra; ihghar kien jdlb­qa' diehe1 'i; gewwa kemm il-naha imma kien nOifs rnaghluq b'ha,jt tas-sel" eh. Ir-ragel gieb saqJC!tU, rneddu fl-art mal-hajt (ghax ghand 'i,I-Miewa silg,g,i~iet bahh) u galiLna I!oqoikbdu fuqu. Ahna qaghadna u

geibil1na p:artJt birz-zhifb 11 iehor hi!­'bi6Ciet tal-habisa. Habisa tk,un don­nha ~ilida hoxna, maghm'llJa mil­'laham tar:gheneb u zrrriegha , tal­'hlcwwa u mJqeghda bejn br.6tejn 'xogqa nadifa u mqadda ' fix-xeIlI1D(: 'Bdejna nnaqqru I-ha:bisa 'U z-iJbib u n~tkenmu.

F'nofs jU,-ghar, f'mira fi"art kien hemm nar imqalbbad. Ir-rage! qie­,ghed tag-en ~hir tal-hadid lbil-maq­road twit tuq dak m-naJ' u gieb il­kafe shieh u qeghdu f'dak i~-tagen u becla jhammsu, j~gifieri jinkaljah, qudd:emna. :.viera ,thammas, neh­hich u qieghecl brik (bhat stanjata ;i.ghirra taJ-4iJnhas) bt-ilma £uq in-nar. C ie'b rnehriez kb'r ta>ghewwied, xi dags S:t'gtl, ~mze.jljen bir-r.j'11s ' i1eq­qll , tal-im ;emer u xehet fib iI-kate :nhamrna.:; II 'becla jdoqqru, jigifieri ~h erriu . U hu u jherrzu, ihCLbbat i;_iida £u-q xfar i,;-mehriez Ii ~agh­mel hoss sabhi : To-to-tumm ! Tumm-iumm! To-to-tumm! Tumm­twnm! Meta :-li:ma tal-brik fetah 'a~h li; nehha i-kafe miJ:-mehriez u xehtu fih. Qabad i l~widna ial­br'k, warnl L1 u qeghdu fug in-nar C et danbiet u I-ka.fe kie.n misj,ul".

I,mJCa,g,had gieb gaharre u' , fuqu eroa ' fnagen, jew kJik"kri z.ghar b::a w::lna. Ferragh ftit kafe f'k;kkra m;nruholm, minn cl~n sawwbu ghal gewwa J-ohra, imbagbad ghaJ gew~ wa l-ohra u I-ohra u dina ta>ah­har xowblha hu.' R~a' mela bil­kafe l-kikkri kolLha irnlba,gha~ res­saq I~l kappil1<llll wara l'i<li, ha kik­kra hu u fl-ahhar newwel kikkra Iii mara.

HaJwn nisthajjel Ii xi hadd jix­tieq iaf ghal fejn il-Gharbi qa~ad iferra' lLkafe ffiinn kikkra ghal lcik­kra u l-ahhar kikkra xorolbha hu. Nghid is,sew,wa qatt rna smajt, im­rna nista' nahse'b i'l-ghaliex. ]agh-

55

~l dan biex juri lil rn~tecLnin Ii 1-kikni rna fiJhornx semlm. Ghax kie­kiu .jkun fi'hom is-semm, la darba l-kafe ghadda rninnihom lrolJha u fl-ahhar x{)I1bu hu, kien funUJt hu

, l-ewwcl wiehed. Me la, wara 11 xrobna 1-kafe morr

(gbax hemm rna jaghmllullux zok­kor, imma bdiel zokkor drabi jioc- ' Mu fiih bicca haxi.xa tQgbma ta' 1urni, jekk rn'hiux aktar qa,rsa rni!­:umj wkoH) , Dun VeI1gani qam !1

\rilt>es l-js.to~a. Mela l-imrax.x bl·-H­rna mbierek !n k:ellu f'kund.ett fil­but u berki:thom i!-ghar. Hiejlllie­hom haJlf (ghednielthom: AlIa jkat­tar najrkom! M amnunin bi ktir!) u gIredn:clhom lj sa mmorm. Kif

ili d-drawwa ta' hemrn talbooa noqoghdiu £tid: iehor, ghax kien gha­dlu I-hin (billrlS1ien itrughlhom: Lu­wiex il-gnagle? Lissa bakkir!) im­rna Dun. Vergarui qa1i:lJhom Ii keJHu x'jaghlmel hafua u k:ellu jmur. Ghal hekk sellimnielhorn (:gnednje­Ihorn: B' hatirkom!) u hri'gna mil:­ghar.

Il-mara regghet hattert: magma biex rna i~.hm!u.x ghahina l-kJ~eb. U hekk, ;msehibilll rniJ1-11l1ara, tg.haj­jat mal-k::eb, u miI:l-klielb , jinibhu g'hal xulxin u ghaUna, wasalna sa r.as it-tara,g ta l-hlat. I1.,mara u !­Ificb regghu :.ura u ahna niilna :ejn js-Salt.

ELSIE.

PAT R I GAW DEN ZJ U ylin k:e].;iU j,ghidlii, me,ta kont noh­

w,g ind1lir . rna' Paith Gawdenz;ju, · fiz-zTllIien - J}· kont j,I-Pa,Iestina, Ii ghad ilikteb fuqu u fuq mewtu hawn iVlatta, f'dtin i'r-RiV'ista! \Iin k:eHu jghjdli kif keDu jrte.mm haj­tu dak iJ~Franlgis:ka,n zaghzugQ, dak iZ-imien mimIi biI-g:mlieJ, biJ-gherf ubIT-hena; u ]~rlUm rna fada1 min­nughajr ftit'gf1adam f'qa-bar!

* L-·ew'\vet darba Ii ra,:,t 1i1 Pat­

" ri Gawdehzju, ' kien fis~Sagres r-ila " ,t<l!l~Kn;s:j,a taI-Qalbar ta' Kristu, · £tit

jqem \\',aia Ii wasalt il-Pa'cs:ina. Imma gham')I!'la hJb:db meta gie Gharn Karern ilbidde.l 1-arja, gliax rna kJien~:iftah; jien kant hernrn ukdH dak irl-imien, u h:,~:.i hu kien j,ohrqg ha:!1ga fi~-Jgh3ixija x'hin id'ur rur-rwieh, bhal rna konrt naghimel j~ena, Wejna niHaqghu u nohor­gu flimkien. Hekk ghamilna bbielb.

',&

F'Clawn id-dawniet lu kanna ndu­ru fLmken, J-ewwe1 f'Ghaun Ka­rem imlbaghad f'GerusaJem, gil' Ii 'kien :lithadidet m;clghi £uq haj,bu. U tha'Wllhekk sa nlghid x.i ke1m~ejn klif smaj,thorn minnu, b;a ijieda ta' xejn.

Patrj GalNden.z.ju twieled fid-19 ta' Frar tas-sena 1889, gewwa Na­zaret. ,:vieta ken .ghadu ighir, mie-

. tlitl m'ssie.ru, u biJ,:i kienu erba.t ah­wa, olinmu biex t(!oin ruoha dahh­let 1~l'u fid-day' tal- Irtiema Ii ghal\1d­hom ;r-Rh~e'b Frantgiskan: f'Geru­sa:em. YIetit tfarfar r' ccl jidhol Ra­hcb hu~va WkO:]I, kif ~halfTId tas-sew meta ken ghacl kc:',u x.i tnax-il se­na. Ylohhu kien \ta~ljeb w:sq, II

tgha~:Iem malaj,r u qaddes ta' tnrjn u ghoX'rin sena, j<"g;.'fieri sentejn qa­be! ii-imieI1.

Mal;i qaddes, j,l - Frarugiskani baghttllih jitgha11em R'tlJma. Kemm d(lJ!TI hemm rna naifx, Naf Ii minn