Musings of a Maltese Immigrant -- Muża ta' Immigrant Malti

Musings of a Maltese Immigrant 
(liberal translation)

These are thoughts that cross my head

When I find myself at rest

Thoughts about experience

'Ncestors in their mind imprest

Just imagine mixed feelings

Walking up the ship's port aisle

Heaving now for months on end

Won't be touching ground awhile

Australia's where they're going

Around the world, down under

Away from this tiny isle

Can you go further yonder?

Left behind deprivations

The horrors of World War Two

Sometimes punishment too crool

When banished from their land too

Young, old, couples, families

They're all in this together

Left their land and all they knew

Of their towns no more member

Here we are - the continent

Huge, gorgeous, who would have thought?

So different from their home

Same things seen before? Naught!

Of course life was not easy

We're not ones to be idle

Be'ng hard working is our pride

Ne'er playing second fiddle

Loading bales while at the wharf

Forklifting carton boxes

Breaking backs with sugar cane

No time t'go shooting foxes

Push papers at the office

At the factory sow a blouse

Rabbit, chicken empires

Also speaker in the house!

Work is over - shall we meet?

At the club tonight - see you!

Hip hip hurrah Melita!

Finish off with rabbit stew

Do go to church on Sunday

Keep religion close at hand

Celebrate your patron saint

Music by the usual band

Dear Lord, how time has flown

Our offspring are grow'ng so fast

We need to place them at school

Education is a must

What's this? School's sincere advice

No Maltese, lest kids confuse

Th'word for rain with sticky mass

That you'll surely find in loos

Date he will this fair Sheila

In his room you will not find

Soon their marriage he'll announce

Now home's pictures will remind

Ev'ry so often we set out

Pilgrimage to where we were

Qantas, B.A., Emirates

One whole day up in the air

What big changes year from year

Arrived fast at home of moth'r

Never dreamt one day we would

Soar quite like birds of feather

What've we got left from Malta?

Quite a bit, it must be said

Trove of treasure in our hearts

Friends, family and our blood

Th'love for Malta we possess

With our kids we should foster

Songs, culture, the spoken word

'Tis our duty to nurture

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Muża ta' Immigrant Malti

Ħsibijiet jgħaddu minn rasi

Meta nsibni naqa' kwiet

'Ffarijiet li għaddew minnhom

Dak li ġarrbu n-nanniet

Min jaf x'ħasbu huma u jbaħħru

Waqt li kienu fuq vapur?

Fuq mewġ xhur tlieta jew erbgħa

Titlaq minnu m'intx se tmur

Lejn l-Awstralja qed imorru

'Dwar id-dinja, bil-maqlub

Minn dil-gżira ċkejkna ċkejkna

'Il bogħod iktar tistax tmur?

Għaks u ġuħ ħallew warajhom

Wara gwerra tal-babaw

Jew kastig, sentenza kiefra

Mill-pajjiż itturufnaw

Żgħażagħ, xjuħ, koppji, familji

F'din l-avventura flimkien

Telqu 'l-arthom, kull ma jafu

Ħallew bliet, rħula, widien

Waslu f'kontinent kbir, sbejjaħ

Qatt ma kienu 'mmaġinaw

Differenti wisq minn arthom

Affarijiet li qatt ma raw

Ħajja żgur ma kinetx faċli

Niesna ġew biex jistinkaw

Ħadmu, ħadmu u reġgħu ħadmu

Taw eżempju fuq li taw

Min iħott mill-bastimenti

Igħabbi l-kaxxi tal-kartun

Jaħdem fl-għelieqi taz-zokkor

Mistrieħ ftit kemm jista' jkun

Ħjata f'fabbriki tal-ħwejjeġ

Xi skrivan f'dipartiment

Irabbi fniek, tiġieġ bl-eluf

Anke jmexxi l-parlament!

Wara x-xogħol fejn se niltaqgħu?

Ejja mmorru l-klabbijiet

Naraw logħba tal-Melita

Ikla spagetti bil-fniek

Nhar il-Ħadd itmur quddiesa

Reliġjon la tinsieh qatt

Festa jagħmlu lill-qaddisa

Banda ddoqq - dak huwa fatt

X'waħda din kemm żmien qed jgħaddi

Tfal qed jikbru, żgħar m'għadhomx

Dlonk infittxulhom l-iskola

Injuranti ma jibqgħux

X'waħda din! Tassew qalulna

Parir - Malti tkellimhomx

Xita ifhmu l'ilma ħelu

F'kamra baxxa ma tħallihx!

Joħroġ sejjer ma' dit-tfajla

F'kamritu żgur ma ssibux

Dlonk li jgħidlek se jiżżewweġ

Hawn id-dar issa ma jkunx

Kull tant żmien nerġgħu nitħajru

Pellegrinaġġ 'l mnejn ġejjin

Qantas, BA, Emirati

Jum fl-ajru ddum bil-ħin

X'bidla din minn sen' għall-oħra

Kemm wasalna d-dar malajr

Qatt ma ħlomna din il-ħaġa

Nużaw don li għandu t-tajr

X'baqa' fina minn din Malta?

Baqa' ngħid, u żgur mhux ftit

Post imġawhar ġewwa qalbna

Ħbieb, familji u zijiet

Din l-imħabb' għal Malta l'għandna

Fit-tfal tagħna niżirgħu

Kant, kultura, dik il-lingwa

Id-dmir tagħna li nseddqu