This poem encapsulates a number of changes happening in contemporary Maltese society, mainly the loss of many Maltese words for English ones, an unstructured support to teachers on new words in Maltese, as well as an increasing number of people who are neither able to speak Maltese nor English.
L-ghalliem jghidilna dejjem
Li l-Malti hu hafif,
‘Mma jien nipprova niktbu
U lanqas biss naf kif.
Jista’jkun illi mohhi
Ikun mitluf, kultant,
Jew forsi, kif tghid ommi,
Jien hrigt ftit injorant.
Ghax l-aktar li nithawwad,
U naghmel salt caflis,
Hu meta nkun se nikteb
Xi kliem gej mil-Ingliz.
L-ghalliem qalilna niktbu
Dal-kliem, kif inhossuh,
isda…mhux in-nies kollha
L-istess preciz jghiduh!
Missieri jghidlu telefon
In-nannu: teleforn
Il-Mummy (jew Mami): telefown
L-ghalliem jghidilna blekbord
Iz-zija tghidlu blakbord
Mark Xuereb jghidlu blekbort.
Jien tghidx kemm ili nara :
Jeans u mobile miktubin,
Narahom fuq it-television (Sorry: televixin…) (Sori: sori)
Imm’issa suppost nikteb:
gins, mowbajl, tenkju, plis,
guddej, gudnajt u hendawt,
“Gej fowtow, ghidu cis!”
L-ghalliem jibqa’ jghidilna
Li l-Malti hu hafif,
‘Mma n-nannu l-bierah qalli:
“Dan Malti tat-teftif!”
Tu rajt diss moltis properli
Jess, ju mast hev samm gazz,
Plis, gimi e brejk, ticers:
Jur gona drajv mi nazz!
