Ix-Xiħ midfun ġo Għar
Framed mixed medium on wood
Created by Mark Mallia & Farrell
Size: 40cm x 40cm
Ix-Xiħ midfun ġo Għar
Darba waħda, sultan f’art ‘l bogħod ħareġ ordni lil kulmin jgħix aktar minn mitt sena għandu jinqafel f’għar sa ma jmut. Bidwi twajjeb ma felaħx jidfen ‘l missieru ħaj. Għalhekk, meta ħadu fl-għar u ġie biex jimbarra t-toqba, ħallielu toqba għan ninfs u oħra biex iħallilu l-ikel kuljum. Ftit wara, is-sultan ħareġ b’orndi li ħadd m’għandu jaħdem ir-raba tiegħu qabel ma jinħadem tas-sultan. Il-bidwi nkwieta u malajr mar ħa parir mingħand missieru. Ix-xiħ qallu biex jaħdem ir-raba tas-sultan matul il-jum, u tiegħu matul il-lejl, u biex juża l-bhejjem biex iħaffulu x-xogħol. Hekk għamel u s-sultan stagħġeb mhux ftit meta l-qamħ tiegħu u ta’ dan iż-żgħażugħ kiber flimkien. Xamm li dan kien żgħażugħ makakk u prova jonsbu. Talbu biex l-għada jidher quddiemu liebes u għarwien fl-istess ħin. Iż-żgħażugħ tfixkel. Iżda missieru tah parir biex jilbes xibka tas-sajd. Daħak is-sultan, iżda għal diversi jiem, baqa jordnalu ordnijiet strambi li kien żgur li ser ifalli fihom. Iżda ta’ kull darba, il-bidwi żgħażugħ kien jieħu parir mingħand missieru, u jgħeleb kull sfida. Saflaħħar is-sultan qata’ qalbu u staqsa lill-bidwi minn fejn kien ġab dan l-għerf kollu. Iż żgħażugħ wieġbu li kien jieħu l-pariri mingħand missieru, u li missieru kien midfun f’għar tal-mejtin. Is-sultan għaraf bl iżball li kien għamel u ordna li minn dakinhar ‘l quddiem, l ebda xiħ ma jerġa jindifen ħaj.
The Old Man who was buried in a Cave
In a far away land, a king ordered that whoever was over a hundred years old should be buried alive inside a cave. A young farmer could not bear to kill his father, so when he took his father to a cave and bolted the entrance, he made sure to leave a hole to allow him to breathe, and another to be able to feed him. Soon the king issued another order. Farmers had to sow his fields before they sowed theirs. On his father’s advice, the young man worked in the kings’s fields during the day and in his own during the night. He bought beasts to ease the job. As the wheat grew in the king’s fields, so it did in the farmer’s. The king was curious and sent for the young man who explained what he had done. The king realised that this man was cunning, so he tried to play a game with him, asking him to appear before him, both naked and dressed. Puzzled, the young man sought his father’s advice. The next day, he went to the palace wearing a fishing net. The king was amused and after trying to trick the young man through other challenges, he asked him what was the secret for his wisdom. The young farmer told him about his old father who was buried alive in the cave of the dead. The king realised that he had committed a grave mistake and ordered that from that day onwards, old people would be allowed to continue to live and to give their sound advice.
