Prof. Friggieri explains that as was the case with many other writers – including himself – Dun Karm was keen on archiving copies of his own work. But while he has gone through public and private collections alike over the years, Prof. Friggieri has been unable to find a copy of what has become, for obvious reasons, Dun Karm’s most popular work: Malta’s national anthem.

That no original copy of the anthem has been found is more of a quirk than a mystery: that the Zebbug priest authored l-Innu Malti is not in doubt.

When asked to state what could have happened, Prof. Friggieri provides a number of simple explanations.

For one, he notes, Dun Karm was known to be somewhat negligent (traskurat) in his archiving. Additionally, as a writer, he may have chosen to dispose of manuscripts of work that had been published – he certainly would not have had any difficulty sourcing a copy of the national anthem, after all.

Prof. Friggieri, who last year published a small book which analysed the national anthem in detail, is unsurprisingly full of praise for Malta’s national anthem, and dismisses suggestions that its message has somehow dated.

The six-verse hymn is written in the form of a prayer, and arguably its most controversial verse is the one asking God to provide wisdom to the one who rules it (jahkimha), which is often seen to tie it irrevocably to the colonial era.

But while at present, the word is typically used to refer to despotic or colonial rule, Prof. Friggieri emphasises that no such implication was being made by Dun Karm: the verse simply refers to whoever is governing.

“So the anthem has not aged,” he explains, but adds that even if it had, that would be no reason to change or do away with it.

Prof. Friggieri points out that the Maltese national anthem is one of the most recently-written in Europe, and that national anthems the world over refer to the time they were written. As he observes, the Italian national anthem is a call to arms in a divided Italy seeking to unite itself in the 19th century – a situation which clearly does not apply today.

Ultimately, however, national anthems tend to date back to a time when nations are forging their identity, and L-Innu Malti– written only a couple of years after the SetteGiugno riots – is no exception.

Prof. Friggieri also points out that in the anthem, Dun Karm calls for the country to be united, observing that such a call remains equally relevant today.

Heeding Dun Karm’s call

Prof.Friggieri states that there is one particular similarity between Dun Karm’s time and ours: to some degree, Malta has been, and remains, a politically divided country.

Dun Karm, on his part, carefully avoided any association with political parties, having once written that he hated politics and was proud never to have belonged to a political party – but that he was “only Maltese and nothing else.”

Prof. Friggieri presently chairs the Foundation for National Celebrations, set up to mark a number of historical anniversaries taking place this year, and he maintains that Dun Karm’s call for unity is particularly relevant as the country celebrates these events.

He agrees that a certain dualism is an inherent part of Mediterranean culture, but insists that the time has come for political parties to show that they are united.

“Not by agreeing all the time, as that is not democracy,” he clarifies. “But they must show that they respect each other’s differences.”

He notes that many national holidays were still being celebrated by half of the population – depending on the political party responsible for the event being commemorated –and states that the time is ripe for Malta to have a single national day.

“We have a lot of public holidays – and the more the merrier – but having a national day above them all is something I strongly believe in,” he maintains.

This year, Prof.Friggieri remarks, provides a historic opportunity to bring about lasting change, not least because last year’s general election results would have led the PN and the PL to engage in an exercise of soul searching.

“We must ensure that this year’s historic anniversaries have not come in vain, but will bring about something permanent,” he insists.

It-tnax-ilru tal-Malti

The Foundation for National Celebrations is paying tribute to those who contributed to Maltese literature in its event “It-tnax-ilruhtal-Malti,” which is taking place at the National Library in Valletta.

The event is centred on an exhibition which, as the name suggests, focuses on twelve people who have made an important contribution to Maltese literature before the country’s independence in 1964.

These 12 include a number of obvious names – not least Dun Karm and PietruCaxaro, whose 15th century work “Il-Kantilena” is the oldest extant literary text in Maltese – but also includes others whose contribution arguably deserves greater attention.

The list, for instance, includes Brandano Caxaro, a 16th century notary whose notarial records record his relative’s seminal work. Women writers tend to feature sparingly in the history of Maltese literature, and the exhibition pays tribute to two women whose work dates back to the early 20th century

Lucija Levanzin Inglott is arguably Malta’s first woman columnist, who wrote columns addressed to women which often took a feminist bent. Her contemporary ConcettaBrincat had written the first Maltese romance novels between 1919 and 1922, although these remained unpublished: the manuscripts are being exhibited for the first time.

The exhibition runs until 4 June: it will be open to the public between 8:15am and 4:30pm on weekdays and between 8:15am and 1pm on Sunday.

The event also comprises a series of five talks on Maltese literature, which will all take place at the National Library, starting at 6:30pm.

The first talk will be held this evening: Olvin Vella will be discussing the “Damma”, or dictionary, by the 18th century Gozitan scholar Gian Piet Agius de Soldanis.

On 14 May, Joan Abela will be discussing the life of BrandanoCaxaro, and two days later, Liam Gauci and Sandro Debono will be discussing Gan Anton Vassallo’s epic poem “Il-GifenTork.”

Prof Friggieri will be analysing the national anthem, word by word, on 23 May. The final talk in the series will be held on 28 May, with FransCiappara discussing Mikiel Anton Vassalli.

Entrance to the exhibition and to the talks is free of charge.