It-tifel bit-trumbetta

The boy with the trumpet

Get to know the neighbours and practise what you've learned in a new story.

The storySaturday morning, the day of the festa. On the way to the village square, you and Ella stop at the old toy and gift shop, and Mrs Rożi tells you about a boy of ten, his first trumpet and his first festa, eighteen years ago.

New words in the story

waħdu on his own
mdejjaq sad, unhappy
l-istess the same

Saturday morning, the day of the festa. On the way to the village square, you and Ella stop at the old toy and gift shop, and Mrs Rożi tells you about a boy of ten, his first trumpet and his first festa, eighteen years ago.

Tap a word to see what it means.

AutoplayEnglish

Saturday morning, the day of the festa. The sun is out. On the way to the village square, you and Ella pass the old toy and gift shop. Mrs Rożi is standing in the doorway.
Rożi
Bonġu! Għall-festa?
Good morning! Off to the festa?
Ella
Bonġu, Sinjura Rożi! Iva. Illejla Ġorġ se jdoqq l-ewwel!
Good morning, Mrs Rożi! Yes. Tonight Ġorġ is playing first!
Rożi
Ġorġ iż-żgħir? Illejla? Ejjew, ejjew!
Little Ġorġ? Tonight? Come in, come in!
Inside, the shop smells of wood and old paper. Mrs Rożi sits down behind her counter and takes off her glasses.
Rożi
Jien naf lil Ġorġ minn meta kien żgħir. Dak iż-żmien kellu għaxar snin.
I've known Ġorġ since he was little. Back then he was ten.
Rożi
Ella, rajt ir-ritratt tiegħu? Bit-trumbetta, ħdejn it-tieqa?
Ella, have you seen his photo? With the trumpet, by the window?
Ella
Rajtu! U bi qatgħa terribbli!
I have! And with a terrible haircut!
Dak iż-żmien kien joqgħod fin-numru 7, hux?
He lived at number 7 back then, didn't he?
Dak iż-żmien kien joqgħod fin-numru 7, hux?
He lived at number 7 back then, didn't he?
Rożi
Iva. Mal-ġenituri tiegħu, fit-tieni sular. Fl-appartament tiegħek.
Yes. With his parents, on the second floor. In your flat.
Naf. Ġorġ qalli.
I know. Ġorġ told me.
Naf. Ġorġ qalli.
I know. Ġorġ told me.
Rożi
Il-ġenituri tiegħu ħadmu ħafna. Il-ġurnata kollha, kuljum.
His parents worked a lot. All day, every day.
Rożi
U wara l-iskola Ġorġ kien waħdu. Waħdu bi trumbetta.
And after school Ġorġ was on his own. On his own with a trumpet.
Ella
Bi trumbetta? Minn fejn sab trumbetta?
With a trumpet? Where did he find a trumpet?
Rożi
It-trumbetta kienet ta' Marija. Żgħira u qadima. Marija tatha lilu.
The trumpet was Marija's. A small, old one. Marija gave it to him.
Ella
Ta' nanna? U minn fejn sabet trumbetta n-nanna?
Grandma's? And where did Grandma find a trumpet?
Rożi
Ma nafx. Marija taf kollox, u jien le.
I don't know. Marija knows everything, and I don't.
Rożi
Kuljum kien joqgħod fuq it-taraġ, taħt it-tieqa tiegħi, u jdoqq.
Every day he sat on the steps under my window and played.
Rożi
L-ewwel daqq ħażin ħafna. Għoli ħafna u ħażin ħafna!
At first he played very badly. Very loud and very bad!
U int smajtu? Kuljum?
And you listened to him? Every day?
U int smajtu? Kuljum?
And you listened to him? Every day?
Rożi
Smajtu. X'kont se nagħmel? Jien kont naħdem hawn.
I listened. What was I going to do? I worked here.
Rożi
Imbagħad daqq aħjar. U mbagħad ġiet il-festa.
After a while he played better. And then came the festa.
Ella
U daqq fil-festa?
And he played at the festa?
Rożi
Daqq. Fuq il-palk, mal-banda. L-ewwel darba.
He did. On the stage, with the band. For the first time.
Rożi
L-ewwel kien ħażin ħafna. Kien jibża' ħafna. Kien hemm ħafna nies.
At first it was very bad. He was very frightened. There were lots of people.
Rożi
Il-banda daqqet kanzunetta, u Ġorġ daqq oħra!
The band played one song, and Ġorġ played another!
Rożi
Imbagħad għamlet ix-xita. Xita qawwija! U ħafna nies marru d-dar.
Then it rained. It poured! And lots of people went home.
Rożi
Ġorġ kien imxarrab u mdejjaq ħafna. Ried imur id-dar hu wkoll.
Ġorġ was wet and very sad. He wanted to go home too.
Ella
U n-nanna? Fejn kienet in-nanna?
And Grandma? Where was Grandma?
Rożi
Marija kienet bilqiegħda fuq il-bank, quddiem il-palk. Bl-umbrella.
Marija was sitting on the bench in front of the stage. With an umbrella.
Rożi
Qalet: “Ġorġ, mhux id-dar! Doqq!”
She said: 'Ġorġ, you're not going home! Play!'
U daqq?
And he played?
U daqq?
And he played?
Rożi
Daqq. Fix-xita. L-istess kanzunetta tal-banda. U sabiħ ħafna.
He did. In the rain. The same song as the band. And very beautifully.
Rożi
Fl-aħħar ġiet ix-xemx, u n-nies ġew lura.
In the end the sun came out, and the people came back.
Rożi
Aħna kollha smajna. U mbagħad kulħadd kanta.
We all listened. And then everybody sang.
Ella
U int kantajt, Sinjura Rożi?
And did you sing, Mrs Rożi?
Rożi
Żgur! Jien kantajt, Marija kantat, aħna kollha kantajna.
Of course! I sang, Marija sang, we all sang.
U l-ġenituri tiegħu? Kienu hemm?
And his parents? Were they there?
U l-ġenituri tiegħu? Kienu hemm?
And his parents? Were they there?
Rożi
Ġew wara x-xogħol, tard. Imma semgħu l-aħħar kanzunetta.
They came after work, late. But they heard the last song.
Rożi
Il-ġenituri kienu kuntenti ħafna. Wara, xtraw trumbetta ġdida u kbira għalih.
His parents were very happy. Afterwards they bought a new, big trumpet for him.
Ella
U t-trumbetta ż-żgħira?
And the little trumpet?
Rożi
Iż-żgħira baqgħet għand Marija. Forsi għadha hemm. Min jaf?
The little one stayed with Marija. Maybe it's still there. Who knows?
Ella
In-nanna taf. In-nanna taf kollox!
Grandma knows. Grandma knows everything!
Mrs Rożi puts her glasses back on and looks out at the sunny street.
Rożi
U llum se jdoqq fil-festa mill-ġdid. Bħal tmintax-il sena ilu.
And today he'll play at the festa again. Like eighteen years ago.
Int se tiġi, Sinjura Rożi?
Will you come, Mrs Rożi?
Int se tiġi, Sinjura Rożi?
Will you come, Mrs Rożi?
Rożi
Se niġi. Se noqgħod ħdejn Marija. U jekk tagħmel ix-xita, għandi umbrella!
I'll come. I'll sit next to Marija. And if it rains, I've got an umbrella!
Ella
U aħna kollha se nkantaw!
And we'll all sing!

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