Hawn kont żagħżugħa

Here I was young

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

The storyThe day after Ella's birthday party, Marija takes you and Ella along her photo wall: Marija at twenty-two, her husband, the old house, forty years of school, and Rita as a little girl.

New words in the story

twelidt I was born
twieldet she was born
għalliema a teacher (a woman)
iskola a school (l-iskola, the school)

Tap a word to see what it means.

AutoplayEnglish

The day after the party. Marija's living room smells of strong black tea.
Is-Sinjura Marija, Ella u int bilqiegħda fis-salott. Fuq il-ħajt, il-familja kollha ta' Marija.
Mrs Marija, Ella and you are sitting in the living room. On the wall: Marija's whole family.
U fejn hu r-ritratt ta' Ġorġ?
And where's Ġorġ's photo?
U fejn hu r-ritratt ta' Ġorġ?
And where's Ġorġ's photo?
Marija
Issa fuq il-mejda. Mhux b'wiċċu mal-ħajt.
It's on the table now. Not facing the wall.
Ella points at an old black-and-white photo of a young woman in front of a green door.
Ella
Nanna, min hi dik iż-żagħżugħa?
Grandma, who's that young woman?
Marija
Jien! Hawn kont żagħżugħa. Kelli tnejn u għoxrin sena.
That's me! I was young here. I was twenty-two.
Ella
Int? Kont sabiħa ħafna!
You? You were very beautiful!
Marija
Kont. U għadni!
I was. And I still am!
U dak iż-żagħżugħ it-twil, min hu?
And who's that tall young man?
U dak iż-żagħżugħ it-twil, min hu?
And who's that tall young man?
Marija
Żewġi. Ella, dak in-nannu tiegħek.
My husband. Ella, that's your grandfather.
Ella
Meta twelidt jien, in-nannu ma kienx magħna.
When I was born, Grandpa wasn't with us any more.
Marija
Iva. Kien tajjeb ħafna, u dejjem kuntent. Bħalek, Ella.
Yes. He was very kind, and always happy. Like you, Ella.
U fejn kontu hawn?
And where were you two here?
U fejn kontu hawn?
And where were you two here?
Marija
Ħdejn il-wied. Kien Awwissu. Konna żgħażagħ u kuntenti.
By the valley. It was August. We were young and happy.
The next photo shows an old house with a green door and dark, empty windows.
Marija
U din id-dar, in-numru sebgħa. Kienet qadima ħafna, u vojta.
And this is the house, number 7. It was very old, and empty.
Vojta? Bħall-flat tiegħi, l-ewwel ġurnata!
Empty? Like my flat on the first day!
Vojta? Bħall-flat tiegħi, l-ewwel ġurnata!
Empty? Like my flat on the first day!
Marija
Kienet id-dar tal-ġenituri ta' żewġi.
It was my husband's parents' house.
Marija
Il-ġenituri tiegħu kienu xjuħ, u d-dar kienet kbira wisq għalihom.
His parents were old, and the house was too big for them.
Marija
Għalina, ma kinitx kbira wisq. Issa hi tiegħi, diġà ħamsin sena.
Not too big for us. Now it's mine, for fifty years already.
Ella
Ħamsin sena? Bħal ħu ommi!
Fifty years? Like my mum's brother!
On the next photo: a school yard full of children, and at the side, a young teacher.
U hawn? Kemm hawn tfal!
And here? So many children!
U hawn? Kemm hawn tfal!
And here? So many children!
Marija
Din l-iskola tiegħi. Jien kont għalliema. Erbgħin sena!
This is my school. I was a teacher. For forty years!
Mela t-tfal kollha tiegħek?
So all the children are yours?
Mela t-tfal kollha tiegħek?
So all the children are yours?
Marija
Mhux tiegħi, tal-iskola. Imma kienu kollha tiegħi. Nofs ir-raħal!
Not mine, the school's. But they were all mine. Half the village!
Ella
U ommi?
And my mum?
Marija
Iva. Jien kont l-għalliema tagħha. Kienet tajba ħafna... u ma kinitx kwieta xejn.
Yes. I was her teacher. She was very good... and not quiet at all.
A small colour photo: a girl of seven with long light-brown hair and a big smile.
Marija
U din Rita. Hawn għandha seba' snin.
And this is Rita. She's seven here.
Ella
Mama! Kemm hi żgħira! Għandha xagħar twil u għajnejn kaħlin.
Mum! She's so small! She has long hair and light-blue eyes.
Marija
Għajnejn kaħlin, bħali. Hi twieldet hawn, f'din id-dar.
Light-blue eyes, like me. She was born here, in this house.
Ella
U jien twelidt fit-tmienja u għoxrin ta' Marzu!
And I was born on the twenty-eighth of March!
Marija
U dan ibni. Hawn għandu ħames snin.
And this is my son. He's five here.
Għandu kejk kbir!
He's got a big cake!
Għandu kejk kbir!
He's got a big cake!
Marija
Iva. Dejjem kien bil-ġuħ. Bħalek!
Yes. He was always hungry. Like you!
Jien? M'inix bil-ġuħ!
Me? I'm not hungry!
Jien? M'inix bil-ġuħ!
Me? I'm not hungry!
Marija takes two small photos out of her cardigan pocket.
Marija
Ella, dan għalik. In-nannu tiegħek u jien, ħdejn il-wied.
Ella, this is for you. Your grandpa and me, by the valley.
Ella
Għalija? Grazzi, nanna!
For me? Thank you, Grandma!
Marija
U dan għalik. In-numru sebgħa, meta kien vojt.
And this one is for you. Number 7, when it was empty.
Marija
U int? Fejn kont meta kellek għaxar snin?
And you? Where were you when you were ten?
F'Hamburg. Jien twelidt f'Hamburg, u l-ġenituri tiegħi għadhom hemm.
In Hamburg. I was born in Hamburg, and my parents are still there.
F'Hamburg. Jien twelidt f'Hamburg, u l-ġenituri tiegħi għadhom hemm.
In Hamburg. I was born in Hamburg, and my parents are still there.
Ċikku jumps onto the shelf and sits down in front of the wall, between the photos.
Ella
Nanna, u fejn hu r-ritratt ta' Ċikku?
Grandma, and where's Ċikku's photo?
Marija
Ta' Ċikku? Ċikku mhux il-qattus tiegħi!
Ċikku's? He's not my cat!
Ella
Imma hu dejjem hawn. Hu wkoll mill-familja!
But he's always here. He's family too!
Marija
Mela tajjeb. Ella, tista' tpinġi lil Ċikku?
Oh, all right. Ella, could you draw Ċikku?
Ella
Nista'! Fil-ktieb tat-tpinġija l-ġdid tiegħi!
I can! In my new sketchbook!
That evening, a bright yellow page hangs among the old photos.
Issa l-familja kollha ta' Marija fuq il-ħajt. U Ċikku wkoll.
Now Marija's whole family is on the wall. And Ċikku too.