IS-SENA T-TAJBA!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Is-sena t-tajba!                           Happy New Year!
l-għatba mbajjda                       The doorstep is painted white
bajjadhielek is-Sultan.               The 'Sultan' has done it.
Tih xi ħaġa karità                      Give him something
Ħalli jitma ‘l dawk it-tfal             with which to feed his children.
Flok tiġieġa tih dundjan.            Instead of a hen give him a turkey.


This rhyme quoted from Fr Manwel Magri (1907) recalls the New Year tradition in which sprinkling or painting people's doorstep with  lime was a way of wishing them good fortune for the coming year. In return for this gesture, the inhabitants of the house would donate money, or even a hen or a turkey to the well wishers who were generally poor folk. Musicians accompanying them would then immediately strike up their New Year tune.
These can be heard on tracks 4 and 5 of Ġukulari Ensemble's Doqqli Daqqa (2006)


Din it-taqbila, meħudha minn Manwel Magri (1907), tfakkarna fit-tradizzjoni qadima tal-Istrina meta diversi nies kienu jduru l-għetiebi tad-djar u jxerrdu fuqhom il-ġir b’sinjal ta’ xewqat tajba u ta riżq għas-sena l-ġdida.  Is-sidien tad-djar kienu joħorġu u jagħjtuhom xi ħaġa tal-karità– ġieli flus u ġieli xi tiġieġa jew dundjan. Il-mużiċisti kienu minnufih jibdew idoqqu xi daqqa tal-Istrina.