Writer Oliver Friggieri recalls his experience producing L-Istorja tal-Innu Malti – Kif Sar u xi Jfisser, which delves into how the national anthem of Malta was composed.

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L-Istorja tal-Innu Malti – Kif Sar u xi Jfisser, is made up of two parts, the second one of which, providing a detailed textual analysis, has been my departure point various years ago.

As I recited the lines of Innu Malti, whichever the occasion, I found myself detecting certain characteristics which I believed deserved to be fully scrutinised, eventually decoded.

There are numerous features which render the two terzini a sort of microcosm of Maltese identity.

The first terzina is female-oriented, while the second one is male. The hymn is a prayer to God and assumes the shape of a request of a son to his father in aid of his mother: “May you, father, take care of my mother as you have always done.”

The second terzina further exemplifies what has been metaphorically expressed in the first one: “Grant wisdom to government, good industrial relations between employers and employees and unity and peace amongst all.”

The most remarkable aspect is that these six lines are heavily-loaded with Biblical connotations. In the course of my research I found this fact the most interesting and unpredictable.

A political statement for all time

Through this book I sought to provide a scientific answer to a number of questions. What incident brought the idea of composing the anthem?

Why was the anthem composed by a medical doctor? Why did the British government take so long (from 1922 to 1941) to give official recognition to the anthem? Why was real re-cognition achieved only in 1964, namely through the independence constitution?

All the research I carried out about the creation of the so-called Innu Malti is set against the political background of the era.

The hymn is interpreted in terms of the conflict between supporters of Nerik Mizzi, Willie Savona and Gerald Strickland, which largely explains why Dun Karm formulated a prayer for unity and peace in his anthem.

In an environment vehemently determined by the language question, a hateful socio-cultural conflict within a tiny community, Dun Karm was bold enough to come forth with a poetic text written in Maltese, thus striking a middle course between the two extremes, pro-Italian and pro-British and asserting that Maltese was the sole national tongue of the island.

The historical compromise

These are some of the aspects dealt with in detail in L-Istorja tal-Innu Malti – Kif Sar u xi Jfisser: Robert Samut, Dun Karm and Albert V. Laferla in the early 1920; the secret collaboration between Dun Karm and Prime Ministers Joseph Howard and Francesco Buhagiar; the occasion on which the hymn was composed by Samut; the role of the Malta Union of Teachers in the early recognition of the hymn; the official recognition in Parliament in 1941; the Hajduks-Malta football match and the people’s spontaneous reaction to the fact that the Maltese anthem was not played together with the other ones.

The hymn is interpreted in terms of the conflict between supporters of Nerik Mizzi, Willie Savona and Gerald Strickland

As opposed to the message conveyed by other European national anthems, the Innu Malti is simply a respectful, serene prayer to God asking for unity and peace.

As two formidable cultural traditions crossed swords in Malta on various issues, a humble composer and a prudent poet joined their efforts to provide a statement striking a middle course.

The poet had been writing in Maltese only since 10 years before, having already produced many works in Italian.

One may consult my edition of his collected Italian poems, Le Poesie Italiane, launched by Malta University Publishers a few years ago.

In spite of his strong conviction that Malta is a nation, he managed to remain respectful towards both Italy (the original source of Maltese culture in various fields) and England (the secure point of reference in the formation of a democratic society).

Innu Malti has been identified more with the author of its words rather than with the musical composer.

Robert Samut, however, has been successful in creating a motif expressing the collective feeling of a community claiming to be a nation.

The way the anthem was composed by Samut is indicative of a country, a British colony still in search of itself.

Telling its story, also in terms of its variations, is indeed a moving experience. Just imagine: a medical doctor who initially wanted to become a musician, going to Edinburgh for his own professional purposes, eventually to become aware that Malta did not have a national anthem and that, therefore, he himself now had to do something about it… It may sound like a fable.

So does the account given by Blanche Laferla (née Reynaud), wife of Albert Laferla, in 1964:

“It was my husband who had asked Robert Samut, his brother in law, one Sunday on his usual visit to his sister, to compose a hymn for the children attending government schools.

“I remember very well how thrilled he was when Robert sat down at the piano and composed the music there and then.

“And you may imagine how pleased he was when Dun Karm at his request wrote the beautiful words to the music of L-Innu Malti.’’

Dun Karm’s revised version

One of the most intriguing aspects of this account is that Dun Karm rewrote his text at least once.

The book includes the publication, for the first time ever, of a manuscript by Dun Karm with an original, early version of his own Innu Malti, quite different from the one officially known.

The early edition was composed on November 25, 1922, whereas the anthem was first performed in public a month later.

The final part of the book provides a highly detailed analysis of a word-by-word analysis of Dun Karm’s lyrics. Both Biblical and political connotations are identified and analysed.

The words jaħkimha, ħniena and sid are explained and fully-justified for a number of reasons.

The essential conclusion is that the anthym includes the three main components of Maltese national identity: Christian tradition, Semitic language, European culture.

The fact is also explained that in the midst of controversies related to the English-Italian language question, Dun Karm came forth with an anthem made up completely of words of Semitic origin.

This fusion conveyed a definition of Malta and, in this peaceful spirit, the island went on to reach its full political recognition within the British Empire, and eventually worldwide as a sovereign state.

About the book

L-Istorja tal-Innu Malti – Kif Sar u xi Jfisser, published by Klabb Kotba Maltin, is an original account of how the national anthem of Malta was composed in 1922, a highly-troubled period in Maltese political history.

The book delves into the question of how Robert Samut wrote the musical motive and Dun Karm produced the lyrics, here decoded also in political terms. This account recalls how Dun Karm was afraid of being deemed a supporter of Lord Strickland or Nerik Mizzi, as he ended up being asked by Prime Ministers Joseph Howard and Francesco Buhagiar to write official speeches for them.

Due importance is given to Mro Paul Nani, who later provided the harmonisation and helped in the diffusion process of the hymn among school children.

Friggieri is the author of numerous books, more than 60 of which have been published in foreign counties. He has published numerous scholarly articles in international academic journals. His novels Children come by Ship and Let Fair Weather Bring me Home (the English versions of It-Tfal Jiġu bil-Vapuri and La Jibbnazza Niġi Lura), have just been launched in London.