Requiem For A Bezzun: Maltese Man Pens Poetic Tribute To Air Malta’s Downed Snack

The Air Malta bezzun has become a symbol of Maltese nationalism over the past few days. People were both angry and glad to see it gone. Mixed reactions were all over the country as people realised that the beloved/notorious buttered bezzun would be facing its last hours of existence.

This free snack offered on Air Malta flights seems to have gained overnight symbolism in our country which is almost on par with Il-Merill, Widnet il-Baħar and L-Innu Malti.

People on Facebook have been giving out their opinions over the bezzun and about their feelings; we’ve seen angered individuals, people leaving senseless comments and others feeling happy that this bread roll is finally out, never to be seen again. But one Maltese man took a more poetic approach.

Chris Schembri Baldacchino penned a poem for the notoriously depressive bezzun, and at this point it should very well become the new National Anthem.

The poem kicks off by stating that the bezzun came round back in 2015, causing great controversy among travellers and locals alike. Baldacchino paints us the picture of the first time he met the bun-that-must-not-be-named.

Baldacchino fondly remembers how he and the bezzun went on countless voyages together, looking upon rivers, mountains and forests, from all over the world.

By the end, even if you did used to hate the bezzun, you can’t but not miss the old bugger.

Lill-Bezzun (2015 – 2018), li allegrana f’tant titjiriet…

Twelidek mess l-ewwel jum,

’s-sena elfejn u ħmistax,

Ħabbruk bla kull mistenni,

Ħlief dwarek ma tismax.

Plejtu sħiħ int ħloqtilna,

Kontroversja ġo dal-ġens;

Min riedek b’ħafna saħħa,

Min f’ċajt dwarek sab il-wens.

Dak il-jum sew niftakar,

B’ferha fl-aħħar lilek rajt,

Ħames pulzieri kollok,

Nitfak f’idi dlonk jien stajt.

Bis-saħħa qalbi ħabbtet,

Waqt li I-pakkett neżżajtlek.

Ftaħtek fuq żewg idejja,

Ta’ ġewwa lilek rajtlek.

Dilka butir ċapċaplek,

Nofs umli b’qata’ ġobna.

Mank żiedlek werqa ħassa,

Biex juri illi jħobbna.

Tgħid dieta riedna nagħmlu,

Forsi jifranka l-flus ried?

Ma konniex żgur ingergru,

Kieku żiedek b’imqar pied.

Ħtaftek, doqtok, għożżejtek

F’kull varjetà l’ inti ġejt;

Daqqa b’xi qata’ dundjan,

Jew żebbug u tonn taż-żejt.

Tvarja mal-ħin le ma kontx,

Fik naf għalija x’kien hemm,

Sew jekk bħala kolazzjon,

Jew l-ikla tal-jum jintemm.

Ibħra, xmajjar, foresti,

Tant bliet rajna mit-tieqa,

T’ avventuri jintemmu,

Dejjem taffejtli d-dieqa.

Fil-futur mingħajrek naf,

Se jonqosli ħafna l-gost,

Għal ikla jkolli nħallas,

Se tkun isha ‘flight low cost’.

‘Snack’, ‘baguette’, ‘bread roll’, ‘sandwich’,

Kliem turisti ‘l dal-bukkun,

Mal-Maltin f’qalbna tibqa’,

L-umli l-maħbub,.. “Il-bezzun”.

Do you know anyone who will also miss the bezzun? Tag them in the comments below

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