Festin għad-Dakkara | Album: In-Naħla Katerina

Описание: Festin għad-Dakkara, released on 16th June 2025 to mark the start of Pollinator Week, was the second of three songs launched in 2025 as part of a larger initiative aimed at promoting environmental awareness and language learning through music. This initiative formed part of the project Maltese Honey Bee Education Through Songs and Rhymes, supported by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme (SIS), which is managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) and funded by the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector (MIV). Designed for children aged 7 to 10 years, the song brought the world of pollinators to life in a vivid, imaginative, and educational manner.

Written by Rita Pace, composed by Augusto Cardinali, and performed by Christabelle Scerri, Festin għad-Dakkara offers a vibrant celebration of the special relationship between flowers and their pollinators—bees, wasps, flies, and more. Rather than focusing solely on the honey bee, the song highlights the vital role that all pollinators, even the often-overlooked fly, play in sustaining healthy ecosystems. A wedding between flowers, joyfully brought to life by pollinators through the magical act of pollination, is at the heart of the song’s message. With joyful lyrics and an upbeat melody, pollination is imaginatively presented as a festive wedding celebration, led by Katerina the Bee, inviting children to appreciate and protect nature’s delicate balance.

Beyond its ecological message, the song served as a rich language-learning resource. Using both playful and age-appropriate vocabulary, it supported children at different stages of Maltese language development. The catchy refrain and repetition helped boost phonemic awareness, pronunciation, and memory retention, making it especially effective in classroom and informal settings.

A visually engaging slideshow video, produced by Michael Piscopo, accompanied the song. Featuring bright and colourful illustrations of Katerina the Bee and her fellow pollinators, the video brought the song’s educational themes to life through eye-catching visuals that captured children’s attention and enhanced their understanding of the content.

Festin għad-Dakkara stood out as an imaginative, educational, and joyful tribute to pollinators. Combining music, movement, language, and environmental values, it became a valuable learning tool for schools, families, and community groups, while highlighting the beauty and importance of pollination in sustaining life on Earth.

Written by: Rita Pace
Music by: Augusto Cardinali
Musical Arrangement by: Augusto Cardinali
Performed by: Christabelle Scerri
Directed and Produced by: Abner Joe Buttigieg and Dylan Farrugia
Recorded at: AC Studios, Raħal Ġdid (Malta)
Video Designed and Produced by: Michael Piscopo

© 2025 Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee

________________________________
FESTIN GĦAD-DAKKARA
________________________________

Hawn min hu insett ħuttab,
Jgħin lill-fjur tal-wied jinħabb.
Ejja nagħmlu dal-festin,
Tieġ bejn fjuri maħbubin!

Illum se jiżżewġu l-fjur,
In-Naħla Katerina ddur,
U tiġbor il-meraq u t-trab
Li f’kull fjura dan jinsab.

Araw ftit kemm għandna ġuħ!
Jistedinna l-ward ifuħ.
Bil-kuluri jitbissmulna,
Tal-għajnuna jpattulna.

Festin tista’ tara
Bejn fjuri u dakkara.
Man-Naħla Katerina ġew,
L-għarajjes ġa lebsin – xi ħlew!
U b’hekk jistednuna,
Il-ward iħajruna,
Biex huma jibdew jinnamraw
Filwaqt li aħna ndakkru u nixxalaw!

U kif aħna nwasslu t-trab
Fejn l-għarusa tkun tinsab,
Il-petali jaqgħu – ara!
U bis-saħħa tad-dakkara…

Din il-qalba frotta ssir –
Kemm hi tajba, xi pjaċir!
Dawn il-fjuri teqirdux,
Għax inkella ma nsibux…

Fejn intellgħu l-festin
Biex ikollkom dal-frott bnin!
Żnażan, naħal u dubbien
Jgħinu jsebbħu kullimkien!

Festin tista’ tara
Bejn fjuri u dakkara.
Man-Naħla Katerina ġew,
L-għarajjes ġa lebsin – xi ħlew!
U b’hekk jistednuna,
Il-ward iħajruna,
Biex huma jibdew jinnamraw
Filwaqt li aħna ndakkru u nixxalaw!

Hemm sala tat-tieġ f’kull fjura –
Araw il-ġmiel tan-natura!
Dil-katina bejn il-ħlejjaq:
Wieħed tgħarras, l-ieħor trejjaq…

In-Naħla Katerina u sħabha l-ħanfus,
Xi għasfur, farfett gustuż –
Dubbien magħhom hawn qegħdin –
Għall-festin dawn mistiednin!

Hawn biex jixba’ żgur kulħadd,
B’hekk kulħadd issodisfatt.
Kemm kieku sabiħ illi wkoll il-bnedmin
Jikkoperaw b’dal-mod ma’ xulxin!

Festin tista’ tara
Bejn fjuri u dakkara.
Man-Naħla Katerina ġew,
L-għarajjes ġa lebsin – xi ħlew!
U b’hekk jistednuna,
Il-ward iħajruna,
Biex huma jibdew jinnamraw
Filwaqt li aħna ndakkru u nixxalaw!

Disclaimer: This project was funded by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme (SIS), managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) and supported by the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector (MIV). This project/publication reflects the views only of the author, and the MCVS cannot be held responsible for the content or any use which may be made of the information contained therein.