Watiyawarnu song cycle

by Liddy Miller Nampijinpa, Lajamanu, 1995

 

translated from Warlpiri with Barbara Gibson Nakamarra (1984, 1995) and edited for the CD-ROM Dream trackers (UNESCO, 2000) by Barbara Glowczewski

 

This my father belong dream. 

 

SONG 1

watiyawarnu walyajarija Ngurlulurru nyinanya

 

That pirdijirri bin melt in fire not like other ngurlu, not good for seedcake!

 

I singim Parulyu, two WOMEN, karntajarra bin walk around, Nangala Nampijinpa, we start from that way. Only means Napurrurla bin stand up there, end up in Parulyuju, Nangala and Nampijinpa bin makim ngurlu.

 

Ngurlulurru they sat, that's a really big camp for these two karntajarra, two fellow makim watiyawarnu. This one, we start from that one now, Parulyu area. Little bit sing Yamundurrngu and come back again.

 

That's the way we're singing two family Nampijinpa, you know, Parulyu mob and Yamundurrngu mob. We company for that juju. That's the way junga all the time.

 

SONGS 2—3

watiyawarnu yunuku karinyarla Yamundurrngurla

They took seeds from Yamundurrngu

 

His father, my father from Parulyu, he bin go to Yamundurrngu, he bin stealim that ngurlu from Yamundurrngu wardingki.

'Don't stealim, brother, that ngurlu, I got to keep it for kurdukurdu, leavim! He bin talk Jangala. And other Jangala he bin steal that ngurlu all lot from Parulyu.'

 

Yamundurrngurla yunuku karinyarla 

jinjiranyparla yunuku karinyarla

That's the small one bush when the seeds are coming up.

 

SONGS 4—5

Watiyawarnu mayinyina yarlaangku mayinyinarli

My jaja kurlangu it belongs to my mother's mother, that snake, when he bin get that two WOMEN.

 

Two fellow bin come cutting near the little creek, and when they cut little seed bin grow, and the two went down to the little creek. They start digging in Parulyu. Two fellow takim, Nangala bin down and little bit on top Nampijinpa. 

 

Two snake bin smell them from Jarluwangu. Nangala bin talk when him dig right down.

'What this one shade, look cloud, might be raincloud?'

But when he bin look, warna now, snake.

'What we gonna do?'

'I don't know!'

 

Two fellow bin lose right there that ngurlu, in Parulyu. Pamarrpa walya, a colour brown stone is that seed cake today. Jungarni yunpani I sing true when two fellow bin sing himself inside the water. 

 

Nangalajarra mayinyinarli yarlaangku watiyawarnu 

Two Nangala they sing maybe in the water they bin change one from Nampijinpa to Nangala skin.

 

SONG 6

warnangku warlayi pungu Nangalajarra

 

nyampuju yunpanikarnangurlu warna

Here I sing that snake who ate two Nangala.

 

watiyawarnu kartulkarturnu Nangalajarrarlu