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Guwaabal 11 Wiidhaa / The Bowerbird


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Go back to Version 1 or go to the Notes page to find out the background to the story.

00
Wiidhaa
bowerbird
The Bowerbird
01
Giirr maalaabidi-dja ngaanduwaa bamba gaga-lda-nhi.
really big.tree-in,at,on someone (doer to) loudly call-continuous-Past
There were some people in a big tree calling out loud.
02
"Marram, marram, marram ngaarrimali, ngaarrima,
there[?] there[?] there[?] over.there over.there
ngaarri, ngaarri, nhama, nhama, nhama."
there there there there there
"There, over there, there it is, over there, there." [This is possibly Ngiyambaa and so not easily translated.]
03
Giirr nhama-dhaay-bala-nga Maliyan yanaa-waa-nhi.
really there-to.here-contrast-then wedge.tail go-moving-Past
The Wedgetail Eagle was walking along towards the sound.
04
Winanga-laa-nhi ngaama nguu, Maliyan-du.
hear-moving-Past that.the he/she wedge.tail-doerto
Wedgetail could hear it as he walked.
05
"Giirr-yaa burrulaa-gu dhayn-du ngaama, gaga-lda-nha.
really-must many-doerto person-doerto that.the call-continuous-Present
"There must be a lot of people there, calling out.
06
Ngaa, ngaandi nhama, ngaandu nhama gaga-lda-nha?"
yes who? that,the who? that,the call-continuous-Present
Hey, who is that?, who is calling out there?"
07
Giirr nhama dhigayaa-gu Maliyan ngarra-y.
really that,the bird-doerto wedge.tail see-Past
Then that bird saw the Wedgetail.
08
Maliyan nhama Wiidhaa-ga guwiinba-laa-nhi.
wedge.tail that,the bowerbird-to come near-moving-Past
The Wedgetail Eagle was getting closer to the Bowerbird.
09
Yilaa Maliyan warra-nhi, winanga-y nguu.
then wedge.tail stand-Past hear-Past he/she
Then the Wedgetail stood still, and he listened.
10
Wiidhaa-gu-bala guwaa-y:
bowerbird-doerto-contrast say-Past
The Bowerbird said:
11
"Nga, aa, ngaandu-bala nginunha guwaa-y,
hey! aa, who?-contrast you[1] tell-Past
dhaay nginda yanaa-waa-y-gu.
to.here you[1] go-moving-Past-purpose
"Hey, who told you that you could come here?
12
Garriya dhaay yanaa-ya."
don’t to.here come-command
Don’t come here!"
13
Maliyan-du-bala guwaa-y:
wedge.tail-doerto-contrast say-Past
But the Wedgetail said:
14
"Yiyal ngaya yanaa-waa-nhi.
just, only I walk-moving-Past
"I was just walking along.
15
Ngadhan.gaa ngaya winanga-laa-nhi ngaama burrulaa dhayn.
thought I hear-moving-Past that.the many person
I thought I heard a lot of people as I was walking.
16
bamba ganugu gaga-lda-nhi, bamba
loudly they>2 call-continuous-Past loudly
girriinba-lda-nhi."
make noise-continuous-Past
They were calling out loud, they were making a lot of noise."
17
"Garriya, garriya, biyaduul ngaya, ngaya-bala
don't,stop don't,stop alone I I-contrast
nhalay, biyaduul wila-y-la-nha.
here alone sit-continuous-Present
"No, No, I am here alone, just me here sitting by myself.
18
Dhugay ngaya yalagiirrma gaga-lda-nha.
always I like.that call-continuous-Present
I always call out like that.
19
Yanaa-ya baayamba, yanaa-ya."
go-command friend go-command
Go away mate, get lost."
20
Giirr nguu nhama Maliyan 'baayamba' gayrrba-lda-nhi.
really he/she that,the wedge.tail 'friend' name-continuous-Past
[He used to call the Wedgetail Eagle, ‘baayamba, mate’. {this is Ngiyambaa}]
21
"Ngaayaybaay", nhama Maliyan-du guwaa-y,
okay! all right! that,the wedge.tail-doerto say-Past
"Okay!" the Wedgetail said
22
yilaa-nha ngiilay yanaa-waa-nhi.
then-that from here go-moving-Past
and then he was walking away from there.
23
Giirr-bala burrul wii nhama Wiidhaa-gu gimbi-y.
really-contrast big fire there bowerbird-doerto do-Past
But the Bowerbird had made a big fire.
24
Giirr Maliyan nguu bayama-y, guwaa-y:
really wedge.tail he/she catch-Past say-Past
He grabbed Wedgetail and said:
25
"Giirr wii-dja nginunha ngaya-laa wana-gi."
really fire-in,at,on you[1] I-then throw-Future
"I am going to chuck you on the fire!"
26
Giirr wana-nhi dhaymaa-ya nhama Maliyan.
really throw-Past ground-to that,the wedge.tail
He threw Wedgetail on the ground.
27
Biyuurra-laa-nhi, biyuurra-laa-nhi Maliyan wii-gu,
roll-moving-Past roll-moving-Past wedge.tail fire-to
He was rolling the Wedgetail along, rolling him along to the fire,
28
yurringga-laa-nhi wii-dja, ngiyarrma gundaawa-li-gu-nha.
push-moving-Past fire-to there burn-Future-doerto-that
pushing him to the fire, to burn him on it.
29
Giirr ngiyarrma dhaay nhama buuyan-du
really there to.here that,the heat-doerto
bamba gudhuwa-lda-nhi.
hard burn-continuous-Past
The heat was really coming of the fire.
30
Buuyan ngaama Maliyan-du dhama-ldaay
heat that.the wedge.tail-doer.to feel-Rel.suff
giirr barraay nguu gaya-nhi,
really quickly he/she turn-Past
When Wedgetail felt the heat he turned around
31
giirr barraay nguu warraynga-nhi.
really fast, quickly he/she get up-Past
really quickly and jumped to his feet.
32
Ngiyarrma nguu nhama Wiidhaa
there he/she that,the bowerbird
bayama-y, wana-nhi-nha dhaymaa-ya.
catch-Past throw-Past-that ground-to
He grabbed that Bowerbird there, and threw him onto the ground.
33
Wiidhaa-gu-bala gaga-lda-nhi:
bowerbird-doerto-contrast call-continuous­Past
But Bowerbird was calling out:
34
"Wana ngaya warra-y-gu, yanaaynbi-la, yanaaynbi-la nganha,
let I stand-Future-to let.go-command let.go-command me
"Let me stand up. Let me go, let me go!
35
nganha yanaaynbi-la baayamba."
me let.go-command friend
Let me go mate!"
36
Maliyan-du-bala guwaa-y:
wedge.tail-doerto-contrast say-Past
But the Wedgetail said:
37
"Waal ngaya gi-yaa-nha nginunha yanaaynbi-li.
no,not I going.to you[1] let.go-Future
"I am not going to let you go!
38
Wii-dja ngaya gi-yaa-nha nginunha wana-gi."
fire-in,at,on I going.to you[1] throw-Future
I am going to throw you in the fire."
39
Giirr Maliyan-du Wiidhaa biyuurra-laa-nhi,
really wedge.tail-doerto bowerbird roll-moving-Past
yurringga-laa-nhi-nha wii-dja.
push-moving-Past-that fire-to
And Wedgetail was rolling the Bowerbird along, pushing him along to the fire.
40
Giirr wana-nhi wii-dja nhama Wiidhaa.
really throw-Past fire-in,at,on that,the bowerbird
Then he threw the Bowerbird in the fire.
41
Wii-dja-wan.gaan!
fire-in,at,on-very
Right in the middle of the fire!
42
"Ngaayaybaay!"
okay! all right!
"That’s done!"
43
Yilaa Maliyan ngiilay yanaa-waa-nhi.
then wedge.tail from here go-moving-Past
Then the Wedgetail walked away from there.
44
Minyagaa winanga-y nguu.
something hear-Past he/she
He heard something.
45
Giirr nhama Wiidhaa gudhuwa-ngindaay, ngiyam-bala
really that,the bowerbird burn-Rel.suff there-contrast
nguungu gawu baarray-nhi, gawu nguu dhurra-y.
her/his brain burst-Past brain he/she come-Past
It was the Bowerbird burning, and his head burst open, and the brains ran out.
46
Giirr guwaymbarra dhaygal yanaa-y-la-nha,
really red head go-continuous-Present
nhama Wiidhaa.
that,the bowerbird
So now that Bowerbird has a red tuft on the back of his head.
47
Giirr nhama guway dhurra-y,
really that,the blood come-Past
giirr gawu dhurra-y, dhaygal-i.
really brain come-Past head-circumstance
That is where the blood ran out, and the brains ran out of his head. [And around the Bowerbird’s bower you still find lots of bones - the remains of other people he has cooked. And the Bowerbird still sits in trees imitating other birds and other animals, so he sound like a mob of birds.]