Early morning Yirralka-ŋura

 

 

 

Bukmak Yolŋu’yulŋu baḏak ŋorra yukurra,
Everyone is still asleep,

 

 

wäwa walala,
all [our] brothers

waku walala,
all [our] children

gutharra walala, gaminyarr walala,
all [our] daughter’s children and son’s children

dhumungurr
[avoidance relationship]

ga yapa.
and [our] sister.

 

 

Yurru dhuwala ŋarra gutha’ ga warwuyun ŋarra maypal-wu,
But here I am, little sister, thinking and worrying for [fresh] shellfish,

Gikal-wu,
and [place name (where we gather these shellfish)],

ga biray-yun-marraŋala ŋarra yapa-nha.
so I woke up [my] sister,

bäylakaram marrkapmirri yapa ŋarraku.
forgive me, my beloved sister.

 

 

Dhuwala biw’yun ŋayi gurtha-nha
She is fanning the fire

ŋawulul’ buṯthun-marama yukurra
making the smoke billow

mindjirri-wu (märi-wu).

for the sandflies (our mother’s mother).

 

 

Wakuluŋgu nhinindhina gundarak-ŋura
The mist/fog has settled on the airstrip

ga ŋoy-djulŋithirri ŋarra dhuwala.
and I am here, happy, excited and rejoicing.

 

 

 

It was so special to be back with my family in camp. The audio in that clip could be louder. Apologies. Just turn it up. Please note also that the kinship terminology is translated as per female ego – waku for instance, is actually ‘woman’s child, sister’s child’ (as opposed to gathu, man’s child, brother’s child’).