Waŋganymirriy waluy yothu yäku Ḏatam dhawal-guyaŋin Wäkwakkuŋ.
One day a baby waterlily called Ḏatam was born to Wäkwak.
Beŋurnydja ŋayi Wäkwaktja marrtjin bala bumara räkaynha. Bumar ŋayi…i…i, dhaŋaŋ.
Soon after, Wäkwak went to collect water chestnuts, She got lots and lots of them.
Roŋiyinan ŋayi Wäkwaktja, nhäŋal ŋayi, Ḏatamtja gan gaḻ'kaḻyurra, bala ŋayi waŋanan marrtjin bitjarra gam', “Ŋamaḻa, Ŋamaḻa, Ŋamaḻa!”
When she came back, she saw Ḏatam crawling around calling, “Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!”
“Way! Waku marrkapmirr, dhuwal ŋarra nhunany ŋapa-raŋanmirr ganarrthaŋal,” bitjarr ŋayi waŋan Wäkwaktja.
“Hey! My dear daughter, you were just a baby when I left you a little while ago,” said Wäkwak.
“Ŋamaḻa, barrarirr gurrupar ŋarrany Djaykuŋ'thu, bala ŋarra nhuŋun ŋäthinany.” “Gä…a..a, yothuthu marrkapmirr! Wanha dhika ŋayi Djaykuŋ'tja? Ŋarra ŋanya yaŋara' birrirri'yun.”
“Mummy, Djaykuŋ the File Snake was scaring me, so I cried out for you”. “Oh come here my darling baby! Where is Mr Djaykuŋ the File Snake? I’d like to twist his tail!”.
Ŋaḻindi…i...i ga ŋaḻindi..i..i ga ŋaḻindi ŋupan manḏa nhinanany, ŋayi Ḏatamtja wirrkuḻthirra ŋuthan.
Months passed and Ḏatam grew to be the most beautiful flower in the billabong.
Waŋganymirriy waluy ŋayi ḏirramu nhanŋu djälthin, yäku Gulwaṉi'. Ŋayiny nhanŋu Ḏatamtja nyarrmaḻ'thuna.
One day Gulwaṉi' the bullrush fell in love with Ḏatam. She fell in love with him too.
Yaka wiyin'tja, bala maṉḏa märranhamirra, ga yothuny maṉḏaŋ ḻurrkun'! Märrma' miyalk, ga wiḏipiya' ḏirramu.
Before long, they got married and had three children, two girls and a boy.
Waŋganymirr, ŋayi waluny ḏälnha dhika dhärran, ga gorrmur'thinan gapuny.
One day the sun shone very fiercely and the water in the billabong became very hot.
Bala maṉḏaŋ djamarrkuḻiny' raku-rakunythinan. Ŋayi Ḏatamtja ŋaäthin..a..a wiyin' nha dhika, bala milkarriny djuḻyurra walalaŋgala djamarrkuḻi'wal.
All Ḏatam and Gulwaṉi'’s children died. Ḏatam cried for a long time.
Walalnydja bulu walŋa'-walŋathinan. Maṉḏany Ḏatamtja ga Gulwaṉi' mirithinan goŋmirriyinan.
When the tears fell on the bodies of the children, they all came back to life again. This made Ḏatam and Gulwaṉi' very happy.
