Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel worr'wurrnha.
Nhäma ŋayi ga garkmannha ga nyiknyiknha mala wanaŋamirriyam.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel garkmannha.
Nhäma ŋayi ga milkmilknha wanaŋamirriyam.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel weṯiny.
Nhäma ŋayi ga yolŋuny goŋ-märryaŋmirriny.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel butjikitnha.
Nhäma ŋayi ga nyiknyiknha wanaŋamirriyam ŋarŋgalil.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel bikipikiny.
Nhäma ŋayi ga butjikitnha waṉḏinyalil.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel wuŋgannha.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wiripuny wuŋgannha malany buḻ'yunalil.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel bul'manydjiny.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wanaŋamirriyam maranydjalknha.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel wurrpaṉ'nha. Nhäma ŋayi ga ḏingu.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel bäruny.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wuŋgannha wanaŋamirriyam ga djälmirriyirrnydja ŋayi ga nyaŋ'thunaraw yan nhanŋu

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu mel ŋathil miyapununy.
Nhäma ŋayi ga ḏakawany ga nyumukuṉiny'nha ŋarirriny' mala.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel ḏawurrnha.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wurrkiny gukuw.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel boṉbany.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wiripuny boṉbany mala bul'yunalil.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel yindiny bäpiny.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wiripuny bäpiny, ga djälthirrnydja ŋayi ga nyaŋ'thunaraw nhanŋu.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu ŋathil mel marrŋuny'.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wiripuny marrŋuny' nyaŋ'thunalil man'tjarrlil.

Nhäŋu mel.
Nhäŋu mel galaŋgamirriny.
Nhäma ŋayi ga wulu, ga djälthirrnydja ŋayi ga nyaŋ'thunaraw ŋurikiyi.

Nhäŋu mel warrnyuny.
Ḻarrum ŋayi ga borumgu ŋayi dhu nyaŋ'thun.

Nhäŋu mel woṉnha.
Nhäma ŋayi ga djarraṯawun.

Nhäŋu mel ḏamalany.
Nhäma ŋayi ga ŋarirri' ŋunhi ŋayi bumar.

Nhäŋu mel djandany.
Ḻarrum ŋayi ga mindjirriw ŋunhi ŋanya ḏarrkthurr.

Nhäŋu ŋathil mel djamarrkuḻiny'
Nhänhamirr walal ga giḻatjlil.
Ga bitjana walal ga birrka'yunmirrnydja yan be walal mokuynha, yurr yuwalktja walal yaka.

ENGLISH

Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of an owl.
Looking at the frogs and the mice hungrily.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the frog.
Looking at the mosquito hungrily.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the kangaroo.
Looking at the man with a gun.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of a cat.
Looking hungrily at the mouse in a hole.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of a pig.
Looking at the cat running away.

Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the dog.
Looking at the other dogs playing.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the fish Looking at the octopus.
Look at the eyes .
Look at the eyes of the shark.
Looking at the stingrays hungrily.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of an emu.
Looking at the cycad nuts.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the crocodile
Looking at the dog and it wants to eat it.

Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the turtle.
Looking at the prawns.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the bees.
Looking at the flower for honey.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the butterfly.
Looking at the other butterflies.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the big snake.
Looking at the other snake it wants to eat.
Look at the eyes.

Look at the eyes of the possum.
Looking at the other possums eating leaves.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the dugong.
Looking at the sea weed and wants to eat it.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the flying fox.
Looking for some fruits to eat.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the moth.
Looking at the light.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of an eagle.
Looking at the fish it caught.

Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the goanna.
Looking for the sandfly which bit him.
Look at the eyes.
Look at the eyes of the children.
Looking at themselves in the mirror.
They think that they are monsters, but really they're not.

FROM A STORY BY Nancy Gununwanga
in the Ndjebbana language of central Arnhem Land.
Illustrations by Robert Williams.
Story in Djambarrpuyŋu.
By Helen Rrikawuku
© NT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
ILLUSTRATIONS - MANINGRIDA LPC
TEXT - GALIWIN'KU LPC
ILLUSTRATIONS PRINTED BY MANINGRIDA LPC
OCT 1993
DJAMBARRPUYŊU TEXT PRINTED BY GALIWIN'KU LPC 1996

MEL
TEXT IN DJAMBARRPUYŊU BY HELEN RRIKAWUKU
ILLUSTRATIONS: ROBERT WILLIAMS.

Page 1:

Ŋarrakal buthuruydja ŋuli ga ŋäma. Bitjan nhakun weṯiy' ŋuli ŋäma djambatjnha yolŋuny.

My ears are for listening. Like the wallaby listening for the hunter.

Page 3:

Ŋarrakal melyu ŋuli ga nhäma. Bitjan nhakun ḏamalay ŋuli nhäma ŋarirri' gapulil.

My eyes are for seeing. Like the sea eagle sees the fish in the water.

Page 5:

Ŋarrakal ŋurruy ŋuli ga nhuman. Balanya nhakun mäṉay' ŋuli nhuman maŋgu.

My nose is for smelling. Like a shark smelling blood.

Page 7:

Ŋarrakal goŋdhu ŋuli ga ŋayatham. Balanya nhakun nyokay' ŋuli goŋdhu ŋayatham dharpa ḏälkum.

My hands are for holding. Like the crab holding the branch tightly.   

Page 9:

Ŋarrakal ḻukuy ŋuli ga waṉḏirr. Nhakun waṯuy ŋuli warr'warryun djamarrkuḻiny'!

My feet are for running. Like the dog chasing children!

Page 11:

Ŋarrakal mathay ŋuli ga dhäkay-birrka'yun.

Nhakun djanday ŋuli ḻuka miyapunu mapu'?

Yaka! Balanya nhakun Märiy ŋuli ḻuka guku!

My tongue is for tasting.

Like a goanna eating turtle eggs?

No! Like Grandmother eating honey!

Page 1

Nhä ŋuli ga wärrkarryu wurrkiy' maŋutji-lakaram?

What does the Swamp Lily flower tell us?

Page 3

Maranydjalkmirra walu!

It is time for stingray!

Page 5

Nhä ŋuli ga ḻämbarryu wurrkiy' maŋutji-lakaram?

What do the Starflowers tell us?

Page 7

Ṉamuramirra walu!

It is time for oysters!

Page 9

Nhä ŋuli ga yawunydhu wurrkiy' maŋutji-lakaram?

What does the Fern-leaved Grevillea flower tell us?

Page 11

Gukumirra walu!

It is time for honey!

Page 13

Nhä ŋuli ga dharraŋgulkthu wurrkiy' maŋutji-lakaram?

What does the Red Flowering Kurrajong flower tell us?

Page 15

Burruwumirra walu!

It is time for young sharks!

Page 17

Nhä ŋuli ga gaḏaykaydja wurrkiy' maŋutji-lakaram?

What does the Darwin Stringybark flower tell us?

Page 19

Miyapunumirra walu!

It is time for turtle!

This story has been translated into Djambarrpuyŋu from
Mirriway' ga Bäruy gana ḏuttji'yurruna published by the Literature Production Centre - Milingimbi School in Gupapuyŋu © 1983

Page 1:

Maṉḏa marrtjin waṉḏin yolŋu märrma', Mirriwa' ga Bäru. Waṉḏin maṉḏa marrtjin, dhut maṉḏa nhinan; "Way, ŋali gurtha dhiyal ḏuttji'yun, ŋe?", bitjarr ŋayi waŋan Bäru. Ga wäŋan ŋunhi yäku Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.
"Ŋali dhu dhiyal ḏuttji'yun", bitjarr ŋayi nhanŋu yoraŋal Mirriwa'.

 
There were two people travelling, Mirriwa' and Bäru. The two of them walked and stopped to sit “Hey, we should make a fire here, yes?”, said Bäru.
The place there is called Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.
“We should make a fire here”, Mirriwa’ replied in agreement.

Page 3

Bala maṉḏa gan ḏuttji'yurra, ga ŋayiny nhanŋu waŋan bitjarr, "Nheny ḏuttji'yurr, ŋe?". Bitjarr ŋayi waŋan Mirriwa', "Ŋarrany ŋunha dhu man'pili buma, boy'-puyyunaraw; märr ga ŋayi dhu nhära ŋuruŋiyi man'piliy".

"Yow'. Gatjuy litjalaŋ.", bitjarr ŋayi Bäruny waŋan.
And so the two went to make a fire, and Bäru said to him, “You make the fire, yes?”.
Mirriwa’ said “I will collect soft bark from over there, to blow on, so that the soft bark catches fire.”
“Yes, off you go for us.” said Bäru.

Page 5

Bala ŋayi ŋunhi marrtjinan Mirriwany' man'pilinha. Bal', pal', pal', pal' ŋayi; ga baṯ ŋayi ŋayathaŋal dharpa gaḏayka. Ga bili ŋayi gan ŋunhi yirrparnha ŋunhi dharpany man'piliwnha; yirrpara, yirrpara, yirrpara, ga burdji-burdjimaraŋal.

Bala ŋayi marrtjin gäŋalnha ŋayi ŋunhi man'piliny nhanukal. Gäŋal ŋayi marrtjin ŋunhi man'piliny, ga gurray gurrupar nhanukal Bäruwal, ŋayiny märraŋal ŋunhi man'piliny, bala maṉḏa gan ḏuttji'yurra. Yan bili, ga nhäran maṉḏaŋguŋ.

And so, Mirriwa’, walked off to get soft bark. Pat, pat, pat, pat, he reached and held the wood of the stringybark tree. And then he scraped the soft bark from that tree, scrape, scrape, scrape, and rubbed the bark together.

And so he walked off, carrying the soft bark with him. He walked with the soft bark, and threw it down to Bäru, he took that soft bark, then they went to make a fire. The two of them would work until they got the fire going.

Page 7

"Ŋay' dhuwana, boy'yurra litjalaŋ", bitjarr ŋayi Mirriwa' Bäruw, ga ŋayiny bitjarr Bäruny,

"Yaka. Nhe litjalaŋ boy'-puyyurr".

"Manymak", bitjarr Mirriwa'; bala ŋayi boy'-puyyurr ŋunhi gurthany maṉḏaŋ. Boy', puy', puy', bala baṯnha ŋurrkaŋal. Bala nhäranan ŋunhi gurthany, ŋala'-ŋalapthurra.

“Here, you take it, blow on it and spark it for us.”, Mirriwa’ said to Bäru, and Bäru said,
“No. You blow on it for us.”

“Fine,” said Mirriwa’, and then he began to blow on the embers so that they could have a fire. Woosh, woosh, woosh, fanning the flames into a fire. And then there was a fire, the flames flared and burned brightly.

Page 9

Bala maṉḏa ŋunhi ŋunhiliyiny djambi warrakan'thinan. Nhakun bäruthinan, ga mirriwa'thinan.

Ga manymak, ga ŋayi nhanŋu waŋan bitjarr Bäru, "Mak bala ŋathil ḏawa'yurr, ŋunhi nhä nhäŋu dhärra ga". Ga ŋayi gan bitjarr bala ḏawa'yurr, bala ŋayi Bäruynydja djaw'yurra ŋunhi gurthany, gapulila ŋayi ḻupthurra. Ga bitjarr bala ŋayi ḏawa'yurr ŋunhi Mirriwany', ga nhäŋal Bärunydja bäyŋuny.

And then the two of them changed and became animals then and there, just like, the crocodile and the frill-necked lizard.

All was well, Crocodile said to him, “Maybe, take a look behind you, look what is standing over there”. Then he looked over his shoulder, and Crocodile snatched the fire, and submerged himself into the water. He did this while Frill-necked lizard was looking over his shoulder, and did not see Crocodile disappear.

Page 11

"Ye---e, gurtha ŋarraku ŋunha djaw'yurr Bäruy", bitjarr ŋayi Mirriwa' waŋan. Bala ŋayi waṉḏinan, bal', pal', pal', ŋunhal; ga ŋal'yurra ŋayi dharpaŋur, ga yan bäyŋu. Waṉḏin ŋayi waŋgany'ŋulilnydja muka, ga bal', pal', pal', ŋunhal; ŋal'yurr ŋayi ga yan bäyŋu. Ga bulu bal', pal', pal', pal', ga ŋal'yurr ŋayi, ga bäyŋu.

“Arghh, Crocodile, that’s my fire you stole.” Frill-necked lizard cried out. He ran, pat, pat, pat, and not too far away, he climbed up into a tree but saw nothing. He ran to another tree, pat, pat, pat and climbed it but saw nothing. He ran to one more, pat, pat, pat, climbed it but never saw any sign of Crocodile.

Page 13

Ga ŋayiny ŋunhi Bäruny waŋan bitjarr, "Dhuwal gurtha ŋarra djaw'yurr, dhuwal ŋarraku; yalala ŋarra dhu ga mulka nhina dhiyaŋ gurthay." Ga wäŋany ŋunhi yäku Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.

Then Crocodile said, “This is the fire I stole, this is mine, later I will use the fire to keep me warm.” This place has the name Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.