Guwaabal 11 Wiidhaa / The Bowerbird

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Like to know more? Visit Version 2 to see the story presented sentence by sentence and translated into English. There is also an 'interlinear' translation which shows Yuwaalaraay word-building, verb tenses and suffixes. Go to the Notes page to find out the background to the story.

		Wiidhaa
		Giirr maalaabididja ngaanduwaa bamba gagaldanhi. "Marram, marram, marram ngaarrimali, ngaarrima, ngaarri, ngaarri, nhama, nhama, nhama." Giirr nhamadhaaybalanga Maliyan yanaawaanhi. Winangalaanhi ngaama nguu, Maliyandu.
		"Giirryaa burrulaagu dhayndu ngaama, gagaldanha. Ngaa, ngaandi nhama, ngaandu nhama gagaldanha?"
		Giirr nhama dhigayaagu Maliyan ngarray. Maliyan nhama Wiidhaaga guwiinbalaanhi. Yilaa Maliyan warranhi, winangay nguu.
		Wiidhaagubala guwaay: "Nga, aa, ngaandubala nginunha guwaay, dhaay nginda yanaawaaygu. Garriya dhaay yanaaya."
		Maliyandubala guwaay: "Yiyal ngaya yanaawaanhi. Ngadhan.gaa ngaya winangalaanhi ngaama burrulaa dhayn. Bamba ganugu gagaldanhi, bamba girriinbaldanhi."
		"Garriya, garriya, biyaduul ngaya, ngayabala nhalay, biyaduul wilaylanha. Dhugay ngaya yalagiirrma gagaldanha. Yanaaya baayamba, yanaaya." Giirr nguu nhama Maliyan 'baayamba' gayrrbaldanhi.
		"Ngaayaybaay", nhama Maliyandu guwaay, yilaanha ngiilay yanaawaanhi.
		Giirrbala burrul wii nhama Wiidhaagu gimbiy. Giirr Maliyan nguu bayamay, guwaay: "Giirr wiidja nginunha ngayalaa wanagi."
		Giirr wananhi dhaymaaya nhama Maliyan. Biyuurralaanhi, biyuurralaanhi Maliyan wiigu, yurringgalaanhi wiidja, ngiyarrma gundaawaligunha.
		Giirr ngiyarrma dhaay nhama buuyandu bamba gudhuwaldanhi. Buuyan ngaama Maliyandu dhamaldaay giirr barraay nguu gayanhi, giirr barraay nguu warraynganhi. Ngiyarrma nguu nhama Wiidhaa bayamay, wananhinha dhaymaaya.
		Wiidhaagubala gagaldanhi: "Wana ngaya warraygu, yanaaynbila, yanaaynbila nganha, nganha yanaaynbila baayamba."
		Maliyandubala guwaay: "Waal ngaya giyaanha nginunha yanaaynbili. Wiidja ngaya giyaanha nginunha wanagi." Giirr Maliyandu Wiidhaa biyuurralaanhi, yurringgalaanhinha wiidja. Giirr wananhi wiidja nhama Wiidhaa. Wiidjawan.gaan.
		"Ngaayaybaay." Yilaa Maliyan ngiilay yanaawaanhi. Minyagaa winangay nguu. Giirr nhama Wiidhaa gudhuwangindaay, ngiyambala nguungu gawu baarraynhi, gawu nguu dhurray.
		Giirr guwaymbarra dhaygal yanaaylanha, nhama Wiidhaa. Giirr nhama guway dhurray, giirr gawu dhurray, dhaygali.