Gumatj and Warramirri versions

Mum’s younger sister Djerrkŋu also shared with us the whale songspiral. She keened milkarri in Gumatj and Warramirri. There is not just one Yolŋu matha but different clan languages. Our clan languages are part of our heritage, our diversity. Language is not one piece. Language is who you are. It has its own place. It belongs to that place. It is not muddled. It belongs in its place, not all over the area.

Our own language is in the songspirals, the clan language, the real language. The songs keep the real language alive. Songs are very, very important as they hold the key to each clan language.

As Wuymirri is Yirritja, the Gumatj clan sings it and the Warramirri clan sings it. It has the same beginning in both versions. The songspiral stays the same but the language is different. Some words are different but the songspiral never changes; the places are the same, the passage of the whale, how it journeys to the islands and from which area, all stay the same. It is the same journey towards the same ending.

Wuymirri (Gumatj version)

Durryuna nhina Mirrinyu Makuma, Gandariya, Bilali.

The whales surfacing at Makuma, Gandariya, Bilali.

Yeee durryun nhina wutthun bilayu dhäwuykthun,

Yes, surfacing and hitting the water with their tail, coming up with their mouth open;

Nhina durryun Mirrinyu bayma Bilali, Makuma, Gandariya.

Surfacing, playing, circling, spraying water from her spout, right here at Bilali, Makuma, Gandariya.

Dhäwuykthurrana Miyapunu yeee Mirrinyu ŋunha marrtji.

I can see the whales, Mirrinyu, with their mouth open, over there.

Yeee Mirrinyu ŋunha marrtji durryuna dhawuykthuna dhäwulwulyun, yeeee,

Yes, the whales are surfacing, coming up to the surface and spraying, with mouths open, scooping along the surface, yes,

Durryun ŋunha marrtji yäää, Miyapunu, dhäwulwulyun Bilali wutthurruna Makuma, Gandariya,

Surfacing over there, yaaa, the whales are scooping along the surface of the water at Bilali with their mouths open, hitting the surface of the ocean water at Makuma, Gandariya,

Yeee liyanydja lurryun dhäwulwulyun yolkala Matjinydjiwala Liya-balkurrkgala.

Yes, the head, the mouth open, going deep into the ocean towards the island where the rain comes from, to the turtle hunter who hunts even when it rains and the sea is rough.

Liyayu miyamara runurunu Bandawiŋu, Bandayŋaŋu, Dhakalŋa.

With this knowledge, this harmony, I sing towards the islands Bandawiŋu, Bandayŋaŋu, Dhakalŋa.

Yeee mirrara ŋunha marrtji Mirrinyu dhäwulwulyun.

The whale, she is diving, mouth open, sinking down into the depths of the ocean, we can only see her back, her tail.

Maŋan nherrara ganawirra dhäwuyunydja ganawirra maŋana; Wulpunduna, Balalŋuna.

The clouds stand there, the spray of the whale creates the clouds;

The whale thinks, I have made those clouds, I have created the Wulpunduna, Balalŋuna, the clouds sitting on the water in the far distance, on the horizon.

Dhäwuykthun ŋunha marrtji durryun, gaŋgatjin mikantha.

The whales breathe, they spout, spray as they rise to the surface;

She breaches, lifting her heavy body out of the water with her power.

Miyapunu Mirrinyu, Mirrinyu, Burarrwaŋa, Burarrwutwutthun.

The whale, the powerful whale Burarrwaŋa, Mirrinyu, lifts herself out of the water, her body hits the surface of the ocean.

Ŋunha marrtji yolnha Matjitjina Liya-balkurrnha nhäŋala maŋan durryunara yolthu Liya-balkurrkthu Matjitjiyu, Djambatjŋuyu Mirrinyu ŋunha marrtji durryun dhawulwulyun.

She hits the surface of the ocean with her tail at Matjitjina, the big water, a long way out in the deep ocean, next to the turtle hunters, Matjitji, Djambatjŋu; the turtle hunters see the cloud from far away. The cloud rises up to the horizon. There, the whales rise up to the surface and come with their mouths open, then sink down again.

Ganarrana wäŋa Makuma, Gandariyaŋu yolpa, mala Wulmurrkpa, Binyalinypa, yeee gilitjinana dhawal yolkala Bandawi, Banbayŋa, Dhakalŋa Liyabalkurrna Matjinytjina Wurrumila.

I, the whale, am leaving the place Makuma, Gandariyaŋu, behind, the land of the clan Wulmurrkpa, Binyalinypa, yes. I know I am getting close to the islands of Bandawi, Banbayŋa, Dhakalŋa, where the rain comes from, and to the hunter.

Liya-balkurrna, Djambatjŋunha Birrnyali wa nhäŋala dhärrana maŋanha yakarrmara lany’tjun ŋunha yukarra mokuy Rranyirranyi, Newunba, Marrwala Melkuŋala Muthila Marrwala Melkuŋala liyanydja Maŋanmirri Wulpundumirri.

I see the hunter, there he stands; with his arms outstretched he holds the paddle and in his mind is the cloud that he saw on the horizon.

The turtle hunter, standing, being the cloud with the paddle, Muthila Marrwala, full of knowledge and recognition.

Yarr yarr yurra gunbilk marrawulwul, djambi dhoru warpididi, dhäwalnydja dhuwala marra-wurrtjara.

Go water, take your smooth self as far as you can see, the water glistening from our being; the coral spawns, lifting up; the sea is glassy and calm.

Nhäŋala mokuyu Rranyirranyiyu dhawuywu Bilali, Makumaŋu, Gandariyaŋu durruna ŋunha marrtji Mirrinyu dhawuykthun Mirrinyu liyanydja Bandawiyu.

The spirit Rranyirranyi sees it from the land, the waterspout at Bilali, Makuma, Gandariya, that water, that ocean. The whales rise again and surface, their heads turning around, mouths open, moving towards, thinking of that place, travelling towards Bandawiyu.

Dhakalŋayu, Ŋarrayarriyu, Nalkumayu durryurrna Burarrwaŋa, Burarrwutwutthun ŋunha marrtji.

Yeee, Djaybayu maŋan nherrara Djarrpiŋu, Wulpundu. Maŋan nherrara Wulpundu.

At the islands of Dhakalŋa, Ŋarrayarri, Nalkuma the whale is surfacing above the water; she lifts and hits the ocean water with her tail, her body.

Yes. The clouds over there at Djayba, they come together (at the Saibai Islands) far to the east, the distant unknown ocean of the Wuymu, Nyewunba, Bäpa’yili people. I can see the cloud, it is slanting up like someone holding up the paddle, the slanting cloud called Djarrpiŋu, Wulpundu, the clouds on the horizon, the Wulpundu cloud.

Balalŋu, Ganawirra lanytjurruna maŋan Mirrinyu dhäwuyu yeee. Yolka mokuywala Matjinytji wala Liya-balkurrkgala.

The Balalŋu, Ganawirra cloud spreading up to the air, standing upright, like a proud person, created by the whale’s spout. Yes. The cloud in the direction of the spirit people from the east, from Matjinytji and Liya-balkurrkgala, from the hunter that goes out in all weather, with the rain and the spray of water on his face, his face dripping water; fresh and salt, rain and sea.

Yo bilina.

Yes, finish.

Wuymirri (Warramirri version)

Yow, dhuwala ŋarra yurru Warramirri manikay miyaman yapamirri ŋarrakalaŋuwu gutharrawu.

Yes, here I will sing you a Warramirri song, sister clan for my grandchildren.

Walalaŋgu manikay, yapamirriŋu walalaŋgu ga ŋarraku marimirri Warramirri manikay, yo.

Their sister clan and my grandmother Warramirri song, yes.

Here I will sing a song, milkarri, then stop and finish.

Yeee durryun ŋunya ŋarri Mirrinyu, Burarrwaŋa.

The whales arise and surface, the whale, its deep essence, Burarrwaŋa.

Burarrwutwutthun, Mirrinyu, Nalandji, Nalwaŋa Manbuyŋa liyuwan.

Her tail rises up above the surface, the whale Nalandji, Nalwaŋa, together with the ocean; her tail hits the Yirritja water.

Bilayu liyuwan Manbuyŋa, bilanytjiyu.

She hits the surface of the water with her tail, she hits the Yirritja water Manbuyŋa with her tail.

Durryun ŋunya ŋarri maŋan nyepan nyepana maŋan nyepan, nyepana aaa Nalalwaŋa Nalandji durrun ŋunya ŋarri Nalandji Wuymirri.

The cloud arises, the clouds layering on the horizon, stacking, coming together, the clouds are there, the whales are surfacing; clouds made by the whales.

Nyalpiyan liyuwan Manbuyŋa, Makuma, Gandariya, Bilali, Bilayu, Bilanydjiyu Bilanydjiyu liyuwan.

Oh, how she hits the Yirritja water. Oh, how she slaps down on the waters of Makuma, Gandariya, with her tail, its deep names, Bilali, Bilayu, Bilanydjiyu, she hits it.

Mirrinyu, oooo, gananan ŋaya, liyuwan Bilaliŋu, ŋunya ŋarri durryuna Mirrinyu, Wuymirri.

The whale leaves, after marking her territory with her tail; she leaves that territory; the whales move away.

Yeee, aaa durryuna ŋunya ŋarri Mirrinyu dhawuykthun dhäwuyu nyepan maŋan Wulpundu, Balalŋu, yeee, Balalŋu nyepan, Bukuyum ŋunya ŋarri Durryun Mirrinyu Djaybayu, Bandawiyu, Bandayŋa, Dhakalŋayu, Ŋarrayarriya, Nalkumayu.

Yes, the whale dives down and then surfaces, with her mouth open, the whale Wuymirri. The spout of the whale, it leaves clouds Wulpundu, Balalŋu. Yes, Balalŋu, the marking of the cloud, the whale makes a cloud with her head and turns towards Djayba, she goes down towards the islands of Bandawiyu, Bandayŋa, Dhakalŋayu, Ŋarrayarriya, Nalkumayu.

Durryuwan Mirrinyu, yoltha nhäma ŋarru dhawuya Mirrinyu djambatjŋuyum, yeeee, Liya-balkurrthu, Dhakalŋa, Ŋarrayarri, Bolumi, Wärruyu.

The whales surface; who else will see the waterspout coming up and forming a cloud, the cloud created by the whale spout? The turtle hunter will see the clouds; the hunter who comes from the source of the rain, at Dhakalŋa, Ŋarrayarri, Bolumi, where the bamboos are; the Wärruyu wind blows, the turtle hunters feel the salty sea spray on their body; it stays there, as they paddle.

Yeeee, durryuna ŋunya ŋarri Mirrinyu, Nalandji.

In awe, the hunters watch the whales surface, the Mirrinyu, Nalandji, the monster of the deep [a deep name for the whale].

Gananan ŋaya Wuymirri Burarrwutwutthun.

The whale leaves with her tail above the surface, her tail slides down softly; the monster so graceful and gentle.

Ŋunya ŋarri durryun, bilayu ŋaya liyuwan Makuma, Gandariya, Bilali.

There, the whale is surfacing, hitting the surface with her tail, hitting the waters of Makuma, Gandariya; the place becomes her Bilali, her territory, marked by her tail.

Yeee, gananan ŋaya bilayu liyuwan Manbuyŋa.

With a sense of awe and wonder, I am the whale, I hit the water with my tail and leave the waters of Manbuyŋa, my Yirritja water.

Bi ŋaya durryun Liya-balkurrkul Dhakalŋa, Ŋarrayarriwyu, Nalkumayu.

There, I surface, my pod of whales surfaces together, our heads facing towards the essence of the rain, towards the hunter; when we face towards the hunter our minds connect with him, we become one.

Yeeee, Djambatjŋuya nhäŋal maŋan nhepaynga neparrŋarrimunyan.

Yes, the turtle hunter sees the layering clouds, one behind the other.

Mirrinyu ŋunya ŋarri durryun Djayba.

The whales over there surface at the islands of Saibai.

Dhakalŋa, Warru, Nalkuma durryun ŋunya ŋarri Mirrinyu dhäwulwulyun.

The whales over there, among the elements of the winds, the water, the spray, they surface, they swim; then the whale, she slides down deeper, to the depths of the ocean.

Bilina.

Finished.