<translate> The big clam shell is there.


<translate> We all, not you, see the spear barb here.


<translate> The dog killed the big black goanna by the roots of the tree in the hot midday sun.

Kaya-ngka walkarr yalbay kunin juku bada-nga, wungar wumbul dindarra-nga.


<translate> You two see the stick there.


<translate> The woman asked mother about news.


<translate> You saw the mirrki kidney bird there.


<translate> The old woman said the change of a green fruit into a ripe one cannot be rushed, and a person who picks the fruit early to hurry it finds only a hard sour thing that will never sweeten off the branch, so she taught that some changes have their own time and cannot be forced, that a child cannot be hurried into an adult nor a grief hurried into peace nor a raw skill hurried into mastery, and that wisdom includes knowing which changes you may push and which you must simply wait upon.

Wulbumanangka balkan yindu mayi jirakalmuny kulbulmuny nyulu kari warri-bungalmuny, bama nyulu mayi bangkal ngadiku warri-bungalka nyulu manil nganga yamba dandi ngambuy nyulu kariku jiba-wulay-mal dakil-karinga, nyulu milbin yindu nyubun-nyubun nyungu-nyungu wungar karrbal kari junkurr-bungalmuny, karrkay nyulu kari warri-bungal mukul-bama-nka wawu-mumbu warri-bungal wunbuku binal buban warri-bungal binal yalbay-ngka, wawu-yukil nyulu binal wanyu yindu yundu jurrngal wanyu yundu nganga maku-janalmuny.


<lexeme> mountain and river flowing from mountain


<translate> The tall strong tree stands beside the river, its many green leaves catching the light.

Juku kalbay junkurr wawubaja karangkal janay, nyungu birra wubul jikan-jikan balbal.


<glossary> janay ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=posture-rest <usage_example> they went and went in the truck, then stopped by the creek

Jana truckmundu warrin warrin, warrin, jana yilkinga.


<translate> We all, not you, see the smooth rock there.


<translate> Two women weaving side by side worked twice as fast as one, not because four hands are faster than two, but because each kept the other's spirits up through the long hours, and the talk made the work light.

Jalbu jambul nyubun-nyubun ngundu wukurrinya jambul-baja junkurr nyubunmuny, kari mara jambul-jambul warri mara jambulmuny, yambada nyubun-nyubun wawu wangkar karrban wungar kalbayka, balka-waybu kirraji buban-manin.


<translate> You see the black tree there.


<glossary> baja ; type=adverb ; domain=manner <usage_example> I don't know what to tell


<translate> They saw the black beetle there.


<translate> Do not tell lies to your own family; the old people say a liar is left all alone in the end.

Kari jurri-l yunu jawun-karra-nka, mukul-bama balka warmbiji-bama nyubun-bu wuna-nya kariku-muny.


<translate> If the tide goes out, we walk on the reef and gather oysters and mussels for the evening meal.

Kaki bana dungay, ngali kulji-nga jilbay, nikar mukirr munjanka.


<glossary> jamba ; type=noun ; domain=land-geography <usage_example> We went along the hillsides


<translate> The old man led the children away from the deep water, up the track, to the safe high camp.

Mukul-dingkar-angka karrkay-karrkay bana dajali-mundu wundin, wangkar jina-burr, bayan wangkar ngulkurr-ka.


<translate> We saw the fire from far away.


<translate> The children ran out to play in the water, and above them a great rainbow stood across the whole sky.

Karrkay-karrkay warrin badil kinkanka bananga, jana wuyar yiril yalbay janay jiri wubulku.


<translate> The two went west and came to the mountain top.


<translate> The little boy sat very quietly, still and silent, like a small grey rock in the hot sun.

Warru buban janka-baja-ku bundan, janka wumbul-ba, yala kulji buban ngungul wungar-a.


<translate> He sees the jalan sea urchin here.


<translate> Do not be jealous of your brother's spear; make your own good straight one from hard wood.

Kari ngujan yunu yaba-mu kalka-ka, bunga-y yunu ngulkurr jinbal juku junkurr-muny.


<translate> He ate all of the meat, and he wanted some more of the sweet fish as well.

Nyulu minya wubul nukan, nyulu kuyu jiba-wulay baja wawu nuka-nka baja.


<translate> The person here is pleasant.


<translate> The old man said: your mother's brother is your uncle; he gives you your first spear and teaches you to hunt — that is his duty to his sister's children.

Mukul-dingkarangka balkan: nyungu kalnga yundu kalka ngadiku dayal, balbi binal-bungal, yinya nyungu kuku babarr-amu karrkay-karrkayka.


<translate> Uncle speared a big fish, but as he pulled it into the canoe a shark came up from the deep water and took it.

Kalngangka kuyu yalbay daman, marrakanba kulbanya, yaburr kadan banamuny bada, maninda.


<translate> The old woman told the children the true story of the country long ago in the cold season.

Mukul-jalbu-ngku karrkay-karrkay-nka kuku yukil bubu-mu balkan kalbay-muny ngiki-wungar-a.


<translate> The old woman's last teaching about change was that a person should make peace with it, for a life is nothing but change from the first breath to the last, and the one who fights every change, clinging to each passing state as though it could be kept, suffers doubly, first losing the thing and then breaking against its loss, while the one who has learned to hold each state lightly, knowing it will change, and to meet each new change as it comes, walks through a whole life of ceaseless changing as through a country of endless and unfolding beauty.

Wulbumanangka nyungu milbil bada yindumuny nyulu bama yinduku kaka-kari-mal, wawu nyulu nganga yindu, wawu ngadikumuny wawu bada bajakumuny, bama nyulu yindu wubulku kuli-mal, karrbal nyubun-nyubun yamba jilba yala nyulu karrbanmuny, wawu-mumbu jambulbu, ngadiku yinya bada-manil yalada nyulu-nyulu dumbarri-ji bada-muny, yambada bama nyulu binalman karrbanka nyubun-nyubun yamba kima-bu, binal nyulu yindu-manmuny, nyaji-wayka yindu jirakal nyubun-nyubun kadanya, jilban wawu wubulku yindu bada-kari yala bubu jirakal bada-kari warmba-malmuny.


<translate> I saw the small sticks there.


<translate> This fish is big and good; we will cook it in the hot ashes tonight.

Yanyu kuyu yalbay ngulkurr; ngana nulu wumbul-a waju-l wujurr-ba.


<translate> That night they ate mudcrab with the relatives and the two families talked until very late.

Yinya kunarangkal jana kiju nukan jawunkarraji, jana jambul balkan kunarangkal bajaku.


<translate> They took the fire stick from the ground.


<translate> The two of them see the kalburiji bee there.


<translate> The child shouted with his mouth.


<translate> My old mother worries too much when I go hunting alone far away in the scrub.

Ngayku ngamu mukul wawu-buyun bajaku, ngayu balbi dunga-y nyubun-bu madja kala-kalbay-ba.


<translate> They saw the freshwater eel here.


<translate> The child could not sleep all night; her eyes stayed hard and open until the cold dawn came at last.

Karrkay miyil-dandi wujurr wubulku, nyungu miyil ngalkal janay wunkuwingku ngiki kada-nya.


<translate> His mouth was dry and there was no saliva; he had walked all day with no water at all.

Nyungu ngandal marral, nyumba kari; nyulu wungar wubulku jilba-nya bana-kari.


<translate> The boy understood and felt ashamed, and the next day he took only one wallaby, and the old man said: Now you are a bigger man than you were yesterday.

Karrkayangka binalman, milka-murruji janay, yindu wungara nyulu darrba nyubun nganga manin, mukulungku dingkarangka balkan: Nyiku yundu dingkar yalbay-baja yilaykumuny.


<glossary> nulu ; type=noun ; domain=fire <usage_example> She cooked damper in the ashes


<translate> They travelled north for many days, following the coast where the sea was always on their right hand, past the great sea-points and the river mouths, until they came to the country where the language changed and they needed a man who could speak both tongues.

Jana kungkarr-mundu jilban wungar wubulku, jalun wukurrin wanja jalun yabarrka nyungu mara yukilba, jalun-ngandal yalbay julay wubulku baja, dukul jana bubungu kadan wanja kuku murni, jana wawu dingkar nyulu kuku jambul balkalmu.


<translate> You and I see the creek there.


<translate> His foot was badly cut on the sharp rock, and the bright blood ran down over his toes.

Nyungu jina kulji jinbal-ba yakan, mula durru-ngu bada warri.


<translate> You and I see the fire stick there.


<glossary> walngkal ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=posture-rest <usage_example> The clothes are hanging on the line


<translate> What did they get from the store down in the town yesterday? — They got flour and sugar.

Wanyu jana bayan-muny yilayku manin? Jana mayi wubul, kambi baja manin.


<translate> They came at last to the great river, too wide and deep to wade, and there they found an old canoe pulled up on the bank, and they pushed it into the water and paddled across to the far shore.

Jana dukul kadan wawubaja yalbay, bada-baja yalbay-baja marijinka, yinya jana marrakan mukul nyajin bana ngundu jajirrinmu, jana marrakan banangu jurrnga, jana ngubar-mundu jilban.


<translate> I am going down to the water. What about you — are you coming too? Yes, I am coming; and my brother, what about him? He is staying to mind the fire.

Ngayu bana-nka dungay. Yundu yala — yundu kada? Yuwu, ngayu kaday; ngayku yaba, nyulu yala? Nyulu baya karrba wunay.


<translate> You and I saw the outrigger canoe here.


<glossary> milka-dalkay ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> The dead person remembered about his wife


<translate> He said: good honey, good family.

Nyulu balkan: wunba ngulkurr, jawunkarra ngulkurr.


<translate> The bandicoot digs in the soft ground for grubs and roots in the night.

Kulngu bubu kima-nga bakan, jambun bangkan mani-nka wujurr-ba.


<translate> They saw the bilbil-bilbil gecko here.


<translate> The wind came in the late afternoon.


<translate> You saw the jabil lizard here.


<translate> The child picked up the egg, held it very carefully, and carried it back to the camp.

Karrkay-angka diburr kulban, ngulkurr karrban, bayan-ka wundin-baja.


<translate> That nakawarra bee is there.


<translate> We all, not you, see the large mud clam there.


<translate> A man with a good spear, a spear-thrower, and a shield is a man ready for the hunt in the morning.

Dingkar kalka ngulkurr-jirr, balur-jirr, kunjuri-jirr, yinya dingkar balbi-nyaku wunkuwingku.


<translate> The cassowary is standing outside.


<translate> The two of them see the kangaroo rat here.


<translate> The sand is softer than the stone.


<translate> The canoes slid out onto the flat sea.


<translate> They saw the kurrmaja larvae there.


<translate> The old woman said: Your cousin's spear does not make your own any worse; it is the same spear it was before you saw his, so the loss is not real — you made it yourself, in your own mind.

Wulbumanangka balkan: Yaba nyungu kalka yundu nyungu kalka kari mumbu-manil; nyubun kalka yala ngadiku yundu nyungumuny nyajinyjiku, yinya kilba kari yukil — yundu nyulu-nyulu ngaran, nyungu milkanga.


<translate> You all see the dukul-dukul bush there.


<translate> The woman put the dilly bag at camp.


<translate> We see the kakarr grass here.


<translate> When the water went down at last, the people came back to a changed country and began the slow work of making a new camp.

Bana bada dunganda ngadiku, bama kadan baja bubu yindungu, badil kirrajin buban-buban bayan jirakal ngaranka.


<translate> We, not you, saw the kalngkan small mullet there.


<translate> We all, not you, see the board there.


<translate> The old woman said watch the fire, not the food, when you cook, for the fire tells you everything: too much flame and the outside burns before the inside cooks, too little and the food sits raw and cold, but a steady bed of coals with no flame at all is the secret of good cooking, and learning to make and hold that bed is half the skill.

Wulbumanangka balkan: baya nyaji, kari mayi, yundu wajunya, baya yundunka yamba wubulku milbil: wula wubul ngalanga jirra dukurr-bu wajul ngadiku, wula buban mayi nganja kiway-kiway janji, ngunjil birra wula-kari junkurr nyulu waju-yukilmu kuku, birra yinya bunganka karrbanka baja kirraji buban.


<translate> Cook the meat before the children come!

Minya wayju, karrkay-karrkay kadanyjiku!


<translate> The two old men sat by the fire and talked all night about where the kangaroos were feeding.

Mukul-dingkar jambul baya ngundu bundan, kuku balka-l-balka-n wujurr wubulku, wanja mayarriji nukal.


<glossary> yunu ; type=adjective ; domain=grammatical-particle <usage_example> Where is your dog?


<translate> They two saw the wooden sword here.


<translate> Ask the dillybag expert about dillybags.


<translate> The story about Kubirri is long.


<translate> The thunder and the lightning came together, and then the heavy rain poured straight down.

Jabulbina, balbay baja muru kadan, yalada kaba yalbay jinbal-baja daran.


<translate> It floated well and true, and the young men were proud of the raft they had made together.

Marrakan bananga ngulkurr bundandan, warru-warru wawu-mini nyungu marrakanmu, jana jambulku ngaranmuny.


<translate> We saw the kurrmaja larvae here.


<glossary> nganjar ; type=adverb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> The child come to have some icecream (he didn't ask for it, just stayed to see if he would get some)

Nyulu karrkay nganjar kadan ice cream nukanka


<lexeme> {'english': 'I put out the food on the table', 'translation': 'Ngayu mayi wamban tablebu'}


<translate> Where did you leave the digging stick — I cannot find it anywhere?

Yundu juku-baka wanjabu bawan — ngayu milbil-kari wanjabu?


<glossary> nyinyi ; type=adjective ; domain=value-quality <usage_example> That is child is crying for nothing, he's a sook


<translate> The people traded shells and ochre with the inland groups; they gave bailer shells and red ochre, and got stone for axes and hard wood for spears.

Bamangka milbar, murbuy kuwa-bama-ji dajiway; jana warkal, murbuy dayan, jana kulji warrbi-nka, juku dandi kalka-nka manin.


<translate> The old woman sang softly to herself as she wove the strong dilly bag from the green lawyer cane.

Mukul-jalbu wulngku badi janka nyungu-nka, nyulu ngunyin junkurr bungal kaku birra-muny.


<translate> We all, not you, see the barracuda there.


<translate> The hunter crept close through the long grass, held his spear up high, and struck the feeding kangaroo.

Balbi-bama janka jilba jikan kalbay-burr, kalka wangkar karrban, mayarriji nuka-nya daman.


<glossary> nyarrmal ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=manipulation-impact <usage_example> Snatch it quickly from his hand


<translate> The dog stole the meat from the fire and ran into the scrub.

Kayangka minya ngakin bayamuny, madjanga warrinda.


<translate> The young men went through the grass.


<translate> The old grandmother's hands were bent and slow with age now, the old woman said, but she could still weave the very finest dilly-bag of anyone in the whole camp.

Babi mukul-mu mara duku niji, mukul-jalbu balkan, yamba nyulu ngunyin ngulkurr bajaku jaba bama wubulku-muny bayan-ba.


<translate> This is why we tell the old stories, said the old man, so the knowledge of rare and terrible things is never lost between the times they come.

Yala ngana kuku ngadiku balkal, mukulungku dingkarangka balkan, yamba yinil kadan buban binal kari kilbanka wungar wubulku jana kadanya ngundu.


<translate> How did you ever catch so very many fish in a single short morning, the children asked, staring wide-eyed at the full heavy dilly-bag.

Wanjarr yundu kuyu wubul bajaku nyubun wunkuwingku buban-ba manin? karrkay-karrkay nyajin, ngunyin warmba kulngkul miyil yalbay-bu nyaji-nyaji.


<translate> The old woman taught the child to build a cooking fire the right way: clear the ground to bare earth, lay the small dry sticks first in a little heap, light them low, and add the bigger wood only when the small flame is strong, for a fire built greedy with big wood smothers before it lives.

Wulbumanangka karrkay milbin baya waju-bayan bunganka yukil yala: bubu karra janga-manda, juku buban marral ngadiku daya buban-manda, wula bada, juku yalbay daya nyubun wula buban junkurrbu, baya ngujanbu juku yalbaybu bungan nyulu wula-manda nyulu janayka ngadiku.


<translate> The baringkan small bird is there.


<translate> Say sorry with your hands too — mend what you broke, and pick up what you dropped.

Balka dukul-kulnkul marabu baja: murni wanyu yundu dumbarrin, mana wanyu yundu bawan.


<translate> The two sisters married two brothers from the other camp across the river, the old woman said, so that the two families were joined together twice over.

Babarr-jarra jambul yaba-jarra jambul bayan yindu-mu bana-jandu-muny dunyu-mani, mukul-jalbu balkan, bama-jarra jambul muru-ma-l jambulu.


<translate> Auntie gave every child a piece of damper.

Bimayngka damba dajin karrkayanda wubulku.


<lexeme> upper reaches of the Bloomfield River


<translate> I see the kangaroo rat there.


<translate> You see the jalan sea urchin here.


<translate> The old man said: the country answers only those who ask. Ask the water where the fish are, ask the sky when the rain comes, ask the old ones who your people are — a person who never asks walks blind through a country full of knowledge.

Mukul-dingkarangka balkan: bubu-ngku babaji-bama nyubun balkal. Bana babaji wanjabu kuyu, jiri babaji wanja-wanja bana kaday, mukul-mukul babaji wanya yunu bama — bama kari babaji-l nyulu miyil-kari bubu binal-wubul-bu jilba.


<translate> You see the yurrunji tree here.


<translate> They do not know the language nowadays.


<translate> The black cherry tree is there.


<translate> I came from the far northern country, walked along the river track, and stayed at the big camp.

Ngayu bubu kala-kalbay kungkarr-muny kadan, wawubaja jina-burr jilban, bayan yalbay-mba bundan.


<translate> The little child is washing itself in the cool water of the creek this morning.

Karrkay buban bana ngiki-nga julurri-ji wawubaja-nga wunkuwingku.


<translate> We see the kunjarri palm here.


<translate> You saw the kalngkan small mullet here.


<translate> The old woman took the children out at the right season with their digging sticks and showed them how to read the dry vine on the surface that tells where a yam sleeps below, and how to dig around it carefully and lift it whole, for a yam broken in the digging cannot be stored and half of it is lost.

Wulbumanangka karrkay-karrkay wangan wungar yukilba jana jaba baja milbin yala nganja jarra bubu ngalanga nyajil nyulu juwal wanja bada wunay, yala nyulu ngundu buban-buban bakal wangkar-manilka wubulku, juwal kaka-manda bakalba murruji karrbal buban kilba-baja.


<translate> He tied the sharp barbed point firmly onto the top end of the long spear shaft.

Nyulu biyul jinil-ji kalka dara wangkar-a junkurr kajan.


<translate> The old man said do not lose heart: dig the ground again, set the trap again, walk the country again, and at last the food will come.

Mukul-dingkar balkan: jiba baluda wula, bubu baka-baja, jina-jina kaja-baja, bubu jilba-baja, badanga mayi kaday.


<translate> Everywhere you dig here you find someone's morning — move the camp, not the ground.

Yiringkurr yundu bakal yanyaba, yundu muduwaju bamamuny manil: bayan wundi, kari bubu.


<translate> You all see the wooden sword there.


<translate> They saw the mungari kaori pine there.


<translate> They saw the mirrki kidney bird here.


<glossary> karangal ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=perception <usage_example> That man sneaked around to see if there was any meat


<translate> He saw the mirrbangku pencil cedar tree here.


<translate> The pebble here is not round.


<translate> What are you ill with, my grandchild, the old woman asked softly, laying her cool hand on the sick child's hot forehead.

Yundu wanyurri-nji bambay, ngayku kaminjarr? mukul-jalbu-ngku janka nyajin, nyungu mara ngiki karrkay bambay-mu walu wumbul-ba wandi.


<translate> The old man showed him how to hold the spear and how to wait and how to move without a sound.

Mukulungku dingkarangka nyungu milbin: wanjabu kalka karrbal, wanjabu maku-janay, wanjabu jalamal kari kukuji.


<translate> The dog barked while the strangers were walking toward the camp in the dark.

Kaya yirrkan, bama-yindu bayan-mundu jilba-nya wujurrbu.


<glossary> nbuyun-birrku ; type=adverb ; domain=quantity-number <usage_example> I'll deliver it only once


<glossary> bawaji ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=posture-rest <usage_example> they all went home but I stayed


<translate> We see the giant herring there.


<translate> They saw the baringkan small bird there.


<translate> The young man asked his grandfather: "Why does the grey kangaroo stand like the boss of the wide plain?"

Warru-ngku nyungu kami babajin: Wanyurringku julmbanu janay yala maja bubu-ku, bubu kalbay-mu?


<translate> They see the wurrul shellfish here.


<translate> You two see the wurrbal fog here.


<translate> If the child hits the dog with a stick, it will bite him.

Kaki karrkay-ngka kaya juku-bu kunil, nyunguny baykal.


<translate> The friend asked mother about news.


<translate> Why did you go all the way to that place and not to the nearer water hole?

Wanyurrimbu yundu yinya-ka dungan, bana ngundu-ka kari?


<translate> The scrub turkey is standing outside.


<translate> He sees the kuji-kuji tree there.


<translate> They gave fish to every family at the camp.

Jana kuyu dajin jananda wubulku bayanba.


<translate> The child saw leaves on the tree.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the flea here.


<translate> The swallows fly low and fast over the water before the rain, catching the small flying things in the air.

Mabal bana wangkar bada bila marra-warri kaba ngadiku, minya-buban jiri-nga karrban.


<translate> The two brothers kept standing on the high hill, looking out over the wide sea for the fish.

Yaba jambul janjanay jamba kaka-nga, jalun kalbay nyaji-l-nyaji-l kuyu-ka.


<translate> The old woman said: Give without remembering, receive without forgetting — this is the whole art of exchange between people, and a person who masters it will never be poor, for they will always be owed more love than they can ever spend.

Wulbumanangka balkan: Daji kari binalku, mani kari milka-wula, yinya daji-waymu kuku wubulku bama nyubun-nyubunji, bama nyulu yinya kujil kari mumbu janay yabarrka, jana yabarrka nyungu wawu jirray wubul-baja nyulu wundilmuny.


<translate> The old man had a good feed of meat, and then he slept in the shade.

Mukul-dingkar minya-nga nuka-jin, wabarr-ba wunan.


<translate> The old man smiled and said: That is a good question; the turkey's mound is warm from the rotting leaves, and the young come out from inside.

Mukulungku dingkarangka yajarrin, balkan: Yinya babaji ngulkurr, jarrukamu bubu wumbul birra kabumuny, karrkay dukurrmuny wandil.


<translate> Whose dog is that, barking over there so loudly beside the camp? — It is the old man's dog.

Wanya-mba kaya yinya, bayan ngundu yalbay-bu yirrka-l? Mukul-dingkar-mu kaya.


<glossary> jaway ; type=adjective ; domain=value-quality <usage_example> The old man is very generous


<translate> We two, not you, see the red bream here.


<translate> The deep waterhole under the big fig tree is the best of all in the long dry season.

Janku dukurr baril-baril yalbay bada nyulu ngulkurr bajaku, marral-wungar kalbay-ba.


<lexeme> smoke the inside of a house after the owner dies


<translate> After two moons the young man will come back home to the camp from the far country.

Kija jambul-muny warru bayan-ka kada-y-baja, bubu kalbay-muny.


<translate> And the old man looked at the children in the firelight and knew the country was in good hands.

Mukulungku dingkarangka karrkay-karrkay nyajin bayanga, binal: bubu ngulkurr maranga jananka.


<translate> You see the exposed place here.


<translate> The dog kept running back and forth along the riverbank, barking, for it had smelled something moving in the tall grass.

Kaya wanarri wawubaja wangkar bada-bada, yirrka-yirrka, nyulu junjuy nyaji jikan kalbay-mba jilba-nya.


<translate> This country is our mother; she gives us everything we need to live well.

Bubu yinya ngana-mba ngamu; nyulu ngana-nka yamba wubulku daji wunay-ka.


<translate> The old man said: we make each other who we are — the elder makes the child wise, the child keeps the elder alive in memory, and so the people never truly die, but pass their knowing from hand to hand forever.

Mukul-dingkarangka balkan: ngali nyubun-nyubun-ji bama-bungal — mukulungku karrkay binal-bungal, karrkayangka mukul juran-bungal milka-nga, bama kariku wula, jana binal mara-burr daji-way ngadiku-ngadiku.


<translate> I washed myself in the cold creek at dawn, hid my food from the dogs, and then went out to hunt.

Ngayu wawubajanga kiway julurri-jin wungar wangkara, ngayku mayi kaya-muny ngakin, balbi dungan.


<translate> The rumor ran around the camp three times and came home tired and thinner — feed stories only what they have earned.

Kuku-warri bayan murnin kulurbu, kadan baja baja-burray bala-baja: mayi-daya kuku-jangkar nganga wanyu jana maninmuny.


<translate> People made too much noise at night, and the old man told them to be quiet because the children were sleeping.

Bama nyurra-baka wujurr-ba, mukul-dingkarangka jana-nka balkan, janka, karrkay-karrkay warngku wunay.


<glossary> walku ; type=adverb ; domain=motion-travel <usage_example> I went right past the house


<translate> The bird's eggs are in the tree.


<translate> You two see the kundurr-kundurr crescent perch here.


<lexeme> see and know someone before he sees and knows you


<glossary> ngangkal ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> I found him here without expecting him


<translate> The Moreton Bay ash tree is standing there.


<translate> We all, not you, see the hillside there.


<translate> My mother dived for the big mussels in the deep water beyond the reef.

Ngayku ngamungka mukirr yalbay-ka janjin bana dukurr-ba dulngku kudamundu.


<translate> The two of them saw the murrkul tree there.


<translate> They called one man face-hard because not one word could turn him, the old woman remembers, and at first the young men thought that was strength, but the flood took his camp close by the creek after all the people had warned him, and now the people say: a hard face is a soft shelter.

Bamangka dingkar nyubun kunjan walu-dandi, kuku nyubunbu kariku nyulu murnin, wulbumanangka milka-binalku, ngadiku warru-warru milkabu baykan yinya junkurr, yambada bana-yalbaybu bayan nyungu manin ngundu wawubajanga, bama wubulku milbin ngadiku, yalada bamangka balkal: walu dandi nyulu bayan kima.


<translate> Put the meat up high, away behind the camp from the dogs.

Minya wangkar wuna, kaya bayan-mu kudamundu.


<translate> The men wove the big fish net from strong string, working together for many days by the evening fire.

Dingkar-angka makarr yalbay bungal karra junkurr-bu, muru bungal wungar wubul baya ngundu.


<translate> We see the freshwater turtle here.


<translate> The freshwater turtle is good.


<translate> The mosquitoes are bad by the swamp in the wet season, and they bite all night.

Kamu wubul daburri karangkal bana-wungar-a, baykal wujurr wubulku.


<translate> We all, not you, see the boomerang here.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the darrba grass wallaby here.


<translate> You all see the jumper ant here.


<translate> You see the older sister here.


<translate> You saw the mali small bat there.


<translate> You all see the kalburiji bee here.


<translate> A young boy came with the hunters for the first time, carrying a small spear his father had made him.

Karrkay warru balbibamaji kadanyarr, kalka buban jarra-kulban, babangka nyungu ngaranmuny.


<translate> You two see the kawarr bloodwood tree here.


<translate> The old people gathered the green ants by the handful and crushed them into water for a sharp sour drink, the old man said, and it made a sick person well.

Mukul-bama munjurr mara-bu mujal, bana-ka murni ngunyanji-mani-nka, mukul-dingkar balkan, nyulu bama bambay ngulkurr-bungal.


<translate> The woman sees the loya cane there.


<glossary> baru ; type=noun ; domain=body-part <usage_example> she is holding the child in her lap


<translate> The little ones fell asleep one by one, dreaming of the old woman and her first fire.

Ngawa-ngawa warngku wunan nyubun-nyubun, bijarrinya wulbumanka nyungu bayaka ngadikumuny.


<translate> We see the willie wagtail here.


<translate> Slowly the leg grew strong again, and in the end he could walk and run and climb as before.

Buban-bubanku jandal junkurrmanda baja, nyulu jilba dungay, warri, dakal yala ngadiku.


<translate> "Who are those people walking up the sandy beach towards our camp in the early morning light?"

Wanya yinya bama jilba jukar wangkar ngaliny bayan-ka wunkuwingku balbal-ba?


<translate> The two of them see the king parrot there.


<translate> You saw the wurrbu hornet here.


<translate> You see the posterior there.


<translate> You and I saw the ngurrkul fig tree there.


<translate> The woman swept the ground clean before she set up the camp.

Jalbungku bubu kidan, bayan ngara-nyjiku.


<translate> You see the freshwater crocodile here.


<translate> The old people say the country speaks in dreams to the ones who have listened all day first.

Bama mukulbu balkal bubu balkal bijarrbu bamanka milka-jananmunyka wungar wubulku ngadiku.


<translate> They saw the kukur rat here.


<translate> The Torres Strait Island pigeon is standing outside.


<translate> The firestick is there in the fire.


<translate> The man brought the club from the house.


<translate> The brolgas dance together on the open floodplain at the end of the wet season, the old woman said, rising and bowing and spreading their great wings.

Kulbal muru jurbu bubu ngalkal jalungkarr-mu-ba kaba-wungar kunbayn-nya, mukul-jalbu balkan, jana wandi bada-ma-l, nangki yalbay ngalkal-ma-l.


<translate> The children jumped into the water.


<translate> The old man stood behind the tall tree, watching the two strangers walk across the open ground.

Mukul-dingkar juku kalbay kudamundu janay, bama yindu jambul naka-naka jilba-nya bubu ngalkal-ba.


<lexeme> smoke the inside of a house after the owner dies


<translate> You two see the jadalangka animal leg here.


<translate> Kangaroo tracks at the water — a big fellow, moving slowly, holding one foot soft.

Jina mayarrijimuny banaba: yalbay, jilbal buban-buban, jina nyubun kima karrbal.


<translate> You saw the bulnja frogmouth here.


<translate> The dry country without water is only a beautiful grave, the old people always said.

Bubu marral bana-kari nyulu ngulkurr wula-bubu janka, mukul-bama wungar wubulku balkan.


<translate> The black cockatoos screamed in the tall trees, and the old people knew the storm was coming near.

Kadanji juku kalbaymba yirrkan, mukul-mukul binalman jarramali ngundu kada-nya.


<glossary> ngarrku-ngarrku ; type=adjective ; domain=value-quality <usage_example> That person is easy to get along with in working (If you ask him to do anything, he does it quickly)


<translate> I see the jalnji tree there.


<translate> You two saw the wawukuna long wild yam there.


<translate> The bush medicine is for the sick child.


<translate> We cracked nuts all afternoon, and the shells lay in a heap by the fire.

Ngana darka dumbarrin wungar bada-nya, dumbul baya karangkal wunan wubulku.


<translate> You and I see the jukar-warra whirlwind there.


<translate> The big fig tree stands beside the water, and the children climb it every day.

Jarrangkal yalbay janay bananga, karrkay-karrkay dakal jukungu wungar-wungar.


<translate> Do you want to eat this sweet honey now, or are you not hungry yet? — Yes, give it to me!

Yundu wawu wunba jiba-wulay niji nuka-nka, yamba yundu dakwuy kari? Yuwu, nganya daji!


<translate> Mother washes her hands before eating.

Ngamu mara julurri-ji, mayi nuka-nyjiku.


<translate> The woman saw the stone on the ground.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the dukul-mukul lizard here.


<translate> That blue spotted fantail ray is here.


<translate> The two of them see the jumper ant there.


<translate> You see the light-coloured clothing there.


<lexeme> nyulu present ngayku dajin, "he gave me a present"


<translate> The two of them see the red bream here.


<translate> The kumin fig tree is there.


<glossary> mulkal-mulkal ; type=noun ; domain=spirit-mythical-being <usage_example> They're fighting for no reason. Someone will have a baby.

Bula mulkal-mulkal; somebodyngka baby haveim-bungal


<lexeme> child who has just learned to talk


<translate> They two see the bamboo spear stick there.


<translate> They saw that wurmbariji scrub tree.


<lexeme> bad spirit in form of crocodile


<translate> They saw the mulumu dove here.


<translate> The long strong roots of the fig tree go deep down into the wet dark ground.

Baril-baril bangkan kalbay junkurr bubu dukurr-ka bada dungan, bubu kima ngungul.


<translate> The camp is on the mountain.


<translate> You see the baldy gum tree here.


<translate> The children caught the small crabs in the mud where the mangroves grow.

Karrkay-karrkay-angka wurru-bulan buban manin kambal-kambal-ba kajul karangkal.


<translate> We all, not you, see the red bream here.


<translate> The dingo hunts alone in the night, following the scent of the wallaby through the dark scrub.

Murramu nyubun-bu balbi wujurr-ba, kadar jina wukurrin madja ngungul-burr.


<translate> The women kept digging and digging in the soft ground by the swamp, and their dilly-bags filled slowly with the long white roots.

Jalbu-jalbu baka-baka bubu daburr ngundu, nyungu ngunyin warmba buban-buban ngara kalbay balbal-jirr.


<translate> The young man saw the snake in the grass.


<translate> We see the mackerel sky there.


Nganjan-angka jina wubul warrmba-bungan.


<translate> A storm is coming — let's go home!


<translate> We two, not you, see the miral water scum here.


<translate> The men cut a canoe-tree, carved it out with fire and axe, and dragged it to the water; it took a whole moon, and when it floated all the camp came to see.

Dingkar-dingkarangka marrakan-juku yakan, baya-bu, warrbi-bu yakan, bana-nga yiringkan; kija nyubun dungan, marrakan yaru-ba jana-nya, bama wubul nyaji kadan.


<translate> We two (not you) see the spear barb there.


<translate> You two see the mulumu dove here.


<translate> The old man said the cassowary is the most feared of all the animals in the deep scrub.

Mukul-dingkarangka balkan kurranji jarra-yinil minya wubul-ku ngalkal-bubu-ngu.


<translate> The two of them saw the sea there.


<glossary> milka-daray ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> The young man and girl did wrong in the bush

Bulu maral and warru milka-daran duduymbu


<translate> The dogs slept outside; the people slept inside.

Kaya-kaya ngalkalba warngku wunan; bama kananga warngku wunan.


<translate> The rain filled the billycans overnight.


<translate> The young man turned around.


<glossary> julngkal ; type=noun ; domain=manipulation-impact <usage_example> I rubbed the medicine on the sore


<translate> The old man wants to teach the boy the names of all the birds.

Mukul-dingkar karrkay binal-bunga-nka, nyungu buyi wubul-mu burri.


<translate> He saw the biwul snake there.


<translate> The child sees the saltwater crocodile.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the barramundi here.


<translate> The old man said a good gathering-place is a gift from the old people, who planted and dropped the seeds here for those not yet born.

Mukul-dingkar balkan: mayi-bubu ngulkurr mukul-bama-mu dajin, jana diburr yinya-ba wandin bama kada-nya-nka kariku.


<translate> Who did you go hunting with in the scrub this morning?

Yundu wanyanji balbin madja-nga wunkuwingku?


<translate> We two, not you, see the wurrbal fog here.


<translate> The turkey is scratching in the leaves.


<translate> I put the boomerang in the shade.


<translate> Don't eat that fruit; it is not yet ripe and it will only hurt you badly.

Kari nuka mayi yinya! Nyulu kayal-baja, yununy kaka-mani-l junkurr.


<translate> We saw the wooden sword there.


<translate> They saw the mungka-mungka tree there.


<translate> Say what you saw, not what you decided about it — the first is short, the second is long, and only the first is yours to give.

Balka wanyu yundu nyajin, kari wanyu yundu milkabu baykan yinyamuny: ngadiku buban, jambulku kalbay, ngadiku nganga yundumuny dayanka.


<translate> He said: good honey, good family.

Nyulu balkan: wunba ngulkurr, jawunkarra ngulkurr.


<translate> Don't sit there — there's a snake!


<translate> The boy's face went hot and he told the truth, and the old man nodded and said no more about it.

Karrkaymu walu wumbulmanda, nyulu yukil balkan, mukul dingkar dukul jurrkin, kari balkan baja.


<translate> We two, not you, see the kurruba freshwater fish here.


<lexeme> child who has just learned to talk


<translate> The child's face went hot with shame, and then he told the old man the whole truth.

Karrkay-mu walu wumbul-ma-n murru-kaday-bu, nyulu mukul-dingkar-nka manubaja narmba balkan.


<translate> You and I saw the jingajalka tree there.


<translate> We saw the kawarr bloodwood tree here.


<translate> The man broke the billycan with a stone.

Dingkar-angka jungkalu kulji-bu dumbarrin.


<translate> The young man got a spear and then went to the sea.

Warru-ngku kalka manin, jalun-bu dungan-da.


<translate> A cyclone came from the sea.


<translate> Grandfather saw the road there.


<translate> From the deep, still water the big crocodile watched the dogs drinking on the muddy bank.

Bana dajali-mundu bilngkumu yalbay kaya nyajin nuka-nya daburri buyun-ba.


<translate> The old man said if you would test whether a thing is worth doing, imagine you have already done it and grown old, and ask whether the old you looks back with pride or with regret, for the young mind lies to get what it wants but the old mind you imagine tells only the truth.

Mukulungku dingkarangka balkan: kaki yundu yamba nyaji nyulu bunganka yukil, milka yundu yabarrka bungan mukul-manda, babaji mukul yundu kurrka-nyaji-ji wawu-minibu dukul walu-jirrbu-jirrbubu, milka warru warmbil nyungu wawu maninka yambada milka mukul yundu milkanya kuku yukil nganga balkal.


<translate> You saw the karrandal tree there.


<translate> The child ran and ran until he was too tired, then he sat down to rest beside the track.

Karrkay warri warri baja-burray-nyjiku, bundan jina karangkal wawu-wulay-muny.


<glossary> mulkay-warri ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> I watched them playing and I felt happy

Ngayu jananiin nyajin ngujurinya, ngayu mulkay-warrin


<translate> After the meal they have a rest.


<translate> We heard a song from the house.


<translate> The white people put the thinking in the brains in the head, the old man told the young men, and the old people put it in the ear, and the feeling in the liver, and he laughed: both speak true, but watch which words stand longest, for ear-hard and liver-soft still show a person truer than any word built out of brains.

Waybalangka baykal-yamba bungal kirungu dukulba, mukulungku dingkarangka warru-warru milbin, bama mukulungku bungal yinya milkanga, wawu-yamba jibanga, nyulu yajarr-man: jambul yukil balkal, yambada nyaji wanyu kuku janay kalbay, milka-dandi jiba-kima nyulu bama milbil yukil-baja, kuku kirumuny nyulu buban milbil.


<translate> You all see the queenfish here.


<translate> The two of them see the ngadil hickory tree here.


<translate> You and I see the kakaji mangrove tree here.


<translate> We see the diburr-miyil eyeball here.


<translate> The big mudcrab fights hard, its claws up in the air, so you hold it firmly from behind.

Kiju yalbay kuli-mal, nyungu mara yalbay wangkar, yundu dandi karrbal kudamundu.


<translate> We all, not you, see the hole there.


<translate> We see the stony crossing there.


<translate> The old woman would have cooked the crayfish, but there was no fire.

Wulbuman ngajay waju-nyaku, yambada baya-kari.


<translate> The children caught small fish with a hook and bait in the still water of the creek all afternoon.

Karrkay kuyu buban karrban badur-bu mandurr-ji wawubaja bana-janka-nga wungar wubulku.


<glossary> ngaral ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=manipulation-impact <usage_example> The carpenters are building a house

Jana carpenter-carpenterangka bayan ngaral-ngaral


<translate> Give the meat juice to the roots — throw nothing away, the fat is the best part.

Wuynkurr daya bangkanba, kari yamba yilba, wandul nyulu yukil bajaku.


<translate> The young man cut a long straight bamboo shaft and made himself a good fishing spear.

Warru-ngku dara jinbal kalbay kulban, nyulu-nyulu kalka ngulkurr bungan.


<translate> You two see the tree kangaroo here.


<translate> I saw the mawul freshwater eel here.


<translate> The old man said a promise with intention behind it and a promise without any are opposite things wearing the same words, and he could tell them apart in a person's face, so he taught the young to make few promises and keep every one, for a person known for promises-with-keeping is trusted with everything, while a person of empty promises is soon believed in nothing at all.

Mukulungku dingkarangka balkan kuku-junkurr wawu-ji kuku-junkurr wawu-kari yindu-yindu yamba kuku nyubun buwan, nyulu balkal jana bama miyilba, nyulu warru milbin kuku buban bunganka nyubun wubulku karrbanka, bama binal kuku-junkurr-karrba-ji nyulu wawu-karrbal yamba wubulkubu, bama kuku-junkurr-kari nyulu nganga kariku wawu-karrbal yamba nyubunku.


<translate> The young man built a new shelter and the young woman's mother taught her the ways of a new camp.

Warrungku bayan jirakal ngaran, maralmu ngamungka nyungu milbin bayan jirakalmu yala.


<translate> There are many flowers on the tree.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the kulmba-kulmba gecko there.


<translate> You and I see the bamboo spear stick there.


<translate> You and I saw the sandfly here.


<translate> Learn the lazy road last, the old man surprised them: first do it the long way many times, until the tool trusts you — then the short roads introduce themselves, and only then are they short roads and not waiting pain.

Binal-ma baral warri badaku, mukulungku dingkarangka jana yinil-man: murni-ngurr baral kalbaybu wubulkubu, yamba-murni yununka dandi-manyjiku, yalada baral buban nyulu-nyulu milbil, yalada nganga jana baral buban yukil, kari kaka janaynya.


<translate> The older sister made a sack for mother to carry.

Babarr-angka kurmun balkan, ngamu-ngku jarrakulba-nka.


<translate> There were bird calls the old people listened for with particular care, for certain ones were said to carry news of a visitor coming, or of a death somewhere far off, and though the young might laugh, the old man would only say quietly that he had heard these things prove true too many times across a long life to dismiss them.

Buyi-kuku nyubun-nyubun bama mukul ngaran milka-yukilbu, buyi nyubun-nyubun balkan bama-yindu kadalmuny kuku jarrakulbal, yambada wula-bama kala-kalbay ngunduku, warru jana yajarrinya baja, mukulungku dingkarangka nganga balkan dandi-bu nyulu ngaran yinya yamba yukil-manda wubul-baja wawu kalbaymuny kari bawanka.


<translate> The old man asked grandmother about water.


<translate> The old woman said never strip a plant bare: take some, leave some, and it will feed your children's children long after you are gone.

Mukul-jalbu balkan: mayi-juku baluda narmba bangka — kanbal mani, kanbal wuna, nyulu karrkay-mu karrkay dajil marri yundu wula-ny-muny.


<translate> The two of them saw the jiljay grub here.


<glossary> kana ; type=noun ; domain=location-deixis <usage_example> we are sitting inside the house


<glossary> kural ; type=noun ; domain=location-deixis <usage_example> He swam under water


<translate> We two (not you) see the bamboo spear stick there.


<translate> That person there is skilled.


<translate> The two of them see the charcoal there.


<translate> The old men kept telling and re-telling the story of the great flood again and again for many days.

Wulman-wulman kuku bana yalbay-mu balka-l-balka-n, jururr jururr baja wungar wubul-muny.


<translate> The fish net lay in the bag.


<translate> They saw the wurmbariji scrub tree there.


<translate> Who goes hunting today? — The ones with strong legs and without small babies.

Wanya balbinka dungay nyiku? Bama jandal-junkurr-ji, ngawa-kari.


<translate> At last the old dog found the boy asleep under a big tree, cold but not hurt.

Kaya mukulungku karrkay nyajin juku yalbaymba, warngku wunanya, kiway yambada kari kaka.


<translate> That country over the range is quite different from my own, the old man said — different trees, different birds, and different talk.

Bubu yinya jamba kudamundu kari yala bubu ngayku, mukul-dingkar balkan — juku yindu, buyi yindu, kuku yindu.


<translate> We two, not you, see the seashore here.


<translate> In one cold season a boastful young man said, I sleep without a fire in the dark, and by the second dawn he was sitting close by the old woman's fire with the blanket around his ears, and she gave him warm food and said only one word: the cold and the young men have been arguing since before the first fire, and the cold has never once lost.

Bulur-iji nyubunba warru kuku-yalbay balkan, ngayu baya-kari wunay wujurrba, muduwaju jambulbu nyulu bundan wulbuman bayanga ngundu, nyulu bundan kararr-ji milkanga, wulbumanangka nyulu mayi wumbul dayan, kuku nyubun nganga balkan: kiway warru-warrunji balka-way baya ngadiku ngadikumuny, nyulu kariku nyubunbu bada-manin.


<translate> The old people said: help each other, and the country will look after you all.

Bama mukul balkan: mara-daji-wa, bubu-bu yundu karrbal wubulku.


<translate> We two, not you, see the hole here.


<glossary> nganjar-nganjar ; type=adverb ; domain=speech-communication <usage_example> He came to find out where they got the grog from (didn't ask, just hinted to find out)

Nyulu nganjar-nganjar kadan, jana wanjamun kamukamu manin


<translate> In the dry season the men wade out onto the reef at low tide and spear the big kingfish in the clear still pools.

Marral-wungar dingkar-dingkar dulngku-ka janji ngajal-ba, danbal yalbay kalka-bu dama bana janka balbal-ba.


<translate> The two of them see the murral tree kangaroo here.


<translate> They see the sugar glider there.


<translate> They see the deep water there.


<translate> The child went into the scrub and got lost.


<translate> The old man spoke quietly and slowly, and all the young people sat still to hear his true words.

Mukul-dingkar balkan janka buban-buban, warru narmba janka bundan nyungu kuku yukil nyaji-nka.


<translate> The old woman saw the girl's face.


<translate> The many snakes came out in the wet season and moved through the long, wet green grass.

Jarba-jarba kaba-wungar-a kadan, jikan duna kalbay-burr jilba-nya wubul.


<translate> We see the mungka-mungka tree here.


<translate> You two see the flames there.


<translate> You two see the jukar-warra whirlwind here.


<lexeme> First bay south of Bloomfield River along coast


<translate> They put paperbark in the ground oven.


<translate> The two of them see the lizard there.


<glossary> yukil ; type=adjective ; domain=value-quality <usage_example> Is it true that he came?


<translate> The old man threw the spear and missed, and threw again, and missed again, and threw a third time, and this time the pig fell.

Mukul-dingkarangka kalka daman, kima-kari, daman-baja, kima-kari-baja, daman jambulumbul-mu, niji bikibiki daran.


<translate> We saw the birinjil centipede here.


<translate> We all, not you, see the perch there.


<translate> You two saw the jirimandi coconut tree here.


<translate> I saw the mirrku kidney bird there.


<translate> You two saw the dijarr freshwater perch there.


<translate> Uncle made a song about the big water that same season.

Kalngangka wulngku balkan banaka yalbayka.


<translate> Walk towards the rising sun in the morning, and you will come to the sea by the middle of the day.

Wungar wandi-nya maku jilba-y wunkuwingku, yundu jalun-ka kadan wungar dindarra-nga.


<translate> I see the freshwater eel here.


<translate> The marngkil ti tree is here.


<translate> The sea turtle came up onto the sandy beach at night and covered her round white eggs.

Ngawiya jukar-a wujurr-ba wandin, diburr warral-warral wubul bubu-ngu nandan.


<translate> A girl came down badly out of a tree and twisted her ankle, and it grew big and hot, so her grandmother sat her in the cold running water of the creek, and the heat slowly went, and she bound the ankle close with soft bark, and for many days the girl learned to sit still, which the old woman called the ankle's own teaching.

Jalbu-buban kadan bada jukumuny mumbu, wulu nyungu murnin, wulu yalbay-man wumbul-man, babingka nyulu bundan bana kiway-kiwaymba wawubajanga, wumbul buban-buban dungan, nyulu wulu kajan murrba warrurbu kimabu, wungar wubulku jalbu-buban binalman wunbu bundanka, wulbumanangka yinya kunjan wulu nyungu-nyungu milbil.


<translate> The two of them see the water there.


<glossary> kunukunu ; type=adjective ; domain=food <usage_example> That soup is too fatty


<translate> We saw the wallaby at the camp.


<translate> He saw the jalkay salmon here.


<translate> The old man laughed at grandmother.


<translate> The person here is pleasant.


<translate> You two see the nganyil haze here.


<translate> In the evening the old people and the young people taught each other: the old taught the young the names and the ways, and the young taught the old the new words and the new songs, and both were the richer for it.

Kunarangkal ngundu mukul warru baja jana milbi-wan: mukul warru milbin burri yamba baja, warru mukul milbin kuku jirakal kuku ngulkurr jirakal baja, jambulku ngulkurr-baja janay yinyabu.


<translate> The little gecko lives in the roof of the bark shelter and comes out at night, the old woman said, and it clicks and calls softly and eats the mosquitoes.

Bilbil-bilbil wurun dumbul-mu wangkar-a wuna ngalkal wujurr-ba, mukul-jalbu balkan, nyulu yirrka bada kima kamu nuka.


<translate> We two, not you, see the sugar glider there.


<translate> The grandmother said the measure of how you were loved is how you love, and the measure of how you will be remembered is not what you kept but what you gave away, above all to those too young to thank you and those not yet born to know your name.

Babingka balkan: yala yundu wawu jirray jananmuny dandi yala yundu wawu jirray, yala yundu binalku karra dandi kari yundu yamba karrbanmuny, yambada yamba dajinmuny, wangkar bajaku warru jana buban-baja yundu wawu-mini balkanka, jana kariku kamba yundu burri binalka.


<translate> That kurunkal mangrove is there.


<translate> You and I saw the jabil lizard there.


<translate> The old man asked grandfather about meat.


<translate> Straighten the crooked spear at the fire, and straighten the crooked story at the fire too.

Kalka kurru-kurru ngura-ngura-ngala bayanga, kuku-jangkar kurru-kurru ngura-ngura-ngala bayanga baja.


<translate> We built the big fish weir together over three days at the narrow place in the creek: we cut and carried many stakes, we drove them into the mud in a wide V pointing downstream, we wove branches between them into a tight fence, we left a narrow gate with a trap-basket at the point, we opened the gate at the falling tide, we took the trapped fish each morning, and then kept the weir mended and fed the whole camp from it all season.

Ngana kuyu-makarr yalbay bungan nyubun-nyubunji kulur wungar bana buban-mandanga: ngana juku wubulku dakan jarrakulban, ngana janka-mundu bada yijarrin naka-naka bada-mundu, ngana juku-murru dukurr-bu wukurrin janka junkurr-bu, ngana jina buban bawan kuyu-jina bada-mundu, ngana jina kajan bana bada dunganya, ngana kuyu manin muduwaju wubulku, yalada makarr murni karrban bayan wubulku dayan wungar wubulku.


<translate> I saw the kujuway pigeon there.


<glossary> ngulkurrijin ; type=adjective ; domain=value-quality <usage_example> Yinya nganka ngulkurrijin


<translate> Mother went outside with clothes.


<translate> That is the man's new spear.


<translate> Grandad washed the fish by the water while granny made the fire, and soon everyone was glad for the food.

Kamingka kuyu julurrin bananga, babingka baya wajunya, jana wubulku wawu-mini mayika.


<translate> The oldest boy answered: We went up the river to the deep waterholes, and we swam, and we caught many fish.

Karrkay yalbayangka balkan: Ngana wawubaja wangkarka dungan bana badaka, ngana marajin, ngana kuyu wubul manin.


<translate> You two saw the diwalngku bird there.


<lexeme> see and know someone before he sees and knows you


<translate> You and I saw the dalmbal flathead there.


<translate> We two, not you, see the black bream there.


<translate> Many parrots flew up together from the water hole when they saw the hawk overhead.

Birrbirr wubul bana-muny muru wandin, kalin-kalin wangkar-a nyaji-nya.


<translate> We saw the axe on the open ground.


<translate> You and I see the barracuda here.


<translate> The little dove coos softly to its mate all through the warm afternoon.

Kuludu buban jawun-ku yirrka-y, wungar wumbul-a wubulku.


<translate> You see the striped water snake there.


<translate> The old woman said a full belly and an empty belly teach opposite lessons: the person with a full belly forgets easily and grows careless, while the person with an empty belly remembers every kindness and wastes nothing, so a wise people makes sure the young know real hunger once, but makes just as sure that no elder ever goes to sleep belly-empty.

Wulbumanangka balkan jiba yajin-ji jiba yajin-kari yindu-yindu milbil: bama jiba yajin-ji nganga milka-wulal binal-kari-manda, yambada bama jiba yajin-kari karrbal wawu-jirray wubulku kari yamba kudamundu, bama binal karrkay dakwuy ngadiku binalman nyubun, yambada nganga mukul nyubun kariku jiba yajin-kari wunay.


<translate> He sees the nakawarra bee here.


<translate> You and I saw the ngawurr-ngawun crocodile there.


<lexeme> nyulu present ngayku dajin, "he gave me a present"


<translate> He sees the sugar glider there.


<translate> We see the kambar white clay here.


<translate> We see the bronze wing pigeon here.


<translate> You two saw the barka snake here.


<translate> The old man said these words were older than he was, older than his grandfather, older than the oldest story, and they would be just as true for the children's children's children.

Mukulungku dingkarangka balkan: yinya kuku mukul-baja nyungumuny, mukul-baja nyungu ngajimuny, mukul-baja kuku ngadiku bajakumuny, yinya yukil janay karrkaymu karrkaymu karrkayka baja.


<glossary> minji ; type=noun ; domain=fire <usage_example> They went real fast, the boat made a big splash (bow wave) (as it goes along fast)

Jana jinbalku dungan, buwunda bana minji-kangan


<translate> You and I saw the kira-kira black ant there.


<translate> The old woman is building up the fire for cooking.


<translate> The girl laughed at grandfather.


<translate> You two saw the yarrka bee here.


<translate> You two see the flames here.


<translate> The young man's spear was longer and straighter than his elder brother's spear.

Warru-mu kalka kalbay jinbal-baja, yaba-mu kalka-muny yindu.


<translate> Granny boiled the remedy in the billycan.


<translate> The two children ran on their little bare feet across the warm sand towards the wide blue sea.

Karrkay-karrkay jambul warrin jina buban-ba jukar wumbul-burr jalun yalbay-ka.


<translate> You all saw the jumper ant there.


<translate> The two of them see the kubu-kubu tadpole here.


<translate> You all saw the dijarr freshwater perch there.


<glossary> nyirray ; type=noun ; domain=speech-communication <usage_example> That child is always crying


<glossary> dumbarril ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=manipulation-impact <usage_example> He broke the cassette because he was angry


<glossary> bawal ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=motion-travel <usage_example> I left Bloomfield and went to Mossman


<translate> The old woman knows every yam-ground in the country, the people said, and even in the driest year her dilly-bag comes home full.

Mukul-jalbu binal bambayal-bubu wubulku bubu-ba, bama balkan, wungar marral bajaku-ba nyungu ngunyin bayan-ka warmba diburr-jirr.


<translate> Mother watched the baby sleeping.

Ngamu-ngku ngawa nyaji-l-nyaji-n, warngku-wuna-nya.


<translate> They see the mountain there.


<translate> The loose clothing is there.


<translate> That pebble there is not round.


<translate> They saw the freshwater eel here.


<glossary> bakal ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=manipulation-impact <usage_example> Sister gave me a shot (pricked with a needle)


<translate> They see the spear thrower here.


<translate> We see the nyamun natural debris here.


<translate> You all saw the jangkan swift there.


<translate> We all, not you, see the sugar glider here.


<translate> The people did not try to take her grief away, but sat with her in her silence, brought her water, kept her fire, and let the sadness run its course.

Bayanmu bama kari nyungu jiba-badi kudamundu manin, yambada jana nyungu ngundu bundan wunbungu, bana wundin, baya kujin, jiba-badi nyungu yala dungay bawan.


<translate> I saw the kurkunbay butcherbird there.


<translate> We two (not you) see the waterfall there.


<translate> The dog bit grandfather's shoulder.


<translate> They see the tree snake there.


<translate> They heard the rattling sound here.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the mountain here.


<translate> We all, not you, see the fire there.


<translate> Food shared is the oldest word for family.

Mayi wambajinmuny nyulu kuku mukul bajaku jawun-karramuny.


<translate> The goose is standing there.


<translate> We see the freshwater eel here.


<translate> They saw the wakuka bird here.


<translate> We see the umbrella palm there.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the jadi goanna here.


<translate> This yam is ready to dig now, the old woman said, for the leaves above it have yellowed and died back in the dry season.

Yinya bambayal baka niji, mukul-jalbu balkan, nyungu birra wangkar kulbul-ma-n wulan marral-wungar-a.


<translate> The small patch of scrub is there.


<translate> Do not touch the vicious dog lest it bite you.

Kari kaya kuli-ji karrba, yununy bayka-nyji.


<translate> The old man watched the storm coming across the sea.

Mukulungku dingkarangka jarramali nyajin, jalunbu kadanya.


<translate> Grandad sent the dog around behind the wallaby.

Kamingka kaya yungan kudamundu kadaranda.


<translate> The black crow is standing at camp.


<translate> Remember it my way tonight and your way tomorrow — a story with two memories lives twice.

Milka nyaji jina ngaykumunyji wujurrba, jina yundumunyji wunkuny: kuku-jangkar milka-binal-jambul-ji juran jambulku.


<translate> A thunderstorm came from the sea.


<translate> The child saw the stone at the camp.


<lexeme> {'english': 'The doctor man knows that woman will die'}


<translate> The clothing there is not narrow.


<translate> Tie the fishing-net well to the mangrove root, the old woman said, lest the strong tide pull it loose and carry it away out to sea.

Makarr ngulkurr kaja kajul ngara-ka, mukul-jalbu balkan, yira junkurr nyulu kulba jalun-ka jarra-kulba-nyji.


<translate> You two see the jungka wild cherry tree here.


<glossary> dayirr ; type=adjective ; domain=value-quality <usage_example> The sun is bright


<translate> They should have written down the boundaries the old way, walking them together every few years and telling the stories that fixed them, the old man said, but they trusted memory alone, and memory bends toward the one who tells it, and now two families claim the same ridge, and no living person can say for certain who is right.

Jana bubu-jina milbi-nyaku ngadiku yala, jilba-wan nyubun-nyubunji wungar wubulmuny jangkar balkan jana bunganba, mukulungku dingkarangka balkan, yambada jana milka nganga karrban, milka nyulu janji bama nyulu balkalmu-mundu, nyiku jawun-karra jambul yumal nyubun babajil, bama nyubun murni kari balka wanyu yukil.


<translate> Grandmother sees the digging stick.


<translate> The mother carries her baby on her hip all the long day, the old woman said, and never sets it down far away from her.

Ngamu-ngku karrkay buban karrba muku-ba wungar narmba, mukul-jalbu balkan, kari nyubun-bu bubu-ba wandi kala-kalbay nyungu-muny.


<translate> You all saw the scorpion here.


<translate> He sees the nikar oyster here.


<translate> He saw the jalbil lizard there.


<translate> The women ground the seeds for damper.

Jalbu-jalbu-ngku diburr nyurrban damba-ka.


<translate> The man came with a wallaby.


<translate> The liver and the guts of the fat kangaroo are given to the old people, who like them best.

Mayarriji wandul-jirr jiba julbi baja mukul-bama-nka daji, jana wawu bajaku.


<glossary> walu-murumal ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> I'm annoyed, too much noise


<translate> The old people said fire was a gift from long ago, brought by the ancestors, never to be let die out of carelessness.

Kamba-kamba balkan: baya dajil ngadikumuny, kamba-kambangka wundinmuny, kari yabarrka wulanka wunbu-karibu.


<translate> The spider hangs its wide strong web across the narrow path in the early morning, the old man said, and the first person through the scrub walks right into it.

Malal nyungu jinbal yalbay junkurr jina buban-ba wandi wunkuwingku-ba, mukul-dingkar balkan, bama nyubun madja-burr jilba jinbal-ka daka.


<translate> The little swallows built their small homes of mud below the rock ledge and came back to them every wet season.

Mabal buban bayan buban bungan kambal-kambal-bu kulji bada-bada, yinya-nga baja kadan bana-wungar wubulku.


<translate> The maker owns the making, not the made, the old man let the boomerang go: your hands keep the knowing, the thing walks its own road — make well and let go easily; that is the maker's whole law.

Bunga-bamabu karrbal bungal, kari yamba bunganmuny, mukulungku dingkarangka wangal dayan kala-kalbay: marabu yundumuny binal karrbal, yambabu baral nyungu-nyungu jilbal, bunga yukilbu, daya kimabu, yinya kuku wubulku bunga-bamamuny.


<translate> The woman laughed at grandfather.


<translate> Take a bag; perhaps food is there.


<translate> We two, not you, see the grass wallaby there.


<glossary> janay ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=posture-rest <usage_example> they went and went in the truck, then stopped by the creek

Jana truckmundu warrin warrin, warrin, jana yilkinga.


<translate> He ran fast and caught the wallaby.


<translate> He saw the bulnja frogmouth there.


<lexeme> {'english': 'I put out the food on the table', 'translation': 'Ngayu mayi wamban tablebu'}


<translate> The fish sees you from underwater long before you see it from above — the fish has the better eye-road.

Kuyubu yunu nyajil kuralmuny kalbayku, yundu nyulu wangkar-wangkarmuny nyajinya ngadiku: kuyu miyil-baral yukil-baja karrbal.


<translate> The flood is a hard teacher, said the old man, but it teaches the most important lesson of all: read the country, and move in time.

Jalungkarr binal-bungabama dandi, mukulungku dingkarangka balkan, yambada nyulu milbil yamba ngulkurr bajaku: bubu nyaka, jurrkiji ngadiku.


<translate> They reached the camp just as the big rain began to fall, and everyone went inside the shelters.

Jana bayanba kadan, kaba yalbay daran, jana wubulku bayanba walanda.


<translate> The old man was sent as a young boy far to the south, the old woman said, to learn the deep songs from the great old singers of that country.

Mukul-dingkar warru buban-nya kala-kalbay jarba-warra yunga-n, mukul-jalbu balkan, wulngku dajali binal-ma-nka mukul-bama yalbay bubu yinya-mu-muny.


<translate> You all saw the darrba grass wallaby there.


<translate> The leaves on the tree are very big.


<translate> You see the kakaji mangrove tree here.


<translate> When the old woman heard the sad news, she cried quietly by the fire all through the long night.

Mukul-jalbu kuku jiba-badi nyajin, nyulu badi janka baya ngundu wujurr kalbay wubulku.


<translate> Grandad watched the young men making spears.

Kamingka warru-warru nyajin, kalka balkal-balkanya.


<translate> You all saw the yiki owl here.


<translate> We see the scrub wallaby here.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the dalmbal flathead there.


<glossary> bajaybajay ; type=adjective ; domain=bodily-mental-state <usage_example> My body is sore after the fly


<lexeme> Nganjin dungan, ngingkirr nyajin


<translate> The children found the bower bird's little avenue of sticks in the scrub, the old woman said, all decorated with shining stones and berries it had gathered.

Karrkay-karrkay jurriyan-mu juku-jandu buban madja-ba nyajin, mukul-jalbu balkan, kulji junda balbal-jirr wubulku nyulu bangka-nya-ba.


<glossary> wawurr-wawurrmal ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> I decided to go now


<glossary> kanban ; type=adverb ; domain=manner <usage_example> I was hit by the mistake by the child


<translate> The old person ate, and then everyone ate.

Mukul-bama nukan, baja bama wubulku nukan.


<translate> When do we say nyaku, and when do we say nyji? a sharp-eyed girl asked, and the old woman gave her the two roads: say nyaku for the thing that would have stood but did not stand, and say nyji for the thing whose road you shut, one of them looks back at a departed spirit, one of them looks ahead at a snake.

Wanjawanja ngana balkal 'nyaku', wanjawanja 'nyji'? jalbu-buban miyil-ji babajin, wulbumanangka maralanda baral jambul dayan: balka 'nyaku' yambaka, nyulu jananyaku yambada kari janan, balka 'nyji' yambaka, yundu baral nyungu nandal, nyubunbu nyajil bada wawuka dunganmuny, nyubunbu nyajil ngadiku jarbaka.


<translate> They saw the jinjajalka tree there.


<translate> He saw the julaji freshwater catfish here.


<translate> We heard a song from the sea.


<glossary> bila ; type=particle ; domain=manner <usage_example> fast running water


<glossary> muku-duku ; type=noun ; domain=body-part <usage_example> The pregnant woman ate cassoway meat

Jalbungku kulngkuldu minya kurranji nukan, nyungu kangkal muku-dukumal


<translate> The two of them see the black-tip shark here.


<translate> They walked all night; the rain fell on them; they hid by the rocks; and in the morning they came back to us.

Jana wujurr yalbay jilban; bana jananda daran; jana kulji ngundu ngakiji; wunkun jana ngananka kada baja.


<translate> You and I see the ngarkay waterhen there.


<translate> We all, not you, see the dove there.


<translate> The women sat on this side of the river weaving dilly bags, while the men stood fishing on the far side.

Jalbu-jalbu bundan wawubaja ngundu ngunyin bungal, dingkar janay kuyu-ka wawubaja kala-kalbay-mba.


<translate> The old man knew the distance to every camp and waterhole in the country, and he could tell you which was nearer and which was farther and by how much.

Mukulungku dingkarangka binal yala kalbay bayan wubulku banaka bubungu, nyulu balkal wanya ngundu-baja, wanya kalakalbay-baja, wanjarrinya baja.


<glossary> wuyarr ; type=adjective ; domain=perception <usage_example> He can't see him well, hes too far away

Nyulu wuyarr nbajaku nyajiji, kala-kalbay bajakunda


<translate> The crocodile grabbed the child.


<glossary> mujal ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=hunting-fishing-gathering <usage_example> Ngayu baya mujan


<translate> The two of them see the black snake there.


<translate> Grandad took the boys to the men's place.

Kamingka dabal wundin bubungu dingar-dingaranka.


<translate> The old woman turned back from the deep river, afraid of the big crocodile on the muddy bank.

Mukul-jalbu nyunban wawubaja dajali-muny, yinil bilngkumu yalbay daburri buyun-ba.


<glossary> yimarr-yiman ; type=adjective ; domain=body-part <usage_example> That man has a round face


<translate> We saw the julbal tree here.


<translate> I take a spear; perhaps I will happen to see pigs.

Ngayu kalka wundil, nguba ngaykundu bikibiki nyaji-ji.


<translate> We two, not you, see the jirimandi coconut tree here.


<glossary> balu ; type=adverb ; domain=grammatical-particle <usage_example> I almost hit the chicken


<translate> All night long the hard rain beat down on the little bark shelter by the creek.

Kaba junkurr wujurr wubulku daran, bayan buban wawubaja karangkal.


<translate> The children learned every water bird by name, the old woman said, the brolga and the goose and the ibis and the plover, and where each one feeds and nests.

Karrkay-karrkay bana-buyi wubulku burri binal, mukul-jalbu balkan, kulbal jamarbina birmba juril-juril-jirr, wanja nyubun-nyubun nuka buyi-bubu bunga-nya.


<translate> The old man was very angry with the young men, who had speared his best hunting dog.

Mukul-dingkar dukul-wuri bajaku warru-nka, warru-ngku nyungu kaya balbi ngulkurr daman.


<translate> The old woman kept lying sick in the humpy many days, and her daughter kept coming with water and soft food and cool leaves.

Mukul-jalbu wunanay bambay ngura-ba wungar wubul, nyungu jalbu-karrkay kankaday bana-jirr mayi kima-jirr birra ngiki-jirr.


<translate> The women are making string bags for the gathering trip.

Jalbu-jalbungku balji wukurril, mayika dunganka.


<glossary> jinbal ; type=adjective ; domain=manner <usage_example> Karrkay jinbal-kanga, ngana dungankada


<translate> They saw the spear barb here.


<translate> Grandmother, why do you always eat last? — Because from the last place you can see that everyone has something.

Babi, wanyurrinku yundu yabarrka nukal badaku? Bubumuny badamuny yundu nyajil bama wubulku yamba-ji.


<translate> In the morning he woke first of all, before the birds, and asked his father straight away: Is it time, can we go now, is the day fine enough to hunt?

Wunkuwingku nyulu wandinyarr wubulmuny, buyi wandinyjiku, nyungu dingkar babajinyarr: Wungar nyiku, ngana nyiku dungay, wungar ngulkurr balbinka?


<glossary> walku ; type=adverb ; domain=motion-travel <usage_example> I went right past the house


<translate> You two saw the dalmbal flathead here.


<glossary> jungkarril ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=manipulation-impact <usage_example> Danny rolled the stones down the hill


<translate> The old woman saw the jealousy in the boy's face and said: Ngujan is a thief who robs you of what you have by making you stare at what you do not have.

Wulbumanangka ngujan nyajin karrkaymu walungu, balkan: Ngujan bama nyulu manil, yundu nyungu yamba kilbamanil, yundu yamba-karika nyajinya nganga.


<lexeme> that's nonsense, take no notice


<translate> The old man said do not pity the old for what they have lost, but envy them for what they have had, for every wrinkle is a summer survived and every grey hair a winter come through, and a very old person is simply someone who has been very lucky for a very long time.

Mukulungku dingkarangka balkan: kari mukul dukul-kulnkul jana yamba kilbanmuny, yambada ngujan jana yamba karrbanmuny, murru-murru wubulku wungar nyubun kudamundu janan, bingaji wubulku wungar nyubun kudamundu janan, mukul bajaku bama nyulu ngulkurr yabarrka kalbay wungarmuny.


<translate> They heard the hiccups there.


<translate> You saw the kurkunbay butcherbird here.


<translate> Which one of these two good spears do you want to take with you on the hunt today?

Wanjaku kalka jambul-muny yundu wawu wundi-nka balbi-ka niji?


<translate> He saw the mirrki kidney bird here.


<translate> Lonely and alone are different countries: he walked alone all day and arrived home un-lonely.

Jirrbu-jirrbu nyubunji jambul bubu yindu-yindu: nyulu jilban nyubunji wungar wubulku, kadan bayanka jirrbu-jirrbu-kari.


<translate> You and I see the snail here.


<translate> Mother sees the rainbow here.


<translate> The two of them saw the fire here.


<translate> We two, not you, see the kangaroo rat here.


<translate> You all see the karranda tree there.


<translate> We two (not you) see the fighting spear here.


<translate> We, not you, saw the bajalji python here.


<translate> The child hit the dog, and the mother scolded him.

Kangkal-da kaya kunin, ngamungku nyunguny murru-kangan.


<translate> We hear the rattling sound here.


<translate> The child with seeds sat there.


<translate> I saw the kalmbangarr black diver bird here.


<translate> The child took the dog's food.


<glossary> diburr ; type=noun ; domain=flora-plant <usage_example> Give me some bullets for my gun


<translate> The camp that reads the flood coming lives, he said, and the camp that waits to see the water dies; there is no third way.

Bayan nyulu jalungkarr kadanya nyajil wawuji, nyulu balkan, bayan nyulu bana nyajilnyjiku maku-janay wulay, kari kulur yala.


<glossary> wunay ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=kinship <usage_example> The young man married the girl


<translate> The old man said a good fisherman reads the water like a face: a swirl here, a shadow there, a ring on the surface — all of it says fish.

Mukul-dingkar balkan: kuyu-bama ngulkurr bana nyaji yala walu — jurrki yaluy, ngungul yinya, murru-murru wangkar-a — wubulku balka kuyu.


<translate> You see the ngamu-murramu dingo here.


<translate> That kalburiji bee is there.


<glossary> warngku ; type=noun ; domain=bodily-mental-state <usage_example> Three days ago I left


<translate> Do not go with that drunkard.


<translate> We all, not you, see the black bream there.


<translate> Is the fish cooked yet? — Not yet, the underside is still raw.

Kuyu jani nyiku? Kariku, bada nyulu jani-kari.


<translate> Kangaroo tracks at the water — a big fellow, moving slowly, holding one foot soft.

Jina mayarrijimuny banaba: yalbay, jilbal buban-buban, jina nyubun kima karrbal.


<translate> The marubu species of oyster is there.


<translate> We see the father's sister there.


<translate> And so the young men learned the greatest law of the sea: honour it, listen to those who know it, and you will always come home.

Yalaku warru-warru binalman jalunmu yala yalbay bajaku: ngulkurr-bunga, milka-jana bama nyulu binal, yundu yabarrka bayanba kadan.


<translate> You all see the valley there.


<glossary> kaka ; type=adjective ; domain=physical-property <usage_example> The river is salty, not fresh water


<glossary> ngangkal ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> The stranger doesn't know the road

Nyulu ngarrbal ngangkal-ngangkal baralka


<translate> You see the sea turtle there.


<translate> He sees the jumper ant there.


<translate> You two see the oyster here.


<translate> They ground the seeds, made damper, and cooked it on the fire.

Jana diburr nyurrban, damba bungan, baya-nga wajun.


<translate> He saw the marri-marri old people there.


<translate> The wild yam grows deep and twisting and is hard to follow down, but its flesh is white and good when the fire cooks it well.

Banjay bubu dajali-ba wuna jurrki-jurrki, baka buyun bajaku, yamba nyungu bada-bada balbal ngulkurr baya waju-nya-muny.


<translate> The boss asked the young man about the meat.


<translate> The old woman said a good cook tastes as she goes, adjusting by memory and by feel, adding a little of this and a little of that, for cooking is not a fixed law but a conversation between the cook and the food, and the same dish is never quite the same twice, and this is not a flaw but the whole living pleasure of it.

Wulbumanangka balkan: waju-bama yukil nganja-kangal nyulu dungalba, murni-manil milkabu marabu, buban yinyamu daya buban yindumu baja, waju kari kuku-yukil janji yambada kuku-daji waju-bama mayi baja dukurr-bu, mayi nyubun kariku nyubun jambulmu, yinya kari mumbu yambada wawu-mini wula wubulku nyungu.


<translate> You two see the ngadil hickory tree there.


<translate> You all see the jukar-warra whirlwind there.


<translate> The old woman said the sea feeds you every single day if you know it, the tide going out and coming in each and every day.

Mukul-jalbu balkan: jalun mayi dajil wungar nyubun-nyubun yundu binal-ba, yira dunga kada-baja wungar nyubun-nyubun marri.


<translate> Leave the anger outside — this is a food-with, story-with fire.

Kuli bawa ngalkalba, baya yanya mayi-ji kuku-jangkar-ji.


<translate> Leichhardt fruit from that tree is good to eat.

Mayi kabal yinya-muny juku-muny ngulkurr nukaji.


<translate> A meal has an order like a song, the old woman walked the girls through it: wash first of all, the elders served, the children fed, the workers filled, the stories after the food, the coals covered last — and a camp that eats in order sleeps in peace.

Mayi-nuka nyulu jina-ji yala wulngku, wulbumanangka jalbu-buban yinya jilba-bungan: julurri-ka-rr, bama mukul-ngurr, karrkay badaku mayi-dayan, murni-bama jakal-bungan, kuku-jangkar wawu-mayi-muny, ngunjil nandanda badaku, bayan nyulu nukal jinanji nyulu wunay kaka-kari.


<translate> The old woman said the shell of the trocus makes a good cup and a bright ornament, so keep the big whole ones and do not break them for the flesh.

Mukul-jalbu balkan: dakaldakal kajarrbi mayi-bana-nka ngulkurr walu-jirrbu balbal-nka, yalbay narmba karrba, kari dumbarri minya-nka.


<translate> The mudcrab hides in the mangrove holes at low tide, and catching it takes a careful hand and a quick one, for it will grip a finger with a claw that can break the bone, and the old woman showed the girl to take it from behind across the back where the claws cannot reach, and to respect the strength of a creature so small.

Kiju juku-bana-janku dukurr-bu buyan jalun bada, maninka mara maku-janal warri baja, nyulu mara nyubun karrbal jalan-bu nyulu kuku-mula kakalmu, wulbumanangka karrkay-jalbu milbin karra-dukurrmuny muku naka-naka wanja jalan kariku manil, minya buban bajaku nyungu junkurr yukil-bungalka.


<translate> If you always leave enough behind when you gather, the old woman said, the country will feed you and your children forever.

Kaki yundu kanbal wuna-nya bangka-nya, mukul-jalbu balkan, bubu yundu-nka karrkay-jirr mayi dajil wubulku.


<translate> Homesickness came for grandfather in the hospital, and he took as medicine the country names the visitors brought.

Bilamal kadan kaminka hospital-ba, nyulu kalbal manin: burri bubumuny, bama kadanmunybu wundinmuny.


<translate> When did your father go away to the coast, and when will he return?

Wanjawanja yunu nganjan jalun-ka dungan, wanjawanja nyulu kaday-baja?


<translate> The hook and line lay in the bag.


<translate> You and I saw the spear point there.


<translate> My head is sore and I'm tired.


<translate> The women are scraping the yams clean.


<translate> You see the hickory tree there.


<translate> The kangaroo meat is good and lean, but the possum is fat and sweet in the cold season.

Mayarriji minya ngulkurr, yamba yawa wandul jiba-wulay ngiki-wungar-a.


<translate> When the big rain fell hard in the black night, all the children shivered and were frightened.

Kaba yalbay daran junkurr wujurr ngungul-ba, karrkay-karrkay narmba yararrin yini-yini.


<translate> We all, not you, see the smouldering log there.


<translate> That person there is humble.


<translate> We see the kunjarri palm there.


<translate> Light a fire lest the child be cold.

Baya waju, karrkay kiway-kiway jana-nyji.


<translate> The old woman kept sitting quietly and weaving, while the children kept running and playing outside.

Mukul-jalbu janka bundanday ngunyin bungal, karrkay-karrkay wanarri bayan-muny.


<translate> I am very hungry, for I have eaten nothing since the sun came up this morning.

Ngayu dakwuy-baja-ku, ngayu maru-maru nukan wungar dakan-muny nyiku wunkuwingku.


<translate> I am trying to see that person standing over there, but he is much too far away.

Ngayu nyaji-nka yinya bama wangkar-a janay, kari kalbay-bajaku.


<translate> The old man laughed and said: I am so old that I have forgotten more than you children will ever learn, but you will run faster and see farther than I ever could.

Mukulungku dingkarangka yajarrin, balkan: Ngayu mukul bajaku, ngayu milka-wulan wubul-baja yurra karrkay binalmalmuny, yambada yurra warri ngulkurr-baja, nyajil kalbay-baja ngayamuny.


<translate> They saw the dakwurr-dakwun hammer bird here.


<translate> The women collected mushrooms, pineapple, and shoots in the scrub, and brought them in the coolamon.

Jalbungku madjanga jumbay-jumbay banabul jurrbu baja mujan, dubalba wundin.


<translate> The person there is not quiet.


<glossary> kana ; type=noun ; domain=location-deixis <usage_example> we are sitting inside the house


<translate> They saw the dukunjulu golden whistler there.


<translate> I see the domestic turkey here.


<translate> The women went out in the morning. They gathered pipis on the sand. Then they cooked them on the fire and everyone ate.

Wunkuwingku jalbu-jalbu dungan. Jana bulkiji bangkan jukara. Jana wayjun bayanga, jana wubulku nukanda.


<translate> The child saw the open ground there.


<translate> The little child is washing itself in the cool water of the creek this morning.

Karrkay buban bana ngiki-nga julurri-ji wawubaja-nga wunkuwingku.


<translate> The husband looks after the baby while the wife gathers the yams.

Dunyu-ngku ngawa kuji-l-kuji-l, manyarr-dal-angka bambayal bangkal.


<translate> The two children kept eating and eating the sweet honey until their little bellies were big and round.

Karrkay jambul wunba jiba-wulay nuka-l-nuka-n, jibar yalbay murru-ma-nyjiku.


<translate> Those small sticks are here.


<translate> We all, not you, see the ridge pole here.


<translate> The cooked meat had a good taste.


<translate> The man put his hand upon his chest, over his beating heart, and spoke the true words quietly.

Dingkar-angka mara damu-ba nanda, wubul-ba, kuku yukil janka balkan.


<glossary> dandi ; type=adjective ; domain=physical-property <usage_example> The meat is tough, I cooked it a short time


<translate> The two of them saw the kuran case-moth larva here.


<translate> You and I saw the jimu grasshopper there.


<translate> The dog bit the child's shoulder.


<glossary> badi ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> the child cried for food


<translate> You see the marku species of oyster here.


<translate> The old man taught the young men to throw the spear straight and true with the spear-thrower.

Mukul-dingkar-angka warru-warru kalka dama-nka balkan, jinbal nguymal balur-ubu.


<translate> String rises between the thigh and the hand, the old woman showed the girls: twist the bark fibre on the thigh with the hand, the wrist turning, the fingernails holding the small strands apart, and two weak threads twisted together come back as one strong rope, which is also, she said, the law of marriage.

Karra wandil wabanga maranga baja, wulbumanangka jalbu-buban milbin: murni warrur wabanga marabu, jinbar murninya, birribu karra-buban karrbal yindu-yindu, karra kala-burra jambul murninmuny nyubunji jana kaday baja karra junkurr nyubun, yinya baja, nyulu balkan, kuku dunyu-manilmuny.


<translate> The man brought the shield from the house.

Dingkar-angka kunjuri bayan-muny wundin.


<translate> You all must not go there; that place belongs to them.

Yurra kari dunga-y yinyay; yinya bubu jananga.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the freshwater turtle here.


<translate> Where does this track go — to the camp or down to the water?

Yanyu jina wanjabu dungay — bayan-ka, bada bana-ka?


<translate> I saw the spear at the camp.


<translate> We two (not you) saw the dilly bag here.


<translate> You two saw the dilly bag there.


<translate> The policeman did not see me at all, the old man said, because he was fast asleep in the heavy heat of the middle of the day.

Buliman-angka nganya kari nyaji-n, nyulu warngku-wuna-nya wungar-iji junkurr wangkar-wangkar-a, mukul-dingkar balkan.


<glossary> karrul ; type=noun ; domain=bodily-function <usage_example> He is drooling


<translate> I saw the bayil jungle perch there.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the yarrka bee here.


<translate> Put the billycan on the fire — we'll drink tea.

Jungkalu yijarrika bayanga — ngana diyi nukal.


<translate> Who taught you the songs? My grandfather taught me; he learned them from his father; and now I will teach them to you.

Wanya yununy burri binal-bungan? Ngayku kami nganya binal-bungan; nyulu nyungu nganjan-dumuny binalman; ngayu yununy binal-bungal baja.


<translate> The man got tangled in the fishing line.


<translate> He sees the frill necked lizard there.


<translate> My wife and I have three children, and they are all strong.

Ngayu manyarr-nji kangkal kulur, jana wubul junkurr.


<glossary> balkaji ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=bodily-function <usage_example> there are are flowers now


<translate> The old woman's story was very long and very good, and the children listened all night through.

Mukul-jalbu-mu kuku kalbay-baja-ku ngulkurr-baja-ku, karrkay-karrkay-angka wujurr wubulku milka-janan.


<translate> I see the spotted eagle ray.


<translate> The baggy clothing is there.


<translate> The man went, caught fish, and then came to camp. After that he cooked it.

Dingkar dungan, kuyu manin, bayan-ka kadan-da. Wawu-yinya-muny, nyulu wajun.


<glossary> bubu ; type=noun ; domain=land-geography <usage_example> the clothes are dirty now


<translate> Grandmother laughed at the girl.


<translate> You saw the mulumu dove there.


<translate> In the morning the children played in the water.

Wunkuwingku karrkay-karrkay bananga kinkan.


<translate> I saw the yalnga turtle there.


<translate> You see the mother's brother.


<translate> You two saw the dukunjulu golden whistler here.


<translate> They see the lightning there.


<translate> You all see the flames there.


<translate> You and I saw the karrkurr frog there.


<translate> I saw the fish in the shade.


<translate> The two of them see the charcoal there.


<translate> You all see the wankar tree here.


<translate> The rainbow lorikeets come in a noisy screaming crowd to the flowering tree, the old woman said, and they drink the sweet nectar until they are full.

Birrbirr wubul juku nganka-jirr-ka yirrka junkurr muru kaday, mukul-jalbu balkan, jana ngamurr jiba-wulay nganka-mu nuka narmba.


<translate> You and I see the kurrburrubun magpie there.


<translate> The old man said good people never scold each other in front of the children.

Mukul-dingkarangka balkan bama ngulkurr kariku murru-kanga-way karrkay ngundu.


<glossary> milka-wulay ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> I forgot about the dog


<translate> In that empty camp with no people, no dogs, and no fire, only the cold wind lived on.

Yinya bayan bama-kari, kaya-kari, baya-kari, muyar ngiki nyubun yinyay wunay.


<translate> We see the sucker fish there.


<translate> The ripe pineapple is very sweet, and the hungry children ate it by the fire.

Banabul kulbul jiba-wulay bajaku; karrkay-karrkay dakwuy nukan kunjinba.


<translate> You all see the mura tree here.


<glossary> kayil ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=hunting-fishing-gathering <usage_example> The man charmed the girl


<translate> We hear the trade wind there.


<translate> The woman came without food.


<translate> Where did you find these sweet ripe figs, the old woman asked the girl, for I want very much to go to that same place myself the next day.

Yundu junda jiba-wulay kulbul yinya wanjamuny manin? mukul-jalbu-ngku jalbu nyajin, ngayu wawu bajaku yinya-ka dunga-nka ngayu-baja wungar yindu-ba.


<translate> We, not you, saw the bajabaja lizard there.


<translate> They named the baby for the grandmother, so now two people answer when one name is called out.

Jana ngawanka burri dayan babimuny, yalada nyiku bama jambul balkal baja burri nyubun yirrkanya.


<translate> The road there is not crooked.


<translate> The cassowary is standing outside.


<translate> We two will sit here and wait.


<translate> He sees the jalan sea urchin there.


<translate> The women gathered the reeds at the lagoon, split them and laid them out to dry in the sun for two days, soaked them again to make them supple, wove them into sleeping mats over several evenings by the fire, trimmed the edges neatly, rolled the finished mats, and then gave one to each family that had a new baby coming.

Jalbu jikan bana-yalbay-mba bangkan, kakan wungara wunanka jambul wungar bawan, bana baja wunan jinbal-mandanka, kunarangkal wubulku baya ngunduku wuna-mundu wukurrin, miyil ngulkurr dakan, wuna dumban murnin, yalada jawun-karra wubulku ngawa jirakal kadalmu nyubun nyubun dayanda.


<translate> The fat white grub that lives deep in the rotting wood is one of the sweetest foods in the country, eaten alive and fresh or lightly warmed on the coals, and the old woman taught the children which trees hold them and how to split the wood along the grain to find the tunnel, and it was always the little ones who got the first taste, laughing.

Jambun wandul-jaji bana juku-kilba bada bajaku wunay nyulu mayi jiba-wulay ngadiku bubu wubulku, nukal jirakal yambada buban-buban wumbul-manin ngunjilba, wulbumanangka karrkay-karrkay milbin juku wanyu karrbal yala juku kakanka wukurr-mundu janku maninka, yabarrka karrkay buban jana nganja ngadiku manin, yajarrinya.


<translate> Take your spear, just in case a snake is lying in the long grass.

Yunu kalka mani, nganganjirrka jarba bilanji kalbay-mba wunay.


<translate> They saw the muya bird there.


<translate> Her long strong legs carried her quickly across the wide open ground to the far river bank.

Nyungu jandal kalbay junkurr nyunguny jinbal-baja-ku wundin, bubu kalbay-burr wawubaja jalkar-ka.


<glossary> wulman ; type=noun ; domain=weapon <usage_example> the old horse


<translate> The old man told stories in the firelight so the children would forget the cold until they fell asleep.

Mukulungku dingkarangka kuku balkan bayanga, karrkay-karrkay kiway milka-wulanka warngku wunanyjiku.


<translate> The two of them saw the ngurrkul fig tree there.


<translate> In the morning the kookaburra calls loudly from the tree, and the whole camp wakes and knows the sun is coming.

Kururrungka wunkuwingku juku-ngu yirrkan yalbay, bama wubul dakan, binalman wungar kada.


<translate> The two of them see the scrub goanna here.


<translate> He sees the bandicoot there.


<translate> They saw the seashell headband here.


<translate> The jellyfish drift in the warm water; do not touch them, for they sting.

Kulil bana wumbul-a wunay; kari janangan karrba, jana bayka-l.


<translate> The old people came from the north, walking many days towards the big wide river.

Mukul-bama kungkarr-muny kadan, wungar wubul jilban maku wawubaja yalbay kalbay-ka.


<translate> I see the marku species of oyster.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the jiwal-jiwal kingfisher here.


<glossary> bajurr-bangkan ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=speech-communication <usage_example> I scolded my child because he broke the cassette

Ngayu kangkal bajurr-bangkan, nyulu cassette dumbarrinya


<translate> We, not you, saw the karrkurr frog there.


<translate> You two see the spear barb here.


<translate> His family was afraid, but the old woman who knows the bush remedies came and sat with him.

Nyungu jawunkarra yini-yini, yambada wulbuman kalbalka binal kadan, nyungu ngundu bundandan.


<translate> The old man walked up the river to the hinterland, while the young men went down to the sea.

Mukul-dingkar wangkar jilban wawubaja jibarr-ka, warru bada dungan jalun-ka.


<translate> I see the wuli-wuli soldier crab here.


<translate> That blue mountain parakeet is there.


<translate> Watch the water all the time while you glean on the reef, the old woman warned, lest the tide come back fast and catch you in the deep channel.

Bana nyaji-nyaji dulngku-ka bangka-nya, mukul-jalbu balkan, yira bila kada-baja yundu bana dajali-ba mani-nyji.


<translate> You two saw the karrmbil parakeet there.


<translate> In the dry time the small waterholes dried up, and the old woman showed the girl where the hidden water stays.

Marral wungara bana buban marralmanda, wulbumanangka maral milbin bana wanjabu ngakiji.


<translate> The boy's first throw missed, and the small wallaby ran away into the scrub, but the old man only smiled.

Karrkaymu yilbanyarr kari daman, darrba buban warrin madjaka, yambada mukul dingkar wawu-mini nganga.


<translate> Long ago people camped at the river.


<translate> The old man said: A word said in anger is a spear you cannot call back, so when the fire rises in you, close your mouth, open your ears, and wait for the cool to come.

Mukulungku dingkarangka balkan: kuku dukul-wuringa balkanmuny yala kalka yundu kari balka baja, baya yununda wandinya, ngandal nanda, milka yalbay-bunga, maku-jana kiway kadanyjiku.


<translate> You and I see the flames there.


<translate> We two, not you, see the munungkul ground pigeon here.


<glossary> wulman ; type=noun ; domain=weapon <usage_example> Where is your husband?


<glossary> dakumbar ; type=noun ; domain=flora-tree <usage_example> This wood is good for woomeras


<translate> We all, not you, see the red bream there.


<translate> You see the light-coloured clothing.


<translate> The children washed the mud from their feet and toes at the creek.

Karrkayangka jina durru julurrin wawubaja-nga.


<translate> They roasted the meat in the ground oven.


<translate> He came from the house with the tree.


<translate> We two, not you, saw the dijarr freshwater perch here.


<glossary> ngiki ; type=noun ; domain=bodily-mental-state <usage_example> He got a big sickenss (pneumonia)


<translate> They saw the sucker fish here.


<glossary> wadil ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=sky-weather <usage_example> They hung a blanket up because the cold might come in

Jana blanket walngkan-daman buluruku wadinji


<translate> The man saw the humpy at camp.


<translate> The women sat down together in the shade to have a long talk with each other.

Jalbu-jalbu bundan muru wabarr-ba, balka-wa-nka kalbay-baja.


<glossary> wubaji ; type=intransitive-verb ; domain=bodily-mental-state <usage_example> My feet are swollen


<translate> We two, not you, see the kangaroo rat here.


<translate> Granny is an expert at dilly bags.


<translate> You and I see the bikarrakal fruit there.


<translate> The rain stopped at last, and a big bright rainbow stood over the wet green hills.

Kaba nanda-jin niji, yiril yalbay balbal bubu jikan-ba wangkar-a janay.


<translate> Mother went to the tree with clothes.


<translate> They carried it back and everyone was glad.

Jana jarra-kulban baja bayanba, jana wubulku wawu-mini.


<translate> We two, not you, see the dalkari bladder here.


<translate> The men made woomeras of three lengths; the long one threw a heavy spear, the short one threw a small spear, and each one fitted a different hand.

Dingkar-dingkarangka mirrba kulur bungan; kala-kalbay-ju kalka kulngkul yilban, kulka-ju kalka buban yilban, nyubun-nyubun mara-nka.


<translate> We two, not you, see the thigh there.


<translate> You all see the dilly bag here.


<translate> The native companion is here.


<translate> The children asked the old man if he was the wisest person in the world, and he laughed and said: No, I am only a person who has made more mistakes than you and remembered a few of them.

Karrkay-karrkayangka mukul dingkar babajin nyulu binal bajaku bubu wubulku, nyulu yajarrin, balkan: Kari, ngayu bama nganga, ngayu murnil wubul-baja yurramuny, kanbal binalku baja.


<translate> He speaks the old language just like the very old people used to speak it long, long ago.

Nyulu kuku mukul balka-l yala-ku mukul-bama balkan kalbay-muny.


<translate> The two of them see the mura tree there.


<translate> Everyone still laughs about that day.


<translate> You saw the mirrbangku pencil cedar tree there.


<translate> Keep the fire burning through the night, or the little ones will get cold.

Baya waju-l-waju wujurr wubulku, karrkay-karrkay kiway-ma-nyji.


<translate> The two of them saw the kira-kira black ant there.


<translate> You two see the boomerang there.


<glossary> ngunya-ngunya ; type=noun ; domain=cognition-emotion <usage_example> I imagined I got a knife


<translate> The bower bird is the cleverest thief in the scrub, gathering blue and shining things to build its playhouse and steal from any camp left unwatched, and the children laugh to find their lost beads woven into its bower, but the old woman says leave it be, for it takes only bright small things and harms nothing, and its playhouse is a wonder worth watching.

Bajal nyulu kulun yukil majaji dukurr-bu, yamba jarrba-jarrba biru-biru bangkan nyungu janka-bayan bunganka bama-yindumuny bayan nyaji-karimuny manil, karrkay-karrkay yajarrin nyungu yamba dumbaynmu bajal-janka-nga nyajinya, wulbumanangka balkan bawa nyulu, nyulu nganga yamba buban biru-biru manil yamba nyubun kari mumbu-bungal, nyungu janka-bayan yamba yukil nyajinka.


<translate> We two, not you, see the snail there.


<translate> We, not you, saw the barka snake there.


<translate> We two, not you, see the liver there.


<translate> We, not you, saw the diwalngku bird there.


<translate> Watch the sky in the wet season, for the big storms build first, and a person who starts for home when the first dark appears will beat the rain, but one who waits will not.

Jiri nyaji jarramali-wungara, jarramali yalbay yinya kambal ngadiku, bama nyulu ngungul ngadiku wandinya bayanka dunganmuny kaba yaral-manil, yambada bama nyulu maku-janay kari.


<translate> The big tide comes in fast over the mud flats, and the little fish swim close to the sand.

Yira yalbay jinbal-baja kada-y, kuyu buban jukar ngundu janji-l.


<translate> We heard the frogs down at the swamp.

Ngana yuday-yuday nyajin walngkanga bada.


<translate> The children called out at night.


<glossary> muwul ; type=adverb ; domain=manner <usage_example> That man is from Mossman, he's living secretly with his relation (so the Manager won't know)

Nyulu bama Mossmanmun, nyulu muwulku bundanday jawunyunji


<translate> The black crow is standing in the scrub.


<translate> We two, not you, see the posterior here.


<glossary> nyandal ; type=transitive-verb ; domain=manipulation-impact <usage_example> He chopped firewood for me


<translate> We two (not you) see the fighting spear here.


<translate> They saw the balarri queenfish there.


<translate> The Leichhardt tree is standing outside.


<translate> Granny scraped the ashes aside and dug out the damper.


<translate> They saw the bamboo stick here.


<lexeme> {'english': 'That food is very good', 'translation': 'Yinya mayi ngulkurr bajaku'}


<translate> The old man said if the fire is small, feed it slowly, one stick at a time, for if you pile on too much wood at once you smother it and it dies, and this is true of fires and true of anger and true of love.

Mukulungku dingkarangka balkan: kaki baya buban, buban-buban daya, juku nyubun nyubun, kaki yundu juku wubul nyubunku wangkar yijarri yundu baya wulan-manil nyulu wula, yinya yukil bayamu yukil dukul-wurimu yukil wawu-jirraymu baja.