Mirrors: The Aborigne Poetry of Eldred Van-ooy by justin spring - HTML preview

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Drimtaim: LITERAL TRANSLATION 

 

Baimbai ol waitman i-singawt long mi: "Eldred."

SOON THE MASTERS CALLED TO ME :"ELDRED"

Long skul, em i-singawt: "Van-Ooy."

IN SCHOOL THEY CALLED  "VAN-OOY"

Behain mi go long haus, em i-singawt: "Abo."

AFTERWARDS I GO HOME, THEY CALLED "ABO."

Yar kam na go. Olsem san. Olsem mun.

YEARS COME AND GO. LIKE SUN. LIKE MOON.

Drimtaim i-kam. Drimtaim i-go.

DREAMTIME COME. DREAMTIME GO.

Na ol waitman i-no tokim mi em i-saevi Drimtaim.

BUT THE MASTERS DON'T SAY TO ME THEY UNDERSTAND DREAMTIME.

Em i-tokim nem bilong olkain samting.

THEY SPEAK TO ME NAMES OF ALL KIND OF THINGS.

Em i-tokim: wan, tu, tri, wan, tu, tri, tasol.

THEY SPEAK TO ME: 1, 2 3, 1, 2, 3 ONLY.

Wantaim long skul mi tokim drim bilong mi.

ONCE IN SCHOOL I SPEAK OF MY DREAM.

Tisa i-tokim mi olsem Mi nogat saevi.

THE TEACHER SPOKE TO ME THUSLY: I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

Yu tok Drimtaim long mi, orait,

YOU SPEAK OF DREAMTIME TO ME, VERY WELL,

Drimtaim i-stap olsem ,  

DOES DREAMTIME STAY THE SAME

Drimtaim i-no stap, olsem de?

DOES DREAMTIME NOT STAY THE SAME, LIKE DAY?

Mi tok: Drimtaim i-stap olsem,   

I SAY: DREAMTIME STAYS THE SAME:

olsem yu, dispela tebal, dispela buk, dispela skul

LIKE YOU, THIS TABLE, THIS BOOK, THIS SCHOOL,

olsem olgeta samting i-stap hir

LIKE EVERYTHING THAT IS HERE

olgeta taim mi wek long dispela room.

EVERYTIME I WAKE IN THIS ROOM.

                                                JAN 1 1939