TRACK 20 (Mar88-54-s03) Song 7: Yenmilhi No. 1 [128]
| Sung text | Free Translation |
| karra manangumbun-nim djeni ngumbun-nim djenipelhi yidha wandhi yidha yidha yenmilhimana tittil kuwa ngangga-nimdjindja-wurriee | Brother!Let’s all go now; let’s all go nowPelhi is there, there behind Yenmilhi HillBrother, there are clapsticks for all of usCome with us!Ee |
This song was composed by John Dumoo. The story goes that John Dumoo was crossing the Moyle floodplain and got lost. He lay down and went to sleep and then heard this song, in which the Walakandha dead invited him to accompany them to a ceremony at the ceremony ground at the site Pelhi. This elicited performance by Martin Warrigal Kungiung and others was recorded by Allan Marett at Peppimenarti on 20 November 1988.
Unusually for the Walakandha wangga of the golden age, the song uses fast even beating (rhythmic mode 5a) throughout. Today most men at Wadeye do not know how to perform the dance for this song.
Song structure summary
VOCAL SECTIONS 1-4
Melodic section 1
Text phrase 1
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even beating)
| karra | mana |
| SW | brother |
Brother!
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even beating)
| ngumbun | -nim | djeni | ngumbun | -nim | djeni |
| 1/2AUG.S.IR.go | AUG | now | 1/2AUG.S.IR.go | AUG | now |
Let’s all go now; let’s all go now
Text phrase 3
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even beating)
| pelhi | yidha | wandhi | yidha | yidha | yenmilhi |
| place name | there | behind | there | there | place name |
Pelhi is there, there behind Yenmilhi Hill
Text phrase 4
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even beating)
| mana | tittil | kuwa | ngangga | -nim |
| brother | clapsticks | 3MIN.S.R stand | 1/2AUG.DAT | AUG |
Brother, there are clapsticks for all of us
Text phrase 5
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even beating)
| djindja | -wurri |
| here | towards speaker |
Come with us!
Melodic section 2
Text phrase 6
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even beating)
| ee |
| SW |
Ee
INSTRUMENTAL SECTIONS 1-4
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even beating)