TRACK 22 (Eni92-s11) Song 9: Wutjelli No. 1 [130]
| Sung text | Free Translation |
| mana wutjelli ka-ni-put-puwa kuwa rtidim nidin-ngin-akarra walakandha purangang devin kuwa-vapa-winyanga truwu nidin-ngin-a(karra walakandha purangang) | Wutjelli is standing with one leg crossed over the other, Rtidim! My dear country!Walakandha! The lonely waves are crashing on them, Truwu! My dear country!Walakandha! Waves |
This song was composed by Thomas Kungiung. Wutjelli, mentioned also in ‘Wutjelli No. 2’ (track 3), and ‘Yenmilhi No. 2’ (track 11), was a ‘grandfather’ (grandfather’s brother) of Philip and Stan Mullumbuk (Marett, 2005, p 47). Here he stands in the number four leg pose marking him as one of the dead, watching the waves crashing down on his descendants from his vantage point at Rtidim, the headland to the north of Truwu beach. As in ‘Truwu’ (tracks 16-18), the waves here are a metaphor for the exigencies of life.
This performance was recorded by Michael Enilane at a circumcision ceremony at Wadeye in 1992, where the singers included Thomas Kungiung and Les Kundjil. As he often does, Kungiung sometimes repeats the beginning of text phrase 2 at the lower octave before moving to the instrumental section.
Song structure summary
VOCAL SECTIONS 1-3
Melodic section 1
Text phrase 1
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| mana | wutjelli | ka | -ni | -put | -puwa | kuwa | rtidim | nidin | -ngin | -a |
| brother | person's name | 3MIN.S.R | walk | bends | leg | 3MIN.S.R stand | place name | country | 1MIN.O | PERF |
Wultjelli is standing with one leg crossed over the other Rtidim! My dear country!
Melodic section 2
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| karra | walakandha | purangang | devin | kuwa | -vapa | -winyanga | truwu | nidin | -ngin | -a |
| karra | walakandha | sea | alone | 3MIN.S.R stand | crash | 3AUG.ADVERS | place name | country | 1MIN.O | PERF |
Walakandha! The lonely waves are crashing on them Truwu! My dear country!
Melodic section 3 (lower octave; vocal section 1 only)
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| karra | walakandha | purangang |
| karra | walakandha | sea |
Walakandha! Waves …
INSTRUMENTAL SECTIONS 1-2
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
INSTRUMENTAL SECTION 3
Rhythmic mode 5b (fast doubled)