TRACK 35 (Mar99-04-s10) Song 22: Walakandha No. 4 [145]
| Sung text | Free Translation |
| karra walakandha ngindji kimi-nginanga-wurri kavulh na karrivirrilhyikarra berrida munggumurri kunya-nin-viyi-nginanga-vini-wurrikarra wandhi wandhi kiminy-gimi-vini kunyakarrila yendili kuwa-thet-viyi-ngangga-wurri manapurangang kavulh nginanga-wurri [mana] | A certain Walakandha is always singing to me beside the beach hibiscus and I can't stop himHe says, ‘Berrida and Munggumurri are both standing looking at the top of their hill [Yendili] and I can't stop themThey are standing, looking behind them [over their shoulders]He says, ‘[The trees and grasses] on the top (head) of Yendili hill are standing upright, brother’The tide is always coming in on me, [brother]’ |
Here a Walakandha sings of two other Walakandha ancestors: Berrida (Bruno Munggum Berrida, the son of Munggum); [146] and Munggumurri, grandfather of Philip Mullumbuk, the composer of this song. They are looking over their shoulders at Yendili Hill, where the trees and grasses are standing up like hairs on the back of a dog in response to a death. The final text phrase affirms that like the tide, life and death are in constant flux.
Formally this is the most complex of Philip Mullumbuk’s wangga. Text phrases 1 and 2 are sung to one melodic section, repeated for text phrases 3 and 4. The poignant final text phrase is set to its own melody.
Song structure summary
VOCAL SECTIONS 1-2
Melodic Section 1
Text phrase 1
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| karra | walakandha | ngindji | kimi | -nginanga | -wurri | kavulh | na | karrivirrilhyi |
| SW | walakandha | one | 3MIN.A.R do | 1MIN.ADVERS | towards speaker | MIN.S.R lie | LOC | beach hibiscus |
A certain Walakandha is always singing to me beside the beach hibiscus and I can't stop him
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| karra | berrida | munggumurri | kunya | -nin | -viyi | -nginanga | -vini | -wurri |
| SW | person's name | person's name | 3AUG.S.R stand | 3MIN.O | head | 1MIN.ADVERS | UAUG | towards speaker |
He says, ‘Berrida and Munggumurri are both standing looking at the top of their hill [Yendili] and I can't stop them
Melodic Section 2
Text phrase 3
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| karra | wandhi | wandhi | kiminy | -gimi | -vini | kunya |
| SW | behind | behind | 3AUG.A.R say | look | UAUG | 3AUG.S.R stand |
They are standing, looking behind them [over their shoulders]
Text phrase 4
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| karrila | yendili | kuwa | -thet | -viyi | -ngangga | -wurri | mana |
| hill | place name | 3MIN.S.R stand | upright | head | 1/2MIN.DAT | towards speaker | brother |
He says, ‘[The trees and grasses] on the top (head) of Yendili hill are standing upright, brother’
Melodic Section 3
Text phrase 5
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks)
| purangang | kavulh | nginanga | -wurri | [mana] |
| sea | 3MIN.S.R lie | 1MIN.ADVERS | towards speaker | [brother] |
The tide is always coming in on me, [brother]’
INSTRUMENTAL SECTION 1
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
INSTRUMENTAL SECTION 2
Rhythmic mode 5b (fast doubled)