TRACK 38 (Croc04-01-s01) Song 25: Wedjiwurang [149]
| Sung text | Free Translation |
| CHORUS: kurzi namadjawalh namadjawalh(repeated)awu kanyi-nginwedjiwurang-ga yivi-ndja kurru-kut-a-gayi kanbirrin devin-dangadja-wurl-da-niCHORUSyimurdigi na-ndjenkimelh-a-wurrimeri karru-tjip-wurringadja-wurl-niCHORUSku-muyi-ni masri-ndjen ka-niyelhi-ndjen kundjiny-vini-yanang-ga mutjirr-ga viyinang-ga ka-rri-birr-a vi-rtadi-gu ka-ningadja-wurlCHORUSnang-ga wedjiwurang-gakurzi-varrvatj-alhambudinbu na-ndjen ka-ni-thung-mi-yaKuwa-wurl-a yivi-ndjanamadjawalh-dja nang-ga yivi-ndjaka-ni-wurr-a-gu | He lives at Namadjawalh, Namadjawalh(repeated)The animal is our totemIt was the Wallaroo that went down thereAlone again, to Kanbirrin over yonder,I’m going back again(Chorus, repeated as above)Then at YimurdigiHe peeped out [from the bushes]A black man is coming towards himI’m going to go back(Chorus, repeated as above)Then, he kept coming out of the swamp to him (Emu)The two of them had a stick fightAs for that fellow, Emu, his head [got hit by Wallaroo]Emu grabbed the same stick and hit Wallaroo on the top of the spineI’m going to go back(Chorus, repeated as above)As for that fellow, Wallaroo,He was still jumpingAt Lhambudinbu he cracked open the ground and made a waterholeHe went back yonder to that place properly called NamadjawalhThat place Namadjawalh over yonder, which is his true placeThat is where he died |
This song about the Marri Tjavin totemic Dreaming Wedjiwurang (‘Wallaroo’) is structurally quite unlike other Walakandha wangga songs. In its verse-and-chorus structure it is more like an English ballad (Ford, 2007, p 76). Vocal sections comprising narrative text about the activities of Wedjiwurang in the ancestral period alternate with a chorus that asserts over and over that the ancestral Wallaroo lives at Namadjawalh. This text phrase, ‘He lives at Namadjawalh, Namadjawalh,’ is repeated isorhythmically with a single melodic section. The text phrases on the vocal section are, in contrast, more like those of other Walakandha wangga. Each text phrase is sung to a melodic section comprising only two notes. Each move from a vocal section back to the chorus is cued by the sung phrase, ‘I’m going back again’ or ‘I’m going back.’
Another unusual feature, also encountered in the songs of Jimmy Muluk, is that in some of the narrative vocal sections, the singer starts singing without clapstick beating, then introduces a very quiet tapping that gets gradually louder throughout the vocal section. [150] It is possible that Mullumbuk learnt this technique from recordings of Muluk that were circulating in the community.
Even though the quality of this recording is less than ideal, we have included it because it represents the only record we have of this extraordinary song. Despite a number of attempts, we were unable to make another recording before Philip Mullumbuk’s unexpected death in 2008. Ford has written about this song in considerable detail elsewhere (Ford, 2007, pp 76-89).
Song structure summary
CHORUS
Melodic section 1
Text phrases 1-5
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
| kurzi | namadjawalh | namadjawalh |
| 3MIN.S.R sit | place name | place name |
He lives at Namadjawalh, Namadjawalh
Song structure summary
VOCAL SECTION 1
Melodic section 1
Text phrase 1
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks) moving to rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
| awu | kanyi | -ngin |
| animal | totem | 1MIN.O |
The animal is our totem
Melodic section 2
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [sticks getting louder] [5a (var)?]
| wedjiwurang | -ga | yivi | -ndja | kurru | -kut | -a | -ga |
| wallaroo | TOP | far DEIC | true | 3MIN.S.R go down | go down | PERF | TOP |
It was the Wallaroo that went down there
Melodic section 3
Text phrase 3
Rhythmic mode 5a (getting louder) [5a (var)?]
| yi | kanbirrin | devin | -da |
| farDEIC | place name | alone | again |
alone again, to Kanbirrin over yonder,
CUE [sung on tonic]
| ngadja | -wurl | -da | -ni |
| 1MIN.S.IR.walk | go back | again | PURP |
I’m going back again
CHORUS
Melodic section 1
Text phrase 1-5
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
| kurzi | namadjawalh | namadjawalh |
| 3MIN.S.R sit | place name | place name |
He lives at Namadjawalh, Namadjawalh
VOCAL SECTION 2
Melodic section 1
Text phrase 1
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks) moving to rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [5a (var)?]
| yimurdigi | na | -ndjen |
| name | LOC | then |
Then at Yimurdigi
Melodic section 2
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [sticks getting louder] [5a (var)?]
| kimelh | -a | -wurri |
| 3MIN.S.Rpeep | PERF | towards speaker |
He peeped out [from the bushes]
Melodic section 3
Text phrase 3
Rhythmic mode 5a (getting louder) [5a (var)?]
| meri | karru | -tjip | -wurri |
| man | 3MIN.S.R travel | be black | towards speaker |
A black man is coming towards him
CUE [sung on tonic]
| ngadja | -wurl | -ni |
| 1MIN.S.IR.walk | go back | PURP |
I’m going to go back
CHORUS
Melodic section 1
Text phrases 1-5
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
| kurzi | namadjawalh | namadjawalh |
| 3MIN.S.R sit | place name | place name |
He lives at Namadjawalh, Namadjawalh
VOCAL SECTION 3
Melodic section 1
Text phrase 1
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [sticks getting louder] [5a (var)?]
| ku | -muyi | -ni | masri | -ndjen | ka | -ni |
| 3MIN.S.R Ø | come out | 3.MIN.M.IO | belly | then | 3MIN.S.R | walk |
Then, he kept coming out of the swamp to him (Emu)
Melodic section 2
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [sticks getting louder] [5a (var)?]
| yelhi | -ndjen | kundjiny | -vini | -ya |
| weapon | then | 3AUG.A.R make | UAUG | PERF |
The two of them had a stick fight
Melodic section 3
Text phrase 3
Rhythmic mode 5a (getting louder) [5a (var)?]
| nang | -ga | mutjirr | -ga | viyi |
| 3MIN.M.PRO | TOP | emu | TOP | head |
As for that fellow, Emu, his head [got hit by Wallaroo]
Melodic section 4
Text phrase 4
Rhythmic mode 5a (getting louder) [5a (var)?]
| nang | -ga | ka | -rri | -birr | -a | vi | -rtadi | -gu | ka | -ni |
| 3MIN.M.PRO | TOP | 3MIN.A.R | use hands | grab | PERF | head | back | DTOP | 3MIN.S.R | walk |
Emu grabbed the same stick and hit Wallaroo on the top of the spine
CUE [sung on tonic]
| ngadja | -wurl |
| 1S.IR.walk | go back |
I’m going to go back
CHORUS
Melodic section 1
Text phrases 1-5
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
| kurzi | namadjawalh | namadjawalh |
| 3MIN.S.R sit | place name | place name |
He lives at Namadjawalh, Namadjawalh
VOCAL SECTION 4
Text phrase 1
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)
| nang | -ga | wedjiwurang | -ga |
| 3MIN.M.PRO | TOP | wallaroo | TOP |
As for that fellow, Wallaroo,
Text phrase 2
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks) moving to rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [5a (var)?]
| kurzi | -varrvatj | -a |
| 3MIN.S.R sit | jump | PERF |
He was still jumping
| lhambudinbu | na | -ndjen | ka | -ni | -thung | -mi | -ya |
| place name | LOC | then | 3MIN.S.R | walk | crack open | eye | PERF |
At Lhambudinbu he cracked open the ground and made a waterhole
Text phrase 3
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks) moving to rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [5a (var)?]
| kuwa | -wurl | -a | yivi | -ndja |
| 3MIN.S.R stand | return | PERF | far DEIC | true |
He went back yonder to that place properly called Namadjawalh
Text phrase 4
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks) moving to rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [5a (var)?]
| namadjawalh | -dja. | nang | -ga | yivi | -ndja |
| place name | really | 3MIN.M.PRO | TOP | FarDEIC | true |
That place Namadjawalh over yonder, which is his true place
Text phrase 5
Rhythmic mode 1 (without clapsticks) moving to rhythmic mode 5a (fast even) [5a (var)?]
| ka | -ni | -wurr | -a | -gu |
| 3MIN.S.R | walk | die | PERF | DTOP |
That is where he died.
INSTRUMENTAL CODA
Rhythmic mode 5a (fast even)