Yu, murrinh ngurdiyithnu, ngurdinhiyithnu, murrinh murndak
Yes, I'll tell a story, I'll tell you a story, a story from a long time ago

ngarra mama ngay, dadi ngay, ngunnadhangime, kardu terert, ngunnidha
about when we went (travelling) with my mother and father, lots of us were travelling

i ngunnidha da ngarra ngay, da Kungarlbarl
And so, we were travelling for a long time, to my country, Kungarlbarl

da kura thangku wurda kanhi ngunnidhayu kura wurriniyeldha
We went in the wet season. It was raining a lot.

kura ngala, yungurrkurrkdha, darrinpirrirr
There were floods on the Moil plains.

ngunnidhaaa nanthi swag kunku yitthit
We went along, (carrying) heavy swags too.

bere dadi ngayka mam purrunuwardangime
Then my Dad said "Let's go,

ngamiwarda kathu, Perrederr warda kathu
over to the other side, towards Perrederr."

one night ngarnawit Perrederr
We camped for one night at Perrederr.

Kardu ngalantharr terert punnidha
All the old people were travelling.

Karduwunku nukunu Lempenyu, kardu kigayyu, Artuyu
Other people too, (including) Lempen, the young men, Artu,

iiii
and

Perrederr-mob-punku purnedhangime Stephanie i Perrederr piguna.
All the Perrederr mob went. Stephanie and Perrederr (two siblings).

Kardu purrpurrk dangathayu
(We were ) all still kids.

Bere puy ngunni-dha-aaa, ngurne-dha-ngime
So, we were all travelling, we all went.

wunku kangkurl ngay Ngemele
also my father's sister Ngemele,

wurrini-ngintha-dha, Kulangu
She and (her husband) Kulangu went too.

ngurne-dha-ngime puy-ya-wangu
We kept going (for some time).

ngarna-wit da Pepika ngubangamka-rikat-ngime
We camped at ... we went around Pepi.

ngarna-wit pangu-warra da Pendele.
we camped further on at Pendele.

Puy-yu-wangu ngunni-dha Daly River, Daly River-nu
We kept going for a long time until we got to the Daly River.

Da-ka Daly River-warda
We were at the Daly River

Kura ngala-warda yu-ngurrkurrk-dha nhini-yu, kura flood
The water was really high. There was a flood.

kura darndurt, kura ngala
The water had risen really high

Daly River-warda
in the Daly River

Bere peningime-ka nanthi pumamka-watha-ngime nanthi kiniwu
So they made a canoe,

nanthi yempi
a log raft

Pumamka-watha-ngime ngamimarda warda-kathu, kardu Perrederr-mob-yu
They made it and went to the other side of the river, the Perrederr mob,

wunku Stephanie
Stephanie too

i Perrederr kardu purrpurrk dangatha
and Perrederr, all still kids.

pipi ngay Muwanhngu kumparra wardarra purne-dha-ngime
The group including my aunt Muwanhngu went across next.

Bere ngankungime-ka da tina wiye-warda pirri-dha
Then it was our turn. The sun was setting.

"Thamunh" mam-na "ngay-yu dadi ngay-ka ngarra?"
"Grandfather", I said, "where's my Dad?"

"Awu. mama-nga ma-bert-nu"
"He's going to get your mother"

Mama ngay i ngathan ngay-ka, ngamimarda warda-kathu kardi-ngintha-dha
My mother and brother were on the other side (of the river)

Ngankungintha-ka ngamimarda numi-kathu
We were still on this side.

thamunh ngay-yu Pulthen-yu nganinginthadha
my grandfather Pulthen and I.

Dadi ngay-ka mam "thirra-pe-nu-warda kaka, kardu wakal. Ma-nhe-makat-nukun."
My Dad said "look after my little girl, Uncle, she might run away from you"

mam
he said

Bere
So

ngankungintha warra ngadha kanthin-nganku-kath-ngintha
he took the two of us across first.

kanthin-nganku-kath-ngintha
he took the two of us across

xxx kanthin-nganku-kath--
he took the two of us xxx (distractions in the background)

xxx
(background distractions)

Ngay thamunh ngay Pulthen me-nganku-berti-ngintha-dha-tharra
While he was taking my grandfather Pulthen and I (across the river),

Ngay-ka nganam-yagarl-warda ngarra kura pepe
I (slipped off and) fell under the water

i yungam-ngi-we-rurr-warda, nginipunh kanhi warda mam-nga, yungam-ngi-we-rurr
and he pulled me out by the hair, like this, he pulled me out by the hair.

dam- dam-ngi-yiwik ngay-yu
I was drowning.

yungam-ngi-we-rurr-warda dadi ngay-yu, ngamimarda warda-kathu
my dad pulled me out by the hair, and we went to the other side.

Bere wurda-wurl nhini-ka
Then (my father) came back this way.

mama ngay warda mam-punku-bert-ngintha, ngathan ngay, kardu ngala
He got my mother and my big brother

i ngamimarda
and (brought them) to the other side.

ngumpanka-kath-ngime pangu-ka kardu kunuwunu pirri-kaykay-dha warda kathu, Thipun-yu pirri-kaykay-dha
We crossed, and an old woman was there calling out to us. Thipun was calling out.

i kardu ngalantharr numi, Alitherr peningintha Thipun
and one old man, Alitherr and Thipun.

pirri-ngintha-kaykay-dha-ka nganku-nu-warda
The two of them were calling out to my brother and I.

Thipun-ka mangan-ngi-bert dam-ngi-rdarrup
Thipun grabbed me and covered me up (with blankets)

i nukunu ngapa kanthin-nal, i ngay ngapa kanthin-ngi-wal
and he (Alitherr) put my brother on his shoulders, and she (Thipun) put me on her shoulders.

Puy-yu ngunna-dha-ngime ngarra Mission-warda Daly River
We kept going to the mission at Daly River.

damatha
the end