Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2Grey, George
History
Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2
Grey, George
Natural history -- Australia -- Western Australia; Western Australia -- Discovery and exploration
Mat-ta, mat-ta,
Yungore bya,
Mat-ta, mat-ta,
Yungore bya,
etc. etc. etc.
TRANSLATION.
Oh what legs, oh what legs,
The Kangaroo-rumped fellows,
Oh what legs, oh what legs,
etc. etc. etc.
FUNERAL CHANT.
Nothing can awake in the breast more melancholy feelings than the funeral
chants of these people. They are sung by a whole chorus of females of all
ages and the effect produced upon the bystanders by this wild music is
indescribable. I will give one chant which I have heard sung upon several
occasions.
The young women sing: Kar-dang.
The old women sing: Mam-mul.
Together: gar-ro.
Me-la nad-jo
Nung-a-broo.
Kar-dang.
Mam-mul.
Together: gar-ro.
Me-la nad-jo
Nung-a-broo.
etc. etc. etc.
TRANSLATION.
My young brother
My young son
(again)
In future shall I
never see.
My young brother
My young son
(again)
In future shall I
never see.
WAR-CHANTS. INFLUENCE OF SONGS IN ROUSING THE ANGRY PASSIONS OF THE MEN.
In this chant the old and young women respectively sing "my young son,"
and, "my young brother:" the metre and rhyme are also very carefully
preserved, and the word Kardang is evidently expressly selected for this
purpose; for were they speaking in prose they would use a term denoting
eldest brother, youngest brother, second brother, or some similar one;
whilst I have heard the word Kardang always used in this chant whether
the deceased was the first, second, or third brother.
The men have also certain war-chants or songs; these they sing as they go
walking rapidly to and fro, quivering their spears in order to work
themselves up into a passion. The following is a very common one:
Yu-do dan-na,
Nan-do dan-na,
My-eree dan-na,
Goor-doo dan-na,
Boon-gal-la dan-na,
Gonog-o dan-na,
Dow-al dan-na,
Nar-ra dan-na.
etc. etc. etc.
TRANSLATION.
Spear his forehead,
Spear his breast,
Spear his liver,
Spear his heart,
Spear his loins,
Spear his shoulder,
Spear his thigh,
Spear his ribs,
etc. etc. etc.
Thus rapidly enumerating all the parts in which they intend to strike
their enemies.
It is very rarely that any remarkable circumstance occurs but songs are
composed in order to perpetuate the remembrance of it. For example, when
Miago, the first native who ever quitted Perth, was taken away in H.M.
surveying vessel Beagle in 1838, the following song was composed by a
native and was constantly sung by his mother (at least so she says)
during his absence, and it has ever since been a great favourite:
Ship bal win-jal bat-tar-dal gool-an-een,
Ship bal win-jal bat-tar-dal gool-an-een.
etc. etc. etc. etc.
Whither is that lone ship wandering,
Whither is that lone ship wandering,
etc. etc. etc. etc.
Again, on Miago's safe return, the song given below was composed by a
native after he had heard Miago recount his adventures:
Kan-de maar-o, kan-de maar-a-lo,
Tsail-o mar-ra, tsail-o mar-ra-lo.
etc. etc. etc. etc.
Unsteadily shifts the wind-o, unsteadily shifts the wind-o,
The sails-o handle, the sails-o handle-ho.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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