Oral Text 6: How death came to the Mursi

Agge be sabbo kingi Muni kosudeneo, na rese ninge 
A long time ago we Mursi shed our skins, and there was no death

Na rese agge bassai, na ngamia agge buhay bassabwê
Death was brought to us by the monitor lizard, so now we have been cursed by the monitor lizard

Na sude’a ainê konu
And the shedding of skin that was ours, he gave to the snake.

Ngamia sude konu, na agge geria
So now the snake sheds its skin, and we die!

Na huli konu sudene nga shick holo a bassaine
Now when the snake shed its skin it was because it heard the singing of the monitor lizard

Bassai erock kio tuno, na chorl holo, na say ke
The monitor lizard climbed a tree and sang a song and said this:

“Muni sudê, konu erê.
“The snake dies, the Mursi sheds his skin.

Muni sudê, konu erê.”
The snake dies, the Mursi sheds his skin.”

Nga shick nga, na kono tawa ija nong shick konu, na tamara resebwê
The snake was close by and he heard this and he didn’t want to die,

Na aiwo na teheno bassai bago.
So he came and decided to eat the monitor lizard.

Na ginoni, na essay ke:
He asked him, saying:

Heee!! 
Heee!!

Seni ker noi?”
Who are you saying will die?”

Bassai
And the monitor lizard was afraid of being eaten and said this:

Tengera bagwê na sena ke: 
Was afraid of being eaten and said this:

“Ah, ah, ah!
“No! No!

Ker munio, ker munio”
The Mursi will die, the Mursi will die.”

“Eeeh! Chorloni!”
“OK then, sing!”

Na mea bassai chorloni, se yak e:
So then when the monitor lizard sang, he said this:

“Muni erê, konu sudê
“The Mursi dies, the snake sheds its skin.

Muni erê, konu sudê.”
The Mursi dies, the snake sheds its skin.”

Na mea konu sudê, na agge Muni kerea.
So now the snake sheds its skin, and we Mursi die.

Na mea resse aggosê bha dhôk!
And this is how death came to earth forever.