Oral Text 2: Kirinomeri on his ancestors

Baba irichinyana tano, bai ke Ngarr Ngarri¹.
My father was born on the other side [west] of the Omo, at Ngarr Ngarri.

A bha nau.
It’s our² country.

Ulitulla shune a nene keli ke Ulikoro....
Ulitulla’s³ father was called Ulikoro…

.....irichinyana bai ke Debi a Chaga.
he [Ulikoro] was born at Debi a Chaga.⁴

Ulikoro shune a Uligidangi – a karui ti ke Girimalukora.
Ulikoro’s father was Uligidangi, who was known as Girimalukora.

Bag nga bha Debi a Chaga,
He [Uligidangi] lived at Debi a Chaga,

kwo Mako -
and cultivated along the Mago (Mako) –

bikinging kwohe Mako.
years ago they cultivated in the Mago valley.

Na huli shune kon kuchumba -
When the Kuchumba killed [Ulikoro’s] father –

Uligidangi loma nga gala ngamea kolomi nga –
Uligidangi, who wore a gal [necklace] like the one I’m wearing now –

kon bha ke Debi a Chaga.
they killed him at Debi a Chaga,

Holoni nga tana.
This side of the Holoni River.

Wheni irichinyana ngabunu.
The child (Ulikoro) was born there.

Uligidangi nong ka a bwi
Uligidangi was big [born a long time ago]

na ngani kishiko.
and I never heard [where he was born].

Zuo when when ngai,
When the people were coming from there (Zaleb⁵),

kokung a nau irridono nga zuktunu
our ancestor, who fathered all these people,

a hiri ko Gunatulla.
was a man called Gunatulla.

Ana kuno Zalabo na kun Bel Morai
He came from Zaleb and arrived at Bel Morai –

bainunu ke Dirkai-bhwe keli ke Bel Morai ihe.
over there at Dirka⁶ there’s a place called Bel Morai.

Zuo wone tana nga.
The people were moving on the other [west] side [of the Omo].

Dogune bai ke Ture Kede ne when na when Dirka.
They went through Ture Kede⁷ and came to Dirka.

Te Dirkaye, hiri oinyo.
When he got to Dirka the man [Gunatulla] washed.

Oinyo na ilagi nga chalaita ko gal nga – ilak kio tuno.
He washed, and hung this gal necklace [like the one I’m wearing] in a tree.

Na huli gwiny bai – garabwe.
When he looked around, it was gone.

Huli garathi, se a ke ‘Ka, go morrai so’.
When he couldn’t see it, he said [to himself] ‘It must have been swallowed by a calf’.

‘Morra gia ela nga ungusse na da gwo morra’.
‘These calves sleeping here must have swallowed it.’

Oku ibu morrai.
He went and got hold of a calf.

Inabhwe hash, belu kiango.
He killed it and opened its stomach’

Gwini – chalai gara.
He looked inside, but there was no necklace.

Ni ina hash, bel kiango - chalai gara.
He killed⁸ another and opened its stomach – there was no necklace.

Inu morra tui tui – kare morra huin.
He killed them all - all the calves that were still sucking.

‘Deyau bio wheya –
[The people said] ‘You are finishing off the calves.’

‘Gunatulla, deyau bio wheya so’.
‘Gunatulla, you are destroying all the calves!’

‘eee’
[He said] ‘OK’.

Huli kuni,
When he got back [to his house]

oku bhwe hiri barari ko ngere.
he went to see a powerful diviner.

Se ke ‘ogo na gwoin rimwe - i ma tui.'
The diviner said ‘Go and look at the reflection - it's in the water'.

‘Ana illagine kio tuno.’
‘[You’ll see it] hanging in the tree.’

Joya kio tuno – dha illag kio tuno.
He [Gunatulla] went and found [the necklace] hanging in the tree.

Na ibana na kunionyi.
So he took it and went home.

Kun na ni bi.
He came [home] and killed a stock animal

na oinya chalai a ga -
and washed the necklace [in the blood and chime of the animal] -

a chalai ti ke gal.
it was a gal necklace.

A hiri ke Gunatulla
That was Gunatulla.

¹ Ngarr Ngarri is on the west bank of the Omo, just north of Gowa.
² He refers here to his lineage (Turku) of the Bumai clan, which claimed ownership of Ngarr Ngarri when the first Mursi clans arrived at the Omo.
³ Kirinomeri’s father’s name was Ulitulla.
⁴ About 15 km. northwest of the summit of the Dara range and about 5 km. west of the Mago (Mako)
⁵ The mythical place of origin of the clans (including Kirinomeri’s clan, the Buma) around which the current Mursi identity has been formed.
⁶ West of the Omo.
⁷ A pass southwest of Maji, near the present town of Tulgit, in Tirma territory.
⁸ With a stone blow to the head.