MAMU KWAN [THREE CHILDREN] Hasana Musa ak Har o Z nz n i Miya Ng z m Yobe Languages Research Project, 2007 ZMN_MKw Mamu kwan, fatawanke akshi a ye pata a z a viyawa, a z a 001 viyawa. Three children, every day they went to the bush and dug up tiger nuts, they dug up tiger nuts. 002 Se zuwak da ni da m scingara n n, da ram ma, Then a djinn came and passed and said, 003 ìa barina viyawakun gu rap-rap!î Give me a few of your tiger nuts! 004 Su da baritu rap, su da baritu rap, gayi da ngwashiditu. 005 Da ramikshi, da ram ma, She spoke to them and said, This one gave her a few, that one gave her a few, but the other one scooped out all of them for her. 006 ìto, zuwak tle gu-gu-gu n n kwa rawa bai, OK, if the wind comes up gu-gu-gu, don t run away, 007 tle lam-lam-lam n n, kwa raw nakun.î but if it comes up lam-lam-lam, run away. 008 Zuwak nda tle gu-gu-gu akshi rawa bai, The wind arose gu-gu-gu and they didn t run away, 009 da tle lam-lam-lam akshi dan da raw nakshi shirin gu. then it arose lam-lam-lam and they ran away, those two. 010 Gayu da ni da m natu mi dlametu ngwasau da yi da kum natu i g ri. 011 Kum atu i g ri t n, ndiwa da cacpi ma da p tatu da damingara. 012 N n gayi da ram ma, to, da yivatu da dlam ngara w nduwagara. 013 Fatawanke w nya miwu a ditu ab n a ditu bikta, se da ram ma, The other one she went and took her, the one who had done the dipping for her, and she went and placed her in a cave. When she had placed her in the cave, people gathered saying that they should get her out, but (the plan) failed. One person said, OK, let her be left there and it can become her home. Every day her sister brought out tuwo for her, brought out food for her, and she would say, Mamu Kwan, Hasana Musa ak Har o 1
014 ìna de n n na dlam ruwa. When I come I sing a song, 015 Ka k ma ruwaga bin, ka barina aikwakk m bai.î If you don t hear my song, don t extend your hand out. 016 Da ram ma, She said, 017 ìw nya nana, w nya nana? Sister how is this, sister how is this? 018 Na ramdik m re, I TOLD you, 019 Ka ngwu viyawa ka bari i D ala, You should gather tiger nuts and gave them to Dibala, 020 D ala bi g S ku, Dibala a supernatural thing, 021 Be barak viyawa.î That is on the hunt for tiger nuts. 022 Se atu da ngumi, Then she answered, 023 ìw nya nana, w nya nana? Sister how is it, sister how is it? 024 Ka ramdani re, You TOLD me, 025 K m ma na ngwu viyawa na bar i D ala, You said that I should gather tiger nuts and give them to Dibala, 026 D ala bi g S ku, Dibala a supernatural thing, 027 Be barak viyawa.î That is on the hunt for tiger nuts. 028 Kane bi wa a akshi dlamau b dlamu a k mta big ri. Unbeknowst to them, what they were doing, a hyena was listening carefully off by himself. 029 Se z g r gayi da naye aptag ri da ram ma, Then one day he ground his flour and said, 030 ìa íyi d go w nya t n na ji n n bare aikwakgara n n, Hold on here, the girl, if I go and if she reaches out her hand, 031 na m natu na bina be wa a na tau.î I ll take hold of her and get her as something I ll eat. 032 Daci gazgarau jingara ngun, b dlamu da nai da dlam ruwau. So when the big sister had gone, the hyena came and sang the song. 033 W nyau da ram ma, ìai na z gana w ra gazgaraga gu.î The girl said, Ai I know my big sister s voice [and that s not it]. 034 Aci da yi ri baci z ma, ìbaci z ma a z ma w raganai.î He went to a blacksmith, Blacksmith, fix my voice. 035 Baci z ma z mici t n, dan da ramici ma, When the blacksmith smithed for him, then he said to him, Mamu Kwan, Hasana Musa ak Har o 2
036 ìkadakangu ka ki a awuk bai, Henceforth don t eat any bones, 037 bin n w raci a katayingara dl am-dl amgara.î otherwise your voice will return to its dliram-dliram sound. 038 Baci z ma z mici, da nai da bi awuk, 039 ìawuk, awuk, amank m nawan?î Bone, bone, how old are you? 040 ìamanga d ka shirin bai.î I m not even two years old. When the blacksmith had forged it form him, he went and found a bone, 041 ìkane, gusku yaye k m na shiya!î Aha, even now you should have some marrow! 042 Aci da mi awuk da gaji. He picked up the bone and bit into it. 043 Wurag ri da katengara gat gara, w rau da dlam ngara dl ramdl ramgara. 044 Aci da nai, He came (and sang), His voice came back to its original place, his voice became its dliram-dliram. 045 ìw nya nana, w nya nana? Sister how is this, sister how is this? 046 Na ramdik m re, I TOLD you, 047 Ka ngwu viyawa ka bari i D ala, You should gather tiger nuts and gave them to Dibala, 048 D ala bi g S ku, Dibala a supernatural thing, 049 Be barak viyawa.î That is on the hunt for tiger nuts. 050 W nya da ram ma, ìai, na z gana w ra gazgaraga gu.î The girl said, Ai I know my big sister s voice [and that s not it]. 051 Daci aci da ying ri, se gazgarau da nai, So he left and then the big sister came, 052 ìw nya nana, w nya nana? Sister how is this, sister how is this? 053 Na ramdik m re, I TOLD you, 054 Ka ngwu viyawa ka bari i D ala, You should gather tiger nuts and gave them to Dibala, 055 D ala bi g S ku, Dibala a supernatural thing, 056 Be barak viyawa.î That is on the hunt for tiger nuts. Mamu Kwan, Hasana Musa ak Har o 3
057 Atu w tu ruwau, da bare aikwakgara da g nna biktau, She picked up on the song, extended her hand, and took the food, 058 w nya miwu da kacingara. and her sister went back. 059 B dlamu da ying ri ri baci z ma da kacing ri ri baci z ma. The hyena went to the blacksmith, he returned to the blacksmith. 060 Kata t n, da z maidici. When he returned, (the blacksmith) forged (the voice) for him. 061 Da aw dici w rji da baka gayi gadl gdada da baka gayi i w rag ri. He placed a red scorpion on one side of his neck and a black scorpion on the other side. 062 Aci de, ìawuk, awuk, amank m nawan?î He (the hyena) said, Bone, bone, how old are you? 063 ìamanga d ka shirin bai.î I m not even two years old. 064 B dlamu gad awuk ka utl! gadl gdada da vaci da sau, w rji da vaci da sau. When the hyena bit the bone, karuth! the black scorpion stung hm here and the red scorpion stung him there. 065 ìaya! Aía! Caman na dlamau i kawa!î Oww! No! You know I was just playing! 066 Daci de ri w nya da ji, When he came to the place of the girl he let forth, 067 ìw nya nana, w nya nana? Sister how is this, sister how is this? 068 Na ramdik m re, I TOLD you, 069 Ka ngwu viyawa ka bari i D ala, You should gather tiger nuts and gave them to Dibala, 070 D ala bi g S ku, Dibala a supernatural thing, 071 Be barak viyawa.î That is on the hunt for tiger nuts. 072 Daci w nya a lawan gu ka be gazgaragara, Then the girl perceived that is was like that of her big siste, 073 w nya bare aikwakgara ngun, b dlamu da m natu ok da ying ri na atu. 074 Gazgarau da nai, The big sister came, and when the girl extended her hand, the hyena grabbed it dok! and went off with her. 075 ìw nya nana, w nya nana? Sister how is this, sister how is this? 076 Na ramdik m re, I TOLD you, Mamu Kwan, Hasana Musa ak Har o 4
077 Ka ngwu viyawa ka bari i D ala, You should gather tiger nuts and gave them to Dibala, 078 D ala bi g S ku, Dibala a supernatural thing, 079 Be barak viyawa.î That is on the hunt for tiger nuts. 080 Shau w nya na bai, da m natu, b dlamu jing ri na atu. But there was not girl, he took her, the hyena had gone off with her. Mamu Kwan, Hasana Musa ak Har o 5