KAMULA PALYA
by
Shorty Bruno Tjangala
A Pintupi Post Primer Reader. Recorded, transcribed and Edited by K.C. & L.E. Hansen of the Summer Institute of Linguistics. Art work by T. Parry
July 1974
© Dept, of Education, Darwin 1974

KAMULA PALYA
Kamula wiya, kamula rawa witutjarra, palya pitjalankupayi, tiwa yankupayi, kamula. Nu pitula, pitula ngarala tjutintja wiya. Kamulakunyu pitulawiya yankupayi yiniwayi. Ngurra yankula.. maḻakurripayi. Kamula yankupayi pitula wiya. Maṯupurra nyarra palunya,

pitula wiya. Pitulawiya palunya yankupayi. Ka Mutukayi wiya parra wirrtjara yinitayimi kuyarrinyi, pitula ngamutu ma tjutila, ngamutu tjutintjangka. Wika maṉkuṯa nguwanpapaka parra wirrtjala ma kurrarri, tjutila ngamutu.
Nu Kamula kutju palya yankupayi, nuu pitula tjutintja. Pupatjura lutura pakara litimilalpayi, litimilar

katipayi, kalparra. Nu ngarakatirra pitula tjutintja. Ka timana, timana palya, ritjamilaṉinpaya, ritjamilaṉinpaya ngarrngu puḻka. Ngarrngu puḻkaya ritjamilaṉinpa. Purinypa tjilatjila yananyi, yankula tjarrpanyi lututjarra, yankula tjarrparra, pulawutjarra yapa.

Pulawu pulangkita palunyatjarra yankula tjarrpanyi, tjana pika tjana pika, palunya.
Palunyatjanuluya tjana pika palaya panangka wantinytja, pilyku parra ngarama. Wiya, Kuyakuya, timana kuyakuya, kunnyi ngarrngu pulka. Ngarrngurrinyi kalapirrira ngarrngurrinyi palunya.

Kamula nyininpa nu ngarrngu, ngalpya wiya. Kalapilupaka ngurra yila witintjangka, ngurra nyarratja Yamunturrngu nguwanpapaka, Yamunturrngunyapaka Yilpilingka nguwanpa. Kaḻkuṉipaka ngarri tjilatjilalu. Kamula wiya ngangarrpa, kamula purapa palyalingku. Nuu pitula tjutintja, wala yawu nyininpa. Pulyku tipina, yuru. Pulyku yuru palunya,

maṯupurru kamula. Kamula pitjalankupayi, puutjingka yankupayi ngurra nyarratja nyakupayi. Tjitji tjukulu-latju nyinarra nyakupayi kamula, kamula riitjutji nyinangu. Ngurra wampa wanara tungkurringkupayi. Mutukayi kuwarriya tjapirr-pungu, kuwarri mutukayi. Timana wiya, multunypa timana. Katirra purrkalpayi ngururrpa,

purrkara wantipayi, yilu. Kamulala nyinarra nyakupayi tjitjiluṉa, kamula wirrkankupayi, kurrunpa wanka. Kurrunpa wanka wirrkankupayi, ngurra waṉmanguru, parrarringuru. Waṉmanguru parrarringuru pitjapayi. Wanara tungkuipayi, talingka tatira takulutipayi. Piyinarri puḻkangka yankupayi.

Piyinarringka yankula tatira ma takulutira, pila puḻkangka yanama. Pupatjuraya kapiya kamulalu katiyanama, luutu puḻkanga. Tinaya ngalkula ma tjatarri, palunyaluya wanara tungkunma. Miṯunmaya tjina nganya yurruntjanu tjuṯa parra yankulanytja. Miṯura piwarrwarrarraya wananma.

Wanaraya nyangama, “Nganyaya putjingka nyinangu.” Nyininpaya ngalya katirra pupatjun-kupayi ngawurrmankupayi. Munu paṉṯi paṉṯira nikiti kuunyi, ngawurrmankupayi. Walypala ngurrpalu nyakupayi, minymarringuya nyinanytjalu, tjitji tjukulu. Ngayuluṉa tjitji tjukulutu nyakupayi.

Kamula purapa yuru nyinin, nuu pitulu. Nu puyilirrinytja, wiya. Ngurra wampa parrarri wanara tungkulpayi. Pitjalankupayi yiniwayi ngurra yankupayi ruutupaṉiwana. Munuka tjanpilyuwana pitjalankupayi. Tjanpiwana yankula tjaṯa-wanatjanu ma taṯira, ma takulutima.

Piyinarringka pila puḻkangka pitjama pitjama yanama ma tatira taliwana ma takulutima. Tatira nyangama, ngurra parrarri wati ngarrinytja, puḻi tjiwurangkulanytja. Yankula ngurrurrpa nyangama. Ngarrnya tjuṉu ngarrinpa, tjawaraya tjikira wantirrany-tjatjanu. Palunyatjanuya maḻaṉṯarra kamula pupatjurra.

Pupatjurraya tiinakitjaluya yarrala pupatjura wanara wanti. Puparra wananma, pitula wiya. Lungutayimi nyinangutjanampa, yalanga palunya kamulaya warrkamilaṉu yurrunpa, kamula. Kamulaya warrka-milaṉu. Tjitji ngayuluna tjukutjukulu, puḻka puḻkaluṉa nyakupayi. Palunyaṉa kamula

nyakupayi nintilu, nyakupayiṉa. Kamula purapa walayawu, yankupayi tjila-walayawu, yankupayi tjila-tjila yankupayi. Timana tjalkalungkula ngurra parrarri wiya, palunyalu wanara tungkulmara, wiya. Ngarrngu puḻka, ngarrngu puḻkanya. Ritjarrira tjiinya nyulypatu nyulypaturrin yilunyi, yilunyi, ngarrngu puḻka, nguṉti riitjutjarrin.

Kutju kamula nyinin wanka, mutukayingka timanangkatjanampa kutju nyinin, kutju nyininpa.

KAMULA PALYA
‘Camels are Good’
Camels are continually strong and keep going for long distances. They don’t have to be filled with petrol, they go on regardless. Very important camels—they go without petrol. But the motor car hurries around and then breaks down. After going for just a few weeks they speed around and then break down. No, the camel only is good. You make it kneel then load it up and go, no filling with petrol. On the other hand a horse is alright. After racing around they are out of breath.

When riding it slowly it gets there with a little flour and a blanket. They get sores on their backs. No, the horse is not very good, it runs out of breath. But the camel doesn't run out of breath, it is very good, it goes long distances, it doesn’t need petrol and it goes fast. Its sinews are different, they keep going through the bush. When we were boys we used to see the camels going fast. Motor cars have only come lately. Horses, after riding them, get slower and then die. As a boy I saw camels. They go long distances over sandhills and everything, with big loads as well. When they used to smell our scent they would give loud roars. No, camels are good, not using petrol and they don’t boil.

They go anywhere not just on roads. They used to work camels a long time ago. I used to see them. So I know about camels, they keep on going. The horse goes, runs out of breath and then dies. Only the camel has life compared to the horse and the motor car.