Apmer Mwerrangker
Alyawarr

Apmer Mwerrangker
The Good Place 
Alyawarr
1996

Preface
Apmer Mwerrangker, "The Good Place", is a reading and colouring book, with the text in the Alyawarr language. It was translated by Alyawarr speakers at Wetenngerr community, on Epenarra Station, NT, in collaboration with members of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Australian Aborigines and Islanders Branch.
The Alyawarr language is spoken by approximately 1500 people in Central Australia, North and North-East of Alice Springs.
The Good Place is a story from the Peewee series of readers, produced by the Northern Territory Department of Education. This Alyawarr translation appears with their kind permission. The illustrator is Shirley Downing.
ISBN 86892 411 3


Awank-akerr Nantew-then Arengk-then Nyarrapeng-then Tywek-Tywek-then rernem anenh apmer pwelek-angketyarr-itwew, warrkerrenh artewentyel.

Arlta anyentelan artwa ikwer-rnem-wenh angkew, "Arrantherr ampwanemerrew. Nthakenh arrantherr warrkerrey-angenh-anem. Menty-anem, alpenharey!"

Rernemap alpwelyerrew.
Nantewan angkew, "Atha iterl-areyel apmer mwerrangker. Arengkay, ntwan alwern-ayntem kwey-pertepert. Nyarrapengay, ntwan antwerrk-ayntem aylperr ilpay-itwew. Tywek-Tywekay, ntwan akwetyemel arlkwayntem irrngwa ahern-itwew. Atha arlkwayntem atherrk mwerrangker."
Rernemap anperl-alhew.

Rernemap alperlewenh, alperlewenh, alperlewenh. Ikwer-penhan arwerl artety-itwew aneyarr-alpew.
Arengk-then, Nyarrapeng-then, Tywek-Tywek-then angkew, "Apmer mwerrangker weth ilaynta."
Nantew angkew, "Arengkay, ntwan alwern-ayntem kwey-pertepert. Nyarrapengay, ntwan antwerrk-ayntem aylperr ilpay-itwew. Tywek-Tywekay, ntwan akwetyemel arlkwayntem irrngwa ahern-itwew. Atha arlkwayntem atherrk mwerrangker."
Rernemap anperl-alhew arrpemarl.

Rernemap alperlewenh, alperlewenh, alperlewenh. Ikwer-penhan rernemap apmer ikwerel aremerrey-alhew, rernemap apatemel arew, alpwelyerrew-anem.
"Kwey-pertepert-wenyarl nhan arrangkwarl alwern-aynteyewan!" Arengkan angkew.
"Aylperr-weny nhan arrangkwarl antwerrk-aynteyew ilpay-itwew!" Nyarrapengan angkew.
"Irrngwewenyarl nhenhan arrangkw ahernan!" Tywek-Tywekan angkew.
"Atherrk-wenyarl nhenhan arrangkw!" Nantewan angkew.

Rernemap apatey-iylpew.
"Pwertay! Ingwer-rnem angkerrey el-wety!"
Rernemap ilpelheynenh arwerl anyentel. Rernemap arew pwelek-rnem akngerr, artwernem irrpety-anem rwitwew anewanenh.
"Pwelek yanh-rneman artwa ampwa weth-wenharl anewantherr-wenh!"
Arengkan angkew. "Artwa apmwernem, pwelek irrtyert-iney-angker-rnem," Nyarrapengan angkew.
"Rernem apmer nhan apmwanemelew. Ater-anthey anantherr ikwer-rnem!" Tywek-Tywekan angkew.

Rernem iterrew-anem.
Arengkan atnarnpew Nantew-wenh artep-warl. Nyarrapengan atnarnpew Arengk-wenh artep-warl. Tywek-Tywekan alkerelerrew Nyarrapeng-wenh artep-warl.
Rernem anterrew artwernem-wenh apmer-warl arlkentyel-arleng ater-anthew.

Artwernem atererrew, rernemap anterrew. Rernem anterrew arleng. Pwelek-rnem atererrew arrpemarl. Rernem anterreynenh alyarnp apmer ikwer-rnem-wenh-warl.
Nantew-then, Arengk-then, Nyarrapeng-then, Tywek-Tywek-then inkwerelhew.

"Anantherrant-anem arntarnt-araynteyew apmer," rernem angkew.
Ikwer-penh apmer mwerrangker-anem irrew. Aylperr-rnem kwatyel pwerlperrew.
Kwey-pertepert-rnem anterrenh, atherrk-anem lyapew.
Artwa apmwernem angkep apey-alpey-angenh. Nantew-then, Arengk-then, Nyarrapeng-then, Tywek-Tywek-then inkwerelhemel-anem anew apmer mwerrangkerel.

The Good Place
A long time ago Horse, Dog, Cat, Chook were living on a cattle station, working hard. One day their boss said, "You are all old now. You can't work now. Go away now!"
They were sad. Horse said, "I know where there is a good place. Dog, you can chase rabbits. Cat, you can catch fish down at the creek. Chook, you can eat seeds on the ground. And I will eat the lush grass. And they all went off.
They went on and on and on. They sat down under a mulga tree. Dog, Cat, Chook said, "Tell us again about that good place." Horse said, "Dog, you can chase rabbits. Cat, you can catch fish down at the creek. Chook, you can eat the seeds on the ground. And I will eat the lush grass." And they went on again.
They went on and on and on. Then they arrived at that place, and they got a shock and were very sad. "There are no rabbits to chase!" Dog said. "There are no fish to catch in the creek!" Cat said. "There are no seeds on the ground!" Chook said. "There is no grass!" said Horse.
They all got a shock. "Hey! Some men are talking!" They hid behind a tree. They saw lots of cattle, and there were three men sitting by a fire. "Those bullocks belong to that old boss of ours!" Dog said. "They are bad men, cattle thieves," Cat said. "This place is no good. They have spoilt this place. Let's frighten them!" Chook said.
And they thought about it. Dog jumped on to Horse's back. Cat jumped on to Dog's back. Chook flew on to Cat's back. And they all ran to the men's camp and frightened them by yelling out loudly.
The men were frightened and ran away. They ran a long way. The cattle were frightened too. They all ran quickly back to their home. Horse, Dog, Cat, Chook were all happy.
"We can look after this place," they said. After that the place was very good. Fish swam in the water. Rabbits ran around, and the grass grew. The bad men didn't come back. Horse, Dog, Cat and Chook were all happy in that good place.

Summer Institute of Linguistics 
Australian Aborigines and Islanders Branch 
Darwin, NT 0828
100/4.96