Niwi-rlini nya-radburr-yurr niwigi 
by Freda Roberts 
Marra 

Nana ninya jijan Yimayirri. 

Warra wirrnya wurr-agurr warrj-birriyaganyi ngurrurdin nanggaya nya-murrji-yurr yiji-warriganja. 

Nana ninya ngarrgu nyiyin-gugi Nawalburr. 
Manimigi nana ninya ngarrgu nyugurr, wili-Mambali biliwu. 

Wala wilnya wala-rlini Lijawan-yurr.  
Gaya lib-balarlini na-yarlbun-ni galimba na-jawjaw-ni. 

Gaya nganggul-ngajurliyi wuluwulunga ngarl-ngalgujangani nya-Marra-yani. 

Nana ninya jawulba jarag-gajujungu nanggaya dungal gana nyiyin-gugi jirndijirndi. 

Nana ninya ngurru ya-Hazel warrj-guyaganyi. 
Nana nanggaya malbu bay-bay-ajurlu ngaba nanggaya nagurr. 

Nganja yumarr-walama bigana yarlbun ngaba jawjaw gana waligalurndu. Guda. 

Niwi-rlini nya-radburr-yurr niwigi 
Melabat bin gu la melabat kantri 
We went to our country 
1. Nana ninya jijan Yimayirri. 
	Dijan drimin im Yimayirri. 
	This Dreaming is Yimayirri (Groper). 
2. Warra wirrnya wurr-agurr warrj-birriyaganyi ngurrurdin nanggaya nya-murrji-yurr yiji-warriganja 
	Dis dubala biginini bin gajim ngurrurdin, dubala shoim la bingga. 
	These two children got bush banana and they are showing them in their hands. 
3. Nana ninya ngarrgu nyiyin-gugi Nawalburr. Manimigi nana ninya ngarrgu nyugurr, wili-Mambali biliwu. 
	Neim blanga dijan bilibong im Nawalburr. Geman dijan bilibong im nyukurr, im blanga Mambali pipul. 
	The name of this billabong is Nawalburr. This is supposed to be a sacred billabong, belonging to Mambali people. 
4. Wala wilnya wala-rlini Lijawan-yurr, gaya lib-balarlini na-yarlbun-ni galimba na-jawjaw-ni. 
	Dismob, thei bin gu la Lijawan, jeya thei bin bogi bla yarlbun en bla jaw-jaw. 
	This lot, they went to Lijawan and there they dived for lilyseed and lilystem. 

5. Gaya nganggul-ngajurliyi wuluwulunga ngarl-ngalgujangani nya-Marra-yani. 
	Iya mi jidan la said, mi tok la alabat burrum Marra. 
	Here I am sitting in the middle and I'm speaking to them in Marra. 
6. Nana ninya jawulba jarag-gajujungu nanggaya dungal gana nyiyin-gugi jirndijirndi. 
	Dijan olmen, im meigimbat det spiya, bla im neim 'jirndijirndi'. 
	This old man is making that spear, it's name is 'jirndijirndi'. 
7. Nana ninya ngurru ya-Hazel warrj-guyaganyi. Nana nanggaya malbu bay-bay-ajurlu ngaba nanggaya nagurr. 
	Dijan ketfish, Hazel bin gajim. Det olmen jandapjandap en det biginini. 
	This catfish was caught by Hazel. That old man is standing there and that kid too. 
8. Nganja yumarr-walama bigana yarlbun ngaba jawjaw gana waligalurndu. 
	Alabat bin gudbinji dumaji alabat garrim yarlbun en jawjaw. 
	They were happy because they had lilyseed and lilystem. 

Niwi-rlini nya-radburr niwigi 
Melabat bin gu la melabat kantri 
We went to our country - vocabulary 
	Nouns 
radburr kemp camp 
jijan drimin  Dreaming/totem 
wurr-agurr dubala biginini two children 
ngurrurdin ngurrurdin bush banana 
murrji bingga hand 
ngarrgu bilibong billabong 
nyiyin neim name yarlbun 
yarlbun lilyseed 
jawjaw jawjaw lilystem 
jawulba olmen old man 
dungal spiya spear 
jirndijirndi 
ngurru ketfish catfish species 
malbu olmen old man 
nagurr biginini child 
nganja binji stomach 
	Little words 
nana the 
ninya this dijan 
galimba and en 
guda then 
mingi then, now na 
nanggaya that tharran 
dagini with garrim 
	Verbs 
niwi-rlini melabat bin gu we went 
warrj-birriyaganyi dubala bin gajim they (those two) got it 
yiji-warriganja dubala shoim they (those two) show it 
wala-rlini alabat bin gu they went 
lib-balarlini alabat bin bogi they dived 
nganggul-ngajurliyi mi jidan I'm sitting down (cross-legged) 
ngarl-ngalgujangani mi tok la alabat I'm talking to them 
jarag-gajujungu im meigimbat he/she is making 
warrj-guyaganyi imin gajim he/she got it 
bay-bay-ajurlu im jandapjandap he/she is standing 
nganja yumarr-walama alabat bin gudbinji they are happy 
waligalurndu alabat garrim they have 
	Prefixes (bits you add to the start of words) 
nya- noun prefix for neuter singular nouns n
a- noun prefix for masculine singular nouns 
ya- noun prefix for feminine singular nouns 
	Suffixes (bits you add to the end of words) 
-yurr langa, la to, towards 
-ni blanga, bla for 
-yani burrum from 

bigana because dumaji 
	Adverbs
warrajarri upwards, uphill la top, guwap