Aunty Maureen Sulter asked for translations of prayers to be used during NAIDOC week in Coonbarabran. She realised that they would probably need to be simplified. Below are the prayers and translations. As always there is a lot of ‘doing the best you can in the time available’. Please let me know of typos or other problems. There is a shorter version then a longer version with some explanations. John
Short version
- We pray for a spirit of reconciliation in Australia that all who live and work together will share this blessed land with their brothers and sisters
Miinbaylanha ngiyani ganungawuyaa Australiaga binaal, milanda yanawaabaligu, baawaa, dhagaan, Gunimaaga
- We pray in communion with the Mother of God for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, that they will be healed of all injustices and look forward to the future with hope in the risen Lord.
Miinbaylanha ngiyaniluu, Miyarrigu, Guniidhu Burrulaagu: marigiirr maarumawaabaligu, yanamayaayaa, Dhidju ngamilaandaay
- We pray in union with St Mary of the Cross McKillop, that we will follow her bold example of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Miinbaylanha ngiyaniluu, Miyarragu McKillopgu; ngaarr ngiyani, nhamaguwaay, yanawaaygu, Dhidjuguwaay.
Long version
There a number of ideas and words in the English which we currently do not have Gamilaraay equivalents for, e.g. ‘together’, ‘reconciliation’ and even ‘God’. We can use Baayami for the last, but Baayami, with two wives, is not exactly the same as the Christian God.
- We pray for a spirit of reconciliation in Australia that all who live and work together will share this blessed land with their brothers and sisters
Miinbaylanha ngiyani ganungawuyaa Australiaga binaal, milanda yanawaabaligu, baawaa, dhagaan, Gunimaaga
miinba-yla-nha ask.for-ing-are (are asking for) (a transitive verb)
GY also has dhaya-li ‘ask if’ – not the sort of asking in prayer.
ganungawu ‘they all’ or ‘all’; the -yaa is like ‘might’
binaal is ‘peaceful’, and has other translations
milan-da ; one-at; this is an attempt to find a translation for together. A better way may be found in future
yana-waaba-li-gu go-all-will-for
There is no word that translates ‘live’; words like sit, stand, walk are used.
baawaa ; sister
dhagaan ; brother
Gunimaa (and possibly Guniimaa) ‘Mother Earth’
Currently GY has no translation for ‘share’
ngiyani is the inclusive form of ‘we’, that is, it includes the ones being spoken to. If praying to God she/he is not part of the ‘we’ – God is being talked to, not one of the talkers, so the exclusive pronoun is better; ngiyanilu or ngiyaniluu with a transitive verb.
- We pray in communion with the Mother of God for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, that they will be healed of all injustices and look forward to the future with hope in the risen Lord.
Miinbaylanha ngiyaniluu, Miyarrigu, Guniidhu Burrulaagu: marigiirr maarumawaabaligu, yanamayaayaa, Dhidju ngamilaandaay
Miyarri There are options for writing Mary in GY. The ‘a’ is like the ‘e’ sound in bet, and this often corresponds to ‘iya’ in GY. If ‘a’ is used in GY it will sound like the first part of Italian ‘Maria’ or the name ‘Murray’. r or rr could be used. In situations like this someone needs to make a decision, or people start using one form more. Miyarri-gu; the -gu is needed because the verb is transitive.
Burrulaa; there are records that indicate this was commonly used for ‘God’ and other names had restricted use. -gu here means ‘of (God)’
maaruma-waaba-li-gu be.healed-all-will-that
yana-mayaa-y-aa go/live-near.time-future-may
Dhidju Jesus
ngami-laa-ndaay look.at-going-while
- We pray in union with St Mary of the Cross McKillop, that we will follow her bold example of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Miinbaylanha ngiyaniluu, Miyarragu McKillopgu; ngaarr ngiyani, nhamaguwaay, yanawaaygu, Dhidjuguwaay.
ngaarr strong
ngiyani we ; but I am not sure if this is the right version of ‘we’
nhama-guwaay ; she-like; again not certain about this, but the best I can do.
yana-waa-y-gu go-ing-will-that
Dhidju-guwaay Jesus-like
Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Guladha 