James’ songs. (John Giacon)
James Henry is a a Yuwaalaraay man and musician [https://www.jameshenrymusic.net/} . He has been composing and singing some dhirrabuu songs while listening to the country, language speakers, reading old texts, and working with more recent Australian music.L
Recent songs include: Murrgumurrgu(Ibis) ; Let the rivers run; Throw Your Arms Around Me; Crocodile grabbed his two wives; Ant bed
Murrgumurrgu (Ibis)
Sound: https://soundcloud.com/jameshenrymusic/murrgumurgu
Video (one verse): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shfreuCrG6Q
On Youtube James dhunhi/writes:
This is the first of seven verses of a song I write telling the story of how the Ibis had to leave its breeding grounds of Narran Lakes to come to Sydney to find food. This verse is the Ibis living happily at Narran Lakes. This performance was a part of the Peninsula Festival.
Stephanie Arnold on cello – http://www.stephaniearnoldcello.com
A Gamilaraay man said: Just like a lot of us, who move away from country for jobs or other reasons.
Garay/Words
(The video has just the first line)
Murrgumurrgu, binaal Dharriwaa-ngunda
Ibis peaceful/happy Narran.Lake-at
Ngiyarrma=nha yanaa-y.la-nha; gali ganugu, yuul gayarra-gi.la-nha;
there=they walking ; water they food are-looking-for
Let the rivers run song
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCifnekyq8w
Sound: https://soundcloud.com/jameshenrymusic/let-the-rivers-run
Youtube-ga James-dhu dhunhi/writes:
This song is half in Yuwaalaraay language. It comes from hearing stories Walgett elders tell about how the river used to be up there when they were growing up and how it is now. This is due to the over use of water by irrigators in the system.
A gig for the Peninsula Festival. Nice to play this songs with a band for the first time.
Drums – Ryan McKlusky Bass – Mark Drysdale Guitar and Keys – Simon Ross
Garay/Words
yirrgayn-wan.gaan, yirrgayn gali
clear-very, clear water
ngarra-lda-nha guya gaawaa-ga, bilaayu=nha dhu-dha-nha
seeing fish river-in, spearing them
gali gaa-waa-nha ; gaa-gi.la-nha ; gaawaa-dhi ; walban-bidi-dja
water bringing ; bringing, river-from, in big bins/buckets
gali gaa-gi.la-nha, walban-bidi-dja ; gaawaa-dhi
water bringing ; bucket-big-in ; river from ;
gali gaawaa-[dhi] ngawugilanha
water river[-from] are drinking
waala=nga ngiyarrma gubiylanha,
[we] can’t now there swim
banaga-wuwi-yaa-nha=nha=nga
It is flowing/running backwards now
walindja-lda-nha=nga dhayn, dhaala-gi.la-nha
being.sad=now people, being.sick
Gaga-lda-ya cockies, government
Keep.calling.to
gaawaa=nga banagaynbiligu
rivers=now run-let-to
Throw Your Arms Around Me
James performs the song with Mark Seymour, from Hunters and Colletors, and with a chorus.
Sound: https://soundcloud.com/jameshenrymusic/throw-your-arms-yuwaalaraay
Video: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lYof3j-GjAbXFAPetEHdFlEJ-3HJ0pD5
James-dhu dhunhi/writes:
I performed ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ in Yuwaalaraay on:
Koori Radio in Sydney
ABC 774 in Melbourne
http://artandindustryfestival.com.au/the-bridge-by-vicki-reynolds/
http://artandindustryfestival.com.au/how-to-build-bridges-the-symposium/ with Mark Seymour
Garay/Words
Chorus
Waal-yaa-li yaluu ngarralay
Not-maybe-we again will.see.each.other
Biirraya, yanaaya=li=laa
‘skin.yourself’ and let’s.go.then
Gulagamalday=nda nganha,
Will.be.hugging=you me
Giirr gulagamalday=nda nganha
Really will.be.hugging=you me
And we may never meet again
So shed your skin and let’s get started
And you will throw your arms around me
Yeah, you will throw your arms around me
Verses
Ngarraldanhi=dhu, buluuy-a
Was.looking.I, night-at
Ngarraldanhi=dhu dhanduwiylandaay
Was.looking.I, while[you]sleeping
Ngaarribaa-li ngarralaylanhi
Above-we.2 met [were.looking.at.each.other]
Dhaygal, dhina[=dhu] dhamaldanh[i]
Head, feet[=I] was touching
Biyuu-gu=nda yanaawandaay
Far-to-you if/when.going
Giirruu waal=dhu yaluubali
True.totally not=I will farewell
Giirr[uu]=dhu waala muurr gidhiiy
True.totally=I can’t ever.forget
Gayrrdhu nginunha gagalday
Name.I your will.be.calling.out
Bamba=nha gagalday, gunagalagu
Loudly=that[name] will.be.calling.out sky.to
Crocodile grabbed his two wives
Video: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRdZl5fX9yQ
Jamesdhu dhunhi:
This song comes from the story of how the Narran Lakes were formed. I use different parts of the story as different verses of a song set which tell the whole story. This verse is about the two crocodiles grabbing Baayami’s wives.
This performance was a part of the Peninsula Festival.
Stephanie Arnold on cello – http://www.stephaniearnoldcello.com
The whole story was on yuwaalaraay.org. That web site no longer exists and we are still working on how to transfer the story and sound to yuwaalaraay.com.
Garay/Words
Giirr ngaama nguu
Truly that.one he
Yinarr nguungu, bulaarr bayamay
Woman/women his, two grabbed.
A free translation is:
That one (that we know) grabbed the other one’s two wives.
Ant bed
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqEP0IUMN7k
Jamesdhu dhunhi Youtubega.
This song comes from the story of how the Narran Lakes were formed. I use different parts of the story as different verses of a song set which tell the whole story. This verse is about how when Bayamay rescued his wives from the crocodiles he layed them down on an ant bed so the ants would clear away the crocodile slime.
This performance was a part of the Peninsula Festival.
Stephanie Arnold on cello – http://www.stephaniearnoldcello.com.
The whole story was on yuwaalaraay.org. That web site no longer exists and we are still working on how to transfer the story and sound to yuwaalaraay.com.
Ngiyarrma=nga ngaya buurrngan-da dhanduwi-y-ma-li
There=now I meat.ant[nest]-on will lay.them
Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Guladha 