DJI070211AC

I will talk about what I have known about the moon and the stars

yo burum nunum ilób hón iyit aŋga hon iyég a juuñ aŋga bëjuuñ

The moon, according to what our elders said,

juuñ ani bëëbëŋkënitó anlóbóx

when it appears after the new moon

gafutti ajuujot bufur

when it is tilted to one side, it is said that it diminishes trouble.

gëdigënahi ayena ataaxëli balééri

"Diminishing trouble" means, there won't be ay deaths.

ataaxëli balééri am iŋguné biciir da jibax

When it lies with the pointed ends upwards it is said that it is a bad moon.,

gëgu apeefiahi ayena juuñ amu juuñ a jóóndóŋ

because when the moon is with the points upwards deaths will be plenty in the village.

mata ha gapefiahi biciir buruk ajibahara a bukoo kaanan

Let's talk about the stars,

ëdëëk bëjuuñ

there is one star called "aseex" [venus]

amu gujuuñ guguni ayenux aseex

it comes out at dusk.

gum gafuttox binég gaseorox

Venus comes out and outshines all the other stars.

aseex afurot ajaŋ alum bambaaŋ bajaŋ pe

it shines very brilliantly.

ajaŋ wélélélélé

That's the one that's called "aseex".

ëmër gayenune aseex

Our elders back in the day said that

bëëbëŋkënitó guruk guliix gé ayeno

where venus appears like that, that's where the moon will come out.

ne aseex amu ni na nini juuñ afutti

But as it i at avery low position, it is new moon or the moon hasn't risen yet.

wala naŋka ne amu ni nini naŋka rééŋ juuñ ëciiri wala fandaŋ baliket

that's where they watch.

na ganiigëmex

and "gubinda"

aŋga gubinda

Gubinda appears at dawn.

gubinda gum rëmbix ha binég gafuttox

If you get up at five in the morning, you can see it in the east, where the sun rises.

gufutteŋ tëpur cinq ër uwuuxuruxoŋ gumër bimbi bini guraas afuruntox

It shines just like "aseex"

ajaŋ num ani aseex ajaŋne

When our ancestors wanted to go somewhere on a trip, that's what they would look out for

bëbëŋkënitó guliix guruk gamaŋi budë ha bitix aŋga gumër ganniigëx

if it's a moonless sky they say: since that star has reached this position

gëgu muroŋ juuñ ayeno gujuuñ guŋgu ne amu ni nini

until I have come so far, the sun will rise.

idëëxë guruk gidelini kanti kaman binég awaacul

Where it is, the sun will appear, or maybe he tells you,

na kéni ëguni binég ëbiyi wala guruk ayeno

it will take some more time, because the star is ot yet there.

ah binég abëgi mataa gujuuñ abëtti

The star is still below.

gujuuñ abëgi rééŋ

It will be a while before daybreak so I still wait.

binég abëgi man ifant itu

And the pleiades, what we call "bajoboroŋ"

aŋga bajoboroŋ guguni ayeno bajoboroŋ

Our ancestors back in the time, when they wanted to go fishing early, at night, with fishtraps,

bëëbëŋkënitó guliix igini anjasi budë ha a gumeñ jacet antëbiréŋ

that's what they would watch in a moonless night.

aŋga bëmër ganniigëx gëgu juuñ muroŋ

They look and when the pleiades are at a certan position it is high tide or low tide.

aniig ayen bajoboroŋ n amu ni ninni baarux aŋanti wala barux ayatti

that's where they look to know whether they can go to the river fishing with a barrage.

na ganniigëx an aŋgu ahaŋgul andëëk a guhan ani andëëkëx tëbir

Our forefathers fished with barrages.

bëëbëŋkënitó guliix tëbir gayiti

They made traps too, but not that much, barrages were more common at the time at the rivers.

iriig aŋkani me jibaaraŋaŋ buxan ka iriig tëbir inlumot guliix tëbir ka jakaamaŋ

the small bolongs

haroon

Now the use of fish nets have taken over

ñimeni aŋgu jambal aŋg' iwaatini

****

****

really, who has time nowadays to weave fishing barriers...

ëgu num maregen mata ha buliin ka musook han imu ta ñimeni a buliin ka sisook

With the nets, you just get up - if you have a little money you go buy your net - and you go fishing.

jambaalaŋ guhaŋguli uceŋ gucooci dërëŋkén udëk ujila jambal an ulika an umbaal

That's why nowadays there isn't any [barrage fishing] any more.

bam imaline ñimeni guroŋ

In the past that is how fish was caught.

baŋ guliix jaxaat n alaxune

,In the past we didn't buy fish,

guliix dik yitra gujila

in the past you made a barrage,

guliix udëëxërëx ubiir

if there was a river you close it off,

gëgu jakaam ubiiri

and when you leave you inform the village

gufutti ulób bukoor

and they go and take out the fish

an adëëka adëëka amaapa

The ones that enter the head of the barrage are yours if you catch any there, you take them with you

jëni aŋan a buxut jan iŋgu janaaŋkén bimbeeŋ gulaxi uŋundur

the ones that enter the trap.

jën aŋan a buxut

They are yours and at your return home you distribute them among your neighbours.

jëm ëgu janaaŋkén guŋunti uficum bëjin pe

Everybody i your concession, you take some and you go tell them: here you go!, to everybody: take!

ulaatlaat uni gujinaeŋ ujop udëëk uyenem in ulaatlaat uyenem in

Now that money has won us over,

ñimeni aŋgu dërëm alumimino sembe

even if you got five little fish, you take three and sell them and you keep two...

mati ñopér cilax gulatti uñoŋ ñolal ujila anaŋ fi uñoŋ ñonaak bare