Volume II Part 24 (2/2)
And these words they go on singing for an hour together, in the event of the absence of any of their relatives or friends upon a hunting or war excursion.
TRANSLATION.
Return hither, hither ho!
Return hither, hither ho!
The following is a very good specimen of one of their comic songs. It is often sung by the natives in the vicinity of King George's Sound.
Mat-ta, mat-ta, Yungore bya, Mat-ta, mat-ta, Yungore bya, etc. etc. etc.
TRANSLATION.
Oh what legs, oh what legs, The Kangaroo-rumped fellows, Oh what legs, oh what legs, etc. etc. etc.
FUNERAL CHANT.
Nothing can awake in the breast more melancholy feelings than the funeral chants of these people. They are sung by a whole chorus of females of all ages and the effect produced upon the bystanders by this wild music is indescribable. I will give one chant which I have heard sung upon several occasions.
The young women sing: Kar-dang.
The old women sing: Mam-mul.
Together: gar-ro.
Me-la nad-jo Nung-a-broo.
Kar-dang.
Mam-mul.
Together: gar-ro.
Me-la nad-jo Nung-a-broo.
etc. etc. etc.
TRANSLATION.
My young brother My young son (again) In future shall I never see.
My young brother My young son (again) In future shall I never see.
WAR-CHANTS. INFLUENCE OF SONGS IN ROUSING THE ANGRY Pa.s.sIONS OF THE MEN.
In this chant the old and young women respectively sing ”my young son,”
and, ”my young brother:” the metre and rhyme are also very carefully preserved, and the word Kardang is evidently expressly selected for this purpose; for were they speaking in prose they would use a term denoting eldest brother, youngest brother, second brother, or some similar one; whilst I have heard the word Kardang always used in this chant whether the deceased was the first, second, or third brother.
The men have also certain war-chants or songs; these they sing as they go walking rapidly to and fro, quivering their spears in order to work themselves up into a pa.s.sion. The following is a very common one:
Yu-do dan-na, Nan-do dan-na, My-eree dan-na, Goor-doo dan-na, Boon-gal-la dan-na, Gonog-o dan-na, Dow-al dan-na, Nar-ra dan-na.
etc. etc. etc.
<script>