Iatmul – The Spirit Woman

Told by: Kumian Koski (Korogu village)

Collected by: Dr. Gerd Jendraschek (Original version with translation here)

Kan taba Palagun wali’jak ta’kwana wapuchapuk’a bupmeyiwa. Wan gepma gepma kutti’ja abukavaba lan apma apma daa, gwi, laavu, kodokodada,

baatnyagwa, wan abukavaba nanja daa aaiwa mi’na kutti’li’, kukka kalili’li’.

Ada ni’badi yaa sukkukka mi’na kalili’ka waa yaa ti’li’di awaksawak wan gepmani’ba si’k waa, gulaya wuna da kuk’a o ki’di’ki ni’badi wandi wuna da kuk’a waa awaksawak waa yaa ti’li’di.

Yaa ti’kali’ka, nadinya ki’ta nak nyaana abukavaba yalaa daailaa, kodokodada klaali’li’, kutti’li’, gwi paika, laavu vi’kka, nya’in vaa, wupmâ kutti’li’ mi’na, yalaa wan abukava li’a nyaan yika vi’di’.

Vi’laa o nyi’n nyi’naya jibula jibula yalaa yaa kan abukava abukavana

da sukkutti’ka waa wadi’.

Awa, wunaya waa wali’.

Mi’dakat yaa wakalakami’n waa wali’, wali’ mi’na, nyi’nkak ko ana wakalakawun. Wuna da kutti’nyaankak nyi’nkak vaak yivaak waawun, waa wadi’.

Wadi’ mi’na, koa, wa wali’.

Wali’ mi’na wuba li’kak vaak yidi’.

Wan vaak yidi’ mi’na giyabak di’na baagi’ laba klali’. Di’na si’pmadi’ laba li’laya klaa. Klali’ li’ awak li’la munya, li’la baagi’ ali’pma di’naba kwaklali’.

Kwaklalaa giyabak kan lattaa li’ka yili’.

Yili’ mi’na laakka giyabak wakwaika vi’di’. Kan mi’dakak li’kak vaak yiwun. Wuna baagi’ laba kalikali’, kan li’la baagi’ kandi’ kiyawa walaa giyabak.

Makkasi’ki’k maukba li’di’ vaala daa kulaa gepma yidi’. Gepma yilaa yika di’na ta’kwa nyangukak ana butdi’. Yika makkasi’ki’k yika, wup yika, giyabak, gaaiya’kba yika daali’di’.

Di’na ta’kwa, agamak wupmâ li’kami’n, waa wali’.

Ka’i, makkayak, ko li’kawun, wadi’.

Yalakwena ti’ma, waa wali’, ka’i, yalakwen ka’i, ko li’kawun, waa wadi’.

Wuna ki’ki’da ni’bun akwiguli’ wadi’, di’na ta’kwa nyangu ki’ki’da kwidi, ki’ka gu wadi’, gu kwidi.

Ki’ka gi’li’laa giyabak, nyiga wuladi’. Yika kwaguli’ wadi’ mi’na yika nyiga wulaaidi, laba ni’ma gaana. Nyiga wuladi, di’, agamak yikiyawun, apmâ wuna baagi’ kalili’, waa yalavi’kka li’di’.

Ti’kali’ka, yila kava taba vi’wun ti’wa, walaa yalavi’ttaa, di’na jaabwinyaankak wadi’. Yaa yika waukak yika wa, yaadi’. Kan gekava kwaa ni’ma bâk yaa vatnyakadi’, wadi’.

Wadi’, wan nyaan waukak yika wadi’. Wau, mi’dakat ti’ka wun bâk

vatnyawaankak waadi’, wadi’.

Ka’i, wunkak wap maak ana butdi’.

Yaa yika ni’na bâk yika vatnya, wadi’.

Wau lattaa yika wan bâk yika vatnyalaa, lakkewukka kutdi’, giyabak, di’na nyagei lawakak wadi’, giyabak, wan bâk sali’li’di, di’ giyabak wau gekava yidi’.

Wan bâk sali’ka gi’li’ka, giyabak, nak nadinya wan bâk sali’ka gi’li’ka

taba yikadi’. Wan bâk ki’bi’ tabakka, daaika yika vaalaba kuka, ni’ma nauki’bi tabakka, saunau, vaalaba kulaa, kaa li’ka yika vaala kawida kava.

Yili’ mi’na vi’da agwayabi’ba yika vaala kawidi’. Ni’ma kwapa. Avayabi’ ka’i. Wugi kwapi’ba wulaailaa, ko si’blam ki’ba yili’ waa yalavi’kka yili’di’.

Yika gaan dadi’, wuba gaan agwamiba yika kwadi’.

Kwaa kegi’li’laa di’kak wudi’ yidi’, wan bâk ki’ka, gabi vi’jibudi’ lattaa, yika li’ka yika gabi ki’ki’da ki’ka wugi bâpba ki’ka, ak nadinya yika ki’ka,

gla’bu yika ki’ka, yika ak nak gaan yika kwadi’.

Kwalaa, lattaa, nat nadinya, yika li’ka yika gla’bu dadi’, wuba yika nak agwamiba yika kwadi’. Kwaa li’ka, gabigan nyaakakudi wutdi’. Ki’kkiyatti’ kak kwakka yali’wa ta’kwa ki’ba li’kali’. Vi’jibudi’ mi’na nyaakakudiba sagi’nka yidi’.

Yika sagi’nka wakkaika yika giyabak li’kak yika, gekoba li’li’.

A, man, dunyangu yali’ka kava anadi’, adaba yaami’n waa wali’.

Yakwa.

Nyi’nkak yawun, nyi’nkak vi’vaak yawun, wadi’. Nyi’na nyaakakudiba wukka yaawun sagi’nka, wadi’.

Yakwa, dunyangu yali’ka kava anadi’, waa wali’.

Wugian wuna gaai li’ka wuba wakkai waa wali’. Wali’, giyabak, wugi gaaiba wakkaidi’. Wakkailaa wuba nadinya vi’li’li’k ti’di’. Nadinya vi’li’li’k wugi li’la gaaiba li’di’, ana di’kak ki’pmâ yikiyami’n ki’pmâ yikiyami’n waa ana wali’.

Gaai wakkailaa, wan gusi’ga aaiwa wugian ti’ka yalavi’pmayan ki’ki’da,

bâk’a, ami’iya, badi’, kodokodada aaiwa wugian ti’ka, yalavi’pmayan ki’ki’da

gusi’ga savwila gusi’ga gusi’gaba klalaa aki’ba, wali’. Wali’ mi’na giyabak wugi vaapba vi’ka ki’ka li’di’, giyabak, wan gusi’gaba ti’a daba ki’ka li’di’.

Ti’di’ nak nadinyaba giyabak di’kak baagla gulaka kukka kwili’, baagla vasaka klalaa, wan gla’bu kwaa kegi’li’laa gaan wan di’na baagi’ wubayabi’

taakali’.

Di’na baagi’ wubayabi’ takalaa, wan li’la baagi’ wubayabi’ klali’. Klali’ mi’na gabigan kwaa li’ka witnya witnya saaidi’. Lattaa witnya yivaak daaika,

wuba witnya yika yalavi’tdi’, wo, wuna baagi’ laba kan wun klaa waa yalavit’di’.

Taba gaaiak wubayabi’ wakkailaa giyabak gaaiba li’di’, gabi di’na kodokodada aaiwa kiya takalaa, ki’ba yaa daali’ wali’, wuba daali’di’ giyabak,

ni’ma muksuwavla laatdi’, wan takala da, wan ti’pma, baagla, ali’pma kukka

giyabak wugi daba giyabak laatdan, ni’ma muk’a di’kak lattaa li’ka kalia.

Muchua, ni’ma muchua di’kak kalika yika, giyabak, wan di’na vaalagusa ti’a kavaba yika kwaklali’, wan di’na kodokodada, ti’pma, baagla, bâk wuba kwaklalaa, yika di’na abukava wan li’kak vaak yida kava, wuba yika giyabak wakwaika yika giyabak ki’ba yikiyawun wubayabi’ waa wali’.

Wali’ giyabak, ayiba, kan abukavana daa aaiwa, yalavi’tnyayan da aaiwa akupba. Kan gepma yika bukkatti’kawun, ki’pmâ ki’pmâ yili’ mi’na

ki’pma ki’pmâ yiwun waa bukkiyawun waa wadi’.

Waan, wupmâ ayiba, gi’ni gi’ni dina abukavaba li’wun mi’na yaa wunkak

vi’jayan, kan yimavaak wunkak wana yili’jaya waa wali’. Wali’ giyabak.

Wan di’na kodokodada kukka giyabak gepma yidi’. Yika di’na ta’kwa nyangukak yika vi’di’.

Ak giyabak. Taba gi’li’kali’.

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