Nuer – Lony (The lion)

Collected and written by Michael Thilyang Gatkek With special thanks to Fr Christian Carlassare and pastoral team of Holy Trinity Parish (Old Fangak) (for English translation see their great book: Nuer Folktales, Proverbs and Riddles)

Meedan lony cieŋɛ kɛɛl kɛnɛ mandɔŋdɛ. Cu mandɔŋdɛ jɛ pith a gɔaa, kä nhɔkɛ jɛ ɛlɔ̠ŋ, kä thilɛ cäŋ mi derɛ pa̠k a /cɛ mi̠th. Mandɔŋdɛ jak ɛ liɛɛth, kä lony nhɔkɛ liɛɛth, duŋdɛ ɣöö /ca jɛ nhɔk ɛ mandɔŋdɛ i bɛ jɛ moc liɛɛth, mi ci mandɔŋdɛ liɛɛth ka̠m raar bɛ la̠th rɛy ga̠t kä bɛ jɛ ŋap nhial. Ɛn gät ɛ ɣök mi la la̠th liɛɛth thi̠n. Kä lony ŋäcɛ gua̠thdɛ, ni ciaŋ la go̠o̠rɛ liɛɛth kä thilɛ gua̠th kɛ ɣöö penkɛ jɛ liɛɛth ɛ mandɔŋdɛ. Kɛ cäŋ kɛl cu mandɔŋdɛ wä ja̠l, kä cu lony duoth cäŋ kɛnɛ gaat näärɛ, te kɛ ŋarä. Kɛ gua̠th mi tɔt, cu lɔcdɛ di̠t, kɛ ɣöö bɛ liɛɛth mandɔŋdɛ wä kual. Cuɛ wä duel kɛ pɛ̈ɛ̈th kä kämɛ liɛɛth piny, kä camɛ jɛ kɛ pɛ̈th, cuɛ jɛ cam amäni gät. Min cɛ thuɔ̠k, cuɛ luoc raar. Mëë thiaŋ cu mandɔŋdɛ ben, cuɛ liɛɛth jek ca cam. Cuɛ gaatkɛ cɔl, cuɛ kɛ jiök i ɛ ŋa mi ci liɛɛthdä cam kä yɛ? Cukɛ wee i kueckɔ jɛ, thiecni lony ɛ jɛn ci wä duel mindan. Cuɛ lony cɔl. Cu lony ben. Cuɛ jɛ thiec i ɛ jin ci liɛɛthdä cam ɔ? Cu lony wee i eey /ciɛ ɣän. Cuɛ jɛ jiök i kä ɛ ŋa? Cu lony wee i kuecä jɛ. Cuɛ wee i liŋɛ gat nyaadä, gɔa ni ɣöö bi jɛ lar, mi cam ɛ jin. Cu lony ŋot kɛ mi gaakɛ jɛ i /ciɛ ɣän. Cuɛ lony jiök i mi ɛ jin kɛ ɣöö lo̠ki jɛ i bi ɣä la̠r thuɔ̠k, bɛ jɔɔc puɔnydu, bä ji lam, a bɛ te kɛ mi jɛ nyoth ɛn ɣöö ɛ jin cam jɛ mɔ. Cukɛ däk piny. Kɛ kɔr ni̠ni̠ cuɛ jɔɔc kä lony. Tämɛ lony lacɛ ni ŋeet ga̠t ee cɛ cam, kɛ ɣöö ca tuel ɛ mandɔŋdɛ mee cɛ liɛɛthdɛ kual. Amäni tämɛ lony laacɛ ni ŋeet ga̠t liɛth ee cɛ cam kä mandɔŋdɛ.

Nuer – Lony (The lion)

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