Six Noongar Seasons Poetry
Gina Williams AM
Birak yoowarl-koorliny kaalangak
Boornak kaalang wowakiny
Ngaank-barloonginy boyal-ak, ngaank-ngarda
Marawara-k
Baal kaarla bonar
Noongar, ngalak karla burdiya
Maar-barranginy, baalang bidi kaditjiny
Boodjak, ngalak moordarn warn
Boodjarak yoont wer mirda-yoont karlang
Ngalang maar moorditj kaditj-barang
Nyittiny kedala, wer koora kwop kaditjiny
Baal danjoo kanyiny, moorditj kanyiny
Nidja bidi ngalak dordok kanyiny - koora, yeyi wer
benang
Ngalak wardandi koorl nginda baal yoowart
booroonginy kedalak waangkiny
Ngarda ngalang djena, boodja baal moorditjabiny
Wer ngaank karlak, kitji ngalang ngaank
Nidja boodjarak baal dabarkan kakarook
Koorlangka djakoorl wer waabiny
Baalap kawiny wer waangkiny dima
Keyen maawit barna, ngalak djinany
Nidja boodjarak koorliny
Bibool boorna daat werdiny, wort koorl
Wowakiny, nyidiyung weirn-mokiny
Wer noorn baal darlanginy
Balaang maarp bangal
Ngaank ngarda ngoonyoong nangkat barang
Karla kaarlang, ngalak mikang-ngat koorndarm
Kedalak-ngat, ngalak djinany mikang yirra keba
kakarookiny
Ngarda djinda kakarookiny, ngalak benang yelakitj
Benang, benang, ngalak yelakitj
Ngalak yoowart benang moordiyap
Boorda baal kalang-djil kedala nidja koorliny
Wer nidja kedala djel kwop kaditj barang
BUNURU
Bunuru koorl, kaarang djinang barranginy
Kaalang-djil bonar
Ngalak maalak koortak, bo-bokadja ngaank kaalang
Ngalak boorong kanyiny, kaditj-barranginy
Ngaank yirra koorl, yirra boodja kert-kert dandanginy
Baal bilyak naariny
Windja boorna yelakitj yaak
Djarraly, Marri, Djeeridji
Wer djildjit dabarkan djiba-djobal
Wardandi koolarkabiny
Maambakoort, ngalang Maambart-ang-koort
Wortakoorl, yoowarl-koorl bardook, maambartang
koort dook-nyin
Moombakiyool nyittiny baranginy
Windji baal ben yoowart naariny
Boodja baal kebakoordakabiny
Djerda yirra-djil bardang, ngoonyoong nangkat
djinanginy
Baalap yirra boornak nyinniny, warangkinyak
Yalga marr baal dat
Nidja bonar djet wer yorgum
Baalang mirda wer mirda-mokiny moorditj
Worl-ngat djaadak kaalang
Minga dabarkan danjoo koorl
Korbol-wirt naatj nyit mereny bangal
Koora koora nidja bonar-ak, Noongar baal wardandi koorl
Boodja dook-nyin dalanginy
Dabarkan koorliny, dabarkan koorliny
Boodjarang djinanginy dabarkan waangkiny
Nidja baal kwobidak
Yalga baal yoowart bedik-bedik
Nidja ngearany moorditj wariny noonook karlaak koorliny
Yoowart korl-koorliny
Bunuru baal waangkiny
Noonook djarliny?
Birak arrives in heat,
Breathing warm across the trees
At sunrise from the east, at sundown from the west
It is fire season
Noongars, we are the masters of fire
Embracing the winds, our knowledge of its path
We make the earth dark
As the land burns golden and orange
Our skilful hands remember
The creation times and the old, good knowledge
It keeps us together, keeps us strong
This path keeps us alive - past, present and future
We move toward the ocean where are no rainy days to
speak of
Under our feet, the earth hardens
And the fire of the sun, also our mother
She slowly dances on this heartland
Children run and play
They laugh and shout
We see the first baby animals
Making their way into this world
Paperbark quietly falls away
Breathing like a spirit of the past
And snakes follow
Their skins left behind
The sun set brings a sweet landbreeze
The fire is warm, we dream under moonlight
At night we see the moonlight dancing over the waters
Under the dancing stars, we wait for tomorrow
Tomorrow, tomorrow, we wait
We don’t rush for tomorrow
For soon the really hot days are coming
And these days will be just a good memory
BUNURU
Bunuru comes, bringing an angry stare
The hottest months,
We yearn for shade, well away from the blazing sun
We hold rain as memory
The sun rises, climbing swiftly over the earth
It burns the river’s edges,
Where the trees stand in wait
Jarrah, redgum, zamia
And the fish slowly swim
The ocean becomes refuge.
The ocean, our father’s heart
It comes, and then it goes as close as a father’s heart
beat
Bringing cool from the horizon
Where the light does not burn
The earth becomes thirsty
Birds fly higher, seeking sweet land breezes
They sit high in the trees, singing
But the wind is quiet
This is the season of flowers and gums,
Their reds and pinks hardened
Near the white hot sky.
Insects slowly gather together,
Hungry for what little food is left
Noongar once moved toward the sea in this season
Following the heartbeat of the earth,
Moving slowly, moving steadily
Watching the earth’s slow speech.
Here it is beautiful
But it isn’t gentle
This hard beauty makes you walk in the fire
Without turning back
Bunuru is speaking
Are you listening?
Djeran
Djeran nodjamak koorl
Baal bedik-bedik koorliny, baal dat-koorl
Kaalang-djil kedala wort-koorliny
Kedalak baalap nyittinyabiny
Djeran yoowarl-koorl, koora koorda-mokiny
Wer baal boodjarak nganop nyin
Ngalang boodja baal nganopabiny
Wer worlak baal mandorlabiny
Minga baal bardang
Baal waangkiny Djeran baal nidja!
Ngalak bwoka kanyiny, yonga, koormal
Yelakitj kedalak baal marldjanabiny
Djeran nidja, ngalak kaditj
Dalyal yoontabiny wer dat werdiny
Borna ngooboolinginy, mirda koorden
Wer boodja ngoonyoonabiny wer balyan
Worlak koomba-djil marldajanabiny
Yalga yenar yeyi baal dabarkan, dabarkan
Ngalak boyalak koorl, boodjak koorl
Yoowart kaalang-djil, weyiny yeyi
Ngalang koortaboodja baal darbakan
Ngalak wowak, maarlak wowakiny
Worlak wowakiny
Wer ngalang walyan yoowart naariny
Ngalak bilyak ngardanginy, djildjit, yakin wer
kooyer
Yanget wer djiridji ngaariny
Mereny baal boola-djil
Wer ngalak windji djinany kaditijiny
Yeyi, Djeranak
Ngalang koolark ngalak warn
Ngalak kanyiny ngalang karla naariny
Wer yelakitj – nyittiny-djil kedala koorl
Makuru
Makuku moordan koorl booroonginy baranginy
Dabarkan, nyittiny-djil, weyiny-brt
Boodja baal koolbar, baal ngarniny, ngarniny
Baal kebagoordak yoowart moorart
Manang marldjan
Wer djood baal bardook kanyiny
Nidja keba bonar
Ngalang bilyak koomba marldjan
Oh Makuru, Makuru bonar, kedala nyittiny
Karla baal kaalang
Marr borung nooyen
Keba koorliny, booroonginy
Yaakiny, wowakiny, djinanginy, yenar djinanginy
Marr nyittiny-djil, midjal baal nyittiny
Baal nganyang marp werdiny
Oh Makuru
Marr borang, moordarn djendal worl
Kaditjiny, kaditjiny, baal wort-koorliny-pa
Worl waahl-waahliny boodjak nyittiny
Worl baal bardookabiny
Boodja mereny baranginy
Barna, boorna wer djet moorditj maladjiny
Bonar koorl, bonar koorl
Boordak noonook yoowarl-koorl kert kert wowak-
mokiny
Oh Makuru
Marr yoowarl-koorl baakaniny-nyittiny baranginy
Baal boorna boongoorang
Kedalak-ngat, nyittiny baal gigjie-mokinyabiny
Ngalak winyarn warniny, koordakiny kedala
kalaang
Wardarn-ak moordangabiny
Baal warrabiny wer malkakoom
Ngalak moordiyap, maambakoort wort koorliny
Maart ak koolark kanyiny
Nidja bonar, ngalak kaditj baal karni nyittiny
Wer ngalang kaarlak baal koomba naariny
Nidja boodja baal nganop, yalga yoowart daat
Baal yelakitj
Ngalak daat nyin kaditjiny, koort kaditijiny
kanyiny
Nidja moordarn boodja benabiny
Djilba koorl, baal nidja koorl
Bonar marladjiny
Worala yoowart kaarlang, wer nidja yoowart nyittiny
Baal nidja nyin, baal yelakitj wer djel wowak
Nginda ngaank yirra
Boodjak balyan kanangoor baalang miyaldjanak
Dooly baal ngarda koorang, woitj barranginy Koordamaatang dat-mokiny
Nginda maalyarak koorl maalak marladjiny
Ngaank karrabiny wer boodja keyen-abiny
Boorna marladjiny moorditj
Wer djet ngearany-abiny
Boodja baal dordok
Nodjam-djil wer mirda-mokiny
Wer nollamarra yirra yaak
Boodja baal yirrabiny kwadjet ngarda ngoorndiny
Cujong kanangoor kaarla-mokiny
Minga dordok-abiny, baalap kakarook
Djerda baalap warangka
Ngalak kanyiny ngoonyoong djarliny
Djilba koorlangka bonar
Koorlbardi bardang
Dordok boodjak koorl
Bedik-bedik koorl
Koort dookaniny koorl
Noongar nidja djinaniny, Noongar nidja kaditijiny
Nidja bonar baal waangkiny, yirra wer ngarda
Nyittiny wer kaalang, kedala wer kedalak
Marr baal koorl, boodja baal wowak Yenar dabarkan koorl
Wer ngalak nganop, ngalak djinany
Ngalak yelakitj
Ngalak koortak barrang
Ngalak dabarkan wowak
Ngarda woralak, Djilba-k
Kambarang
Woolah! Woolah! Kwop koort kedala –
Kambarang koorl ben baranginy
Karnangoor, dabarkan, djerabiny koorliny
Marr kaalang kanyiny
Wer ngaank ngalak yoowarl-koorl
Boodja warangka
Yenar kwobidak-djil
Boodja-k yoowart baal wirt
Djet boola marldjan
Mirda-mokiny-djil, djardak-djil, wooyen-mokiny-
djil
Balga marldjan wer yirra yaak
Karda nganop kwibitjiny
Baal boya ngoorndiny, boodja djinaniny
Nidja boodja baal dordok
Barna warangka
Maartak warangka yangin-al wer middar
Bindi Bindi kakarook
Baalap ngoonyoong malkakoom djeda yoowarlkoorl
Nidja bonar baal kooranginy
Bonar yoowarl-koorl
Djerda baal yirra boorn-ak nyinniny
Koolbardi warangkiny moorditj, boodja kanyiny
Maarta warangka
Noongar, ngalak Kambarang kaditj
Nidja baal boodjari, maawit koorl
Bonar boola boola mereny
Windja ngalak djerap, waangkiny dima, “Woolah! Ngalak nidja”
Ngalang djaa, ngalang warangka yirra worlak koorl
Kaalang ngaank kanagoor kedala ngarda ngaank
Windja mika wer djinda kedalak kanangoor
Nginda baal nyittiny kedalak
Boodja warangka
Boodjak waangkiny, noonook djinany…djinany!
Wowak barang, koora birak koorl
Kaditj barang! Nidja dat worl, boodja kaditj barang
Yoowart kanyiny balyan wer nyittiny, yoowart kaalang kanyiny, djel dabarkan wowakiny
Danjoo ngalak koorl, djinanginy wer djarliny nidja boodjak warangka
Wer ngalak warangka
Djilba
Djilba koorl, baal nidja koorl
Bonar marladjiny
Worala yoowart kaarlang, wer nidja yoowart
nyittiny
Baal nidja nyin, baal yelakitj wer djel wowak
Nginda ngaank yirra
Boodjak balyan kanangoor baalang miyaldjanak
Dooly baal ngarda koorang, woitj barranginy
Koordamaatang dat-mokiny
Nginda maalyarak koorl maalak marladjiny
Ngaank karrabiny wer boodja keyen-abiny
Boorna marladjiny moorditj
Wer djet ngearany-abiny
Boodja baal dordok
Nodjam-djil wer mirda-mokiny
Wer nollamarra yirra yaak
Boodja baal yirrabiny kwadjet ngarda ngoorndiny
Cujong kanangoor kaarla-mokiny
Minga dordok-abiny, baalap kakarook
Djerda baalap warangka
Ngalak kanyiny ngoonyoong djarliny
Djilba koorlangka bonar
Koorlbardi bardang
Dordok boodjak koorl
Bedik-bedik koorl
Koort dookaniny koorl
Noongar nidja djinaniny, Noongar nidja kaditijiny
Nidja bonar baal waangkiny, yirra wer ngarda
Nyittiny wer kaalang, kedala wer kedalak
Marr baal koorl, boodja baal wowak
Yenar dabarkan koorl
Wer ngalak nganop, ngalak djinany
Ngalak yelakitj
Ngalak koortak barrang
Ngalak dabarkan wowak
Ngarda woralak, Djilba-k
Djeran comes in green
Moving gently, it moves quietly
Leaving the very hot days
Nights, they become cool
Djeran comes back like an old friend
And sits over the land
Our earth becomes still
And the skies become cloudy
The ants they fly
They tell us Djeran is here!
We hold our cloaks, kangaroo, possum,
Waiting as the nights grow longer
We know that Djeran is here
Leaves turn yellow and softly fall
Marri trees bleed red gum,
The earth becomes sweet and damp
The sky stretches, growing even bigger
But everything now is steady goes, steady goes
We move east, inland
Not overheated or exhausted now
Our heartland becomes calm
We breathe, breathing the bush
Breathing the sky
And our lungs no longer burn
We hunt the rivers for fish, turtles and frogs
Eating bulrushes and zamia
Food is plentiful
And we know where to look
Now, in Djeran
We make our shelters
We keep our campfires burning
And wait for the really cold days to come
Makuru comes heavy carrying rain
Steady, freezing, without fear
The earth is parched, drinks deeply it’s thirst never satisfied
Pools of water grow
And the mist holds close
This is the season of water,
Our rivers grow big
Oh Makuru - season of fertility, cold days
Campfire is warm
Storm winds blow
Water coming, raining
Standing, breathing, watching, seeing everything
The freezing wind, the rain is cold
It’s falling on my skin Oh Makuru
Stormy winds, dark grey sky
Wondering, wondering if this might go away
The sky is weeping on the cold earth
The sky is becoming close
Nourishing our land
Animals, trees and flowers growing strong
Seasons pass, seasons pass
Soon you’ll be back as quick as breath
Oh Makuru
The wind returns, bringing biting cold
it shakes the trees
At night, the cold sharpens,
Making us weak, longing for warmer days
The ocean becomes dark,
It becomes angry and wild
We hurry away from the father’s heart Taking shelter inland
This season, we know it is true cold
And our campfires burn big
This land is still but not quiet
It is waiting
We learn to sit quietly, respectfully
As this heavy earth becomes light
Djilba comes, it comes here
The season of growth
The weather isn’t hot and it isn’t cold
It sits here, it waits and just breathes
When the sun rises
The damp earth shines with her tears
The mist curls low, holding to the grass As quiet as a lover’s whisper
When midday comes shadows grow
The sun stretches and the earth becomes one
Trees grow strong
And flowers become beautiful
The earth is alive
Vibrant green and pink (red-like)
And kangaroo paws stand tall
The earth is rising after deep slumber
Acacia shines like fire
Insects become alive, they dance
Birds, they sing
We embrace sweet listening
Djilba is the season of the young
Magpies fly
The earth comes to life
Comes quietly
Comes close as a heartbeat
Noongar see this, Noongar know this
This season it speaks of highs and lows
Of cold and warm, day and night
The wind comes, the earth breathes
Everything goes steadily
And we stop, we see
We wait
We hold hope
Breathe slowly
Under Djilba skies
Oh joyful, joyful day!
Kambarang comes with light
Shining, steady, going along happily
The wind holds warmth,
And the sun returns to us
The earth sings
Everything is incredibly beautiful
The land is no longer empty
Flowers grow abundantly
In bursts of pink, white, purple
Grass trees grow and stand tall
Lizards stop hiding
They rest on the rocks, watching the world This land it is alive
The animals sing
Bush songs with wings and dance
Butterflies dance
They move toward sweet wildflowers
This is the season of turning
The season of return
Of birds nesting high in trees
Magpies singing boldly, claiming land
The bush sings
Noongars we know Kambarang
It is the season of birth, babies coming
The season of abundant food
Where we happily cry out “Hooray! We’re here”
Our voice, our songs rise up to the sky,
On warm days under the sun
Where the moon and stars shine in the night
When the nights are cool
The earth sings
The land tells you to look – to see!
Take a breath before the first summer comes
Remember this! Remember this soft sky, soft earth
Not held by damp and cold, not yet gripped by heat, just slowly breathing
Together we walk this land, watching and listening to this land’s song
And we sing