Author Archives: Joel

The following story was told to me in 1976 by Tom Kau, a Numbami man who was a noted traveler and storyteller nicknamed “Samarai,” because he had once spent time there. Listen to the full story in Numbami here:

Mayaŋgo kole goiya tema.
We saw one elder man.

Iyou iya wamba kikiyama.
He was fishing in the dark.

Ena ase Ŋguwoŋ.
His name was Ŋguwoŋ.

Kate, api, ilu makata e maŋgo, “Numa!”
So then we called him, saying “Come!”

Ipi ima ka eli e iŋgo “Ipaka?”
He came up, like, then he said “What’s up?”

“O, mama. Nombi laisi tatena nuwosa iŋgo noni
“O, we came. Take this rice and go for you to eat

“wa ilu manaambi ditako su kauti
“and we’ll take a little in a cloth

“manawasa mananisi niye wowola;
“we’ll go cook it on the way;

“manani wai, manawasa Opoi.”
“after we eat it, we’ll go to Hopoi.”

“O, indeŋama kote.”
“O, that won’t do.”

Waŋgo “O, indeŋama go nombi.”
I said, “O, it’s okay, so take it.

Biŋa te kote.
“It’s not for discussion.

Ilumandi nomba maki deŋa aiya.”
“It’s our thing we are giving you.”

E iki danke deŋ ilu wai te
After he thanked us,

tako, indosuwa isagawi ena bani indo te
he sat down and was looking after his food,

ilu payama makota tina masakie teulu.
so we went ahead and crossed the river climbed out the other side.

Mapaandalowa ka mapaandalowa ka
We walked and we walked and

malaaa masu koe tiŋgo Tiakiŋ.
we kept going over there they call Tiyakiŋ.

Ilu ma weke wai mala masuwa, mandosuwa nato
After we left we went, we reached, we sat down there

wa ilua mawaluŋu ilumandi yabokole,
and we rolled our tobacco,

mani buwa,
we chewed betelnut,

ilu manisi ilumandi bani iye nato
we cooked our food at that place.

Mani beleya wa mapaandalowa.
We finished eating and walked on.

The following story was told to me in 1976 by Tom Kau, a Numbami man who was a noted traveler and storyteller nicknamed “Samarai,” because he had once spent time there. Listen to the full story in Numbami here:

Suwa 1941, i mawalaŋa Wasutiyeŋ wai.
In 1941, we had left Wasutiyeng [school at Finschhafen].

Mama su Opoi
We came to Hopoi [Mission Station on Cape Arkona]

Mawiliya lawa lain matana.
We replaced the earlier group [of students].

Wa, api tako, mama su teteu.
and then, okay, we came to the village.

Mama su teteu, eli, api tako,
We came to the village and then, then okay,

Iŋgo mandisa iwou nate,
When we arose again [the next day] here,

Wambi naŋgi kapa kae Sele totoma.
I brought my younger brother Sele along

Wa ewa tupe.
And a short woman.

Ito mawasa, mawasa Opoi
We three, we went, we headed for Hopoi.

Mawasa mami, tako,
We kept on going, okay,

kole goiya tema ipai kulakula goli na imi Blaget.
One big man, he was working gold at Blaget.

E naŋgi tambu tema, naŋgi lawa bamo.
He was one of my in-laws, my elders.

Ima indo iŋgo,
He came over to me and said,

Manu munaŋgewe ewesika wa kolapkakapi munawasa totoma kote.
“Don’t take the women and small children with you.

A iŋgo munaŋgewe munawasa munami,
“While you’re taking them, maybe

towambana mo gaya nate, lauwa nima
“tonight or tomorrow, war will come.

Lawa Ziapan a inama.
“Japanese people might come.

Eta bumewe iŋgo te
“That’s what a whiteman said, so

I manzolo eta mama iŋgo manawasa teteu etate
“we scattered, so we came here in order to go to the village.”

Tako, iŋgo biŋa na deŋa i.
Okay, he said these words to us.

Asini towambana wai te api mando iŋgo imisina,
It was already night in Asini, so then we stayed until dawn,

3 kilok wa i mawoti mama su BP.
at 3 o’clock and we came down to BP.

Tako, mapi Bawalia.
Okay, we boarded [MV] Bavaria.

Madodomu ka mami mami mami mami mami
We ran on and on and on and on and on,

imisina iye Lae, Voco Point.
it dawned at Lae, Voco Point.

Tako, mayaŋgo inami biŋsu Lene iwoti.
Okay, we saw our missionary Lehner come down.

Iŋgewe biŋsu bamo na aindi ewesika ima imi,
He was bringing most of the missionary’s wives,

Tiki pi waŋga aidudu tiwesa su koe Mosbi.
they put them aboard an airplane to go over to Moresby.

Payama iŋgo inawasa Ostrelya.
Ultimately so they would go to Australia.

Tako, iwoti ima iwalasa iyoŋgo i,
Okay, he came down, stopped and saw us.

Iki wambanama; i maki wambanama deŋa e.
He said, “Morning”; we said “Morning” to him.

Beleya wai te, iŋgo “mumi wiyama?”
After that, he said “Are you all right?”

Wa i maŋgo “mami wiyama.”
and we said, “We’re all right.”

Tako, tiki waŋga isoloŋa ele
Okay, they put the boat in, and then

Iŋgewe iwoti ima iki pi waŋga
he brought [us all] down and put [us] on the boat,

wa eli wala waŋgo de biŋsu waŋgo “biŋsu yei,
and then, I went and said to the missionary, I said, “Hey missionary,

woya, ilu naŋgi kole koena, ilu manakosa.
“I, we two, my man there, we two will disembark.”

“Kole sai?”
“Which man?”

Woya te waŋgo “Gau.”
I answered, “Gau.”

Amula munakosa niu sawa na,
“Why will you disembark?”

O, ilu manayaŋgo ena sika wago ta,
“O, we’ll see his elder brother first, then

Gaya go manapaandalowa bouna manauwa.
tomorrow we’ll walk overland toward you.”.

“O, indeŋama.”
“O, all right.”

Ikanate ai tembi Bawalia payama
So they all took MV Bavaria,

Eta tisu Bukawa tiwesa,
so they went off to Bukawa,

wa ilu makosa mami Lae indeŋama wamba te wai.
and we got off and stayed a night in Lae.

Gaya ilu mambi bek laisi te,
The next day, we got a bag of rice,

sika wa ilu mandi paus to wambala ma.
the elder brother and our (two) pouches with baggage.

Wa tem nato, api tako, maiye mando,
and that time, then okay, we slept on,

wamba kikiyama, mandisa iye koe Ampo.
before dawn, we got up over there at Ampo.

Mama su koe Malahaŋ.
We came over to Malahaŋ.

Makota Tina Mala mama,
We came across the Mala River,

api ipai ilu tawiti bamo anoma.
then it made us very sad.

Ŋaomgo lauwa iŋgo nima ikana.
Because war could arrive like this.

Ipai ilu tawiti bamo anoma
It made us very sad.

Wa api ipai ilumandi tawiti.
and it made both of us sad.

Ilu, api ipai ilu iu wau.
We, it made us become foul.