Oral Text 3: How the Mursi came to Mursiland

Nga hulunu nga, zuo el Dirkaye.
At that time, the people were at Dirka.

Uli a hola, hira ko ona, ko Tongokuri, koi ma Warroin.
A white bull belonging to a man of my mother’s clan, Tongokuri, went to drink at the Omo.

Uli bitheni, Bule, koi ma Warroin.
A white bull with black patches, belonging to [the Priest] Bule, went to drink at the Omo.

Bio huli hey Shauraye, ulinya hey Warro.
When the cows went to drink at Shaura, the bulls went to the Omo.

Lusi a Tongokuri seathe shune ke ‘Harle beg uli!’
Tongokuri told his son,‘Watch that bull!’

Ina komoruin seathe shune ke, ‘Harle beg uli!’.
The Priest told his son,‘Watch that bull!’

‘Na huli uli genee na bio wheni, bhwe dhoi uliyoye – koba ne bhwe mate arra!’
‘When the bull is grazing, and the cows come to drink [at Shaura], find out where it  goes - follow it and find out where it drinks’.

Beku dirr na huli bio dongchinyana nga, uli choi dorogi, hash!
So he [Tongokuri’s son] watched his bull carefully. When the cows came to drink it crashed off  into the bush.

Kobu dirr – ina Tongokuri. Bunathe zuo. Irru mai-ni.
He followed it and followed it until it came to a place [on the Omo] where there were people. That’s where it drank.

Arte ko zuo nga tana – Nydi. Nyidi el nga tana.
There were people on the other bank - Kwegu.  There were Kwegu on the east bank.

‘Kuduma hiri nano, ee!’
[He saw a Kwegu and said] ‘I’ve found someone to be my client!’

‘Kuduma inye so!’
‘I’ve found you!’ said the Kwegu.

‘Na nga bi-a?’
‘So what about this bull?’ said Tongokuri’s son.

‘A bi kaje anyoi ma nga chir’.
‘It’s a bull I always bring here to drink’ said the Kwegu.

Uli a komoruin koiye – koi ko lusi bunthathen Warro nganga.
The other bull also went as far as the Omo, followed by the Priest’s son.

Daino togoin lorna ma gussioni.
In the evening they drove the bulls home, carrying water in their gourds.

‘Wa ulinya kopto na au tordo ori?’
‘Did you follow the bulls?’ asked the people. ‘Did you see where they went?’

‘Ulinya wa aita na aita mai pu rammai, el tui nga’.
‘They kept on going until they got to a huge river, over there’ said the boys.

‘Ma a meri?’
‘A big river?’

‘He! A meri so. Mai pu rammai huli kogwin nga, hey nganga teee hung – ba nga dhoneo.’
‘Big? It’s so big you can’t see where it ends.’

Daino zuo mezedoni. Mezeeee…na sene ke ‘Harle belle kete zigini’.
In the evening the people debated. They debated and debated until eventually they decided to move. ‘Lets leave tomorrow morning’ they said.

Belle zuo ziwone hung-ni, buuu.
In the morning they all set off together.

Na when na Dorlo tano elane bai, na chibe mora, mora,mora.
When they got to Dorl, on the west bank of the Omo, they stopped and tied up all the calves.

Bio el whuin.
The cattle were not allowed to drink [from the Omo].

Zuo el whuin.
The people were not allowed to drink [from the Omo].

Bage debi.
They smeared clay on their bodies.

Na kiwana hiri. Kaje berr – berr-a ma.
They chose a man and gave him a spear – a man’s spear.

Kabathen debi a korra na kubuti hugio.
He smeared black clay on his body and red clay on the blade of the spear.

Eden kiangi wush – dhobwe berr – orr berr.
He raised his arm and aimed the spear four times.

Berr koi na kon kio tano – dhobwano tano na kon kio nga tana, tomotheyo.
He threw the spear and it hit a Tomothey tree on the opposite bank.

Hir-aga dug ma.
Then he walked into the river.

Huli dug ma nga, bodine ke kio hula nga kita nga.
When he got into the river, he turned into a tree - like this one here.

Ngani zuo dhone gora wa dhone hirio hung.
Then the people followed him into the river.

Ma kenchabwe na te hula nga ba nga.
And the waters parted and the river became dry land, just like it is here.

Ma kedhu hung-ni - nga gia nga au nga, gia au nga.
The waters just parted  – some went in this direction, some went in that direction.

A logo hang – Mun a berari so!
It’s really true - the Mursi are powerful!