Suriname folk-lore

118. Den twarfu Raf.

Wąn Konu bɛn dɛ, habi twalfu mąn pikin. A no bɛn kis' nowąn umą pikin. Ma nō, di den pikin kɔm bɩgi, dą' a kar' 'a mama, a tak', ‘Mɩsi, mi 'ɛ go mek' wan sweri nąnga yu. 'A dei̯ yu sa kɩs' wan pikin, ɛf' na wan umą wan, dą' wi 'ɛ kir' ala den mąn wąn.’ 'A mama bɛn sari so tɛ ... Ma no ląŋga baka a bɛn kɔm kis' bɛrɛ. 'A papa mu go na fɛti nō. Dąn nō, a libi ordɛ' gi na minister tagi, 'a dei̯ di na umą sa meki 'a pikin, ɛf' na wąn umą wąn, a mu' kir' ala den mąn wąn.

Ma nō, di na tɛm kɔm kɔsbei̯ di na mama fō mek' 'em, a kar' den mąn pikin, a tag' ɛ̨m taki, ‘Ųn papa bɛn mek' wąn promis' nąŋga mi, ɛf mi kɩs wąn umą pikin, dąn ųn ala i dɛdɛ.’...

[p. 364]

 

Bato! Mi bɛn dapɛ!

 

Sąn a tagi?

 

Mi adɛlo Selina,

 

Moi̯ boto a fɛlɛ,

 

Mek' a fɛlɛ.

 

Waka 'ąnga yu tɔri!

... Dą' tak, mek' den tek i n'nyam, dą den go 'a busi, dąn mek den ala luku mamantɛ̨m, ɛf den si wąn rɛdi fraga ɔpo, dą' na wąn umą pikin kɩs' ɛm. Dąn den mu go mɔro fara. Ma, ɛf' na wąn wei̯ti fraga, dą' na wąn mąn pikin 'ɛ meki. Nō, ala mamąntɛ̨m den luku. Wąn mamąntɛ̨m den si wąn rɛdi fraga. Dą' wantrǫ' den gowɛ, ɛn go mɔro fara. Dą' dɛn 'ɛ kɔt presi, prani nanyąm, mɛk' hoso, dą' 'ɛ libi.

Ma di na umą pikin kɔm bɩgi, dąn a i si den twalfu kasi. Dą' ɑksi 'a mama taki, ‘Suma habi krosu na ɩni den kasi?’ Da mama tak' na tɛ suma kɔm tą dia na dɑt' mek' den dapɛ. Nō, wąn dei̯, 'a umą pikin tek' wąn refolver, a taki ɛf' ɛ̨ŋ mama no tai̯g' hɛm suma hab' den kasi, wan skot fō ɛ̨ŋ, wan fō ɛ̨ŋ mama. 'A mama no mąŋ hɔri mɔro, dą' kɔm tai̯g' hɛm taki, ‘Wɛ, yu bɛn habi twalfu brada. Ma di fɔs mi mek' yu, yu papa bɛn mek' wąn sweri nąŋga mi taki ɛf' mi kɩs' wan umą pikin ɛ̨ŋ kiri ala den twalfu mąn wąn. Dat' mek' mi dɛ mek' hɛm gowe.’

Dą' na umą pikin teki na tro-saka-hąŋgisa nąŋga na lɩ̨ŋga fō ɛ̨ŋ papa, a taki ɛ̨ŋ gowɛ ɛ̨ŋ suku ɛ̨ŋ brada...

Bato!

Alei̯ntɛm krabu

Kɔti kwɛnda moi̯, moi̯.

Frudu watra pɔt' mi na shɔro.

Neti tapu mi na dam.

... A waka so tɛ ... dąn a mit wan presi wan neti, a si wan fai̯a far awɛ. Dąn mamantɛm a waka dɔro; a go miti pɛ dɛn brara bɛn dɛ.

Ma den brada bɛn meki wąn sweri taki, ɛf' wą umą suma kɔ̨ dapɛ, dɛn sɑ kiri ɛ̨ŋ, bika na fō umą suma ɛdɛ dę' kɔ̨n tą' na mɩndri busi. Den brada bɛn habi wan gowɛnti; erfu fō den dɛ go a wroko, dą wan i tą' na 'oso bɔri...

Bato! mi bɛn dapɛ.
San a tagi?

Oranyɛ Nasau̯,

A bɛtre yu no bɛn kɔ̨n dia,

Tɛ yu si 'a boto dɔro nō mō

Foto dɛ na wai̯ ya ya.

Waka nąŋga yu tɔri!

[p. 366]

... Ma di a si na umą kɔ̨', dąn ɑksi ɛ̨ŋ tak', ‘Są' yu kɔ̨' dia?’ A tak', ‘Na mi brada mi kɔ̨' suku.’ Aksi ɛ̨ŋ taki, ‘Sɔrtu brara?’ A sɔri na yųŋgu 'a sak-ąŋgisa nąŋga na tro lɩ̨ŋga fɛ ɛ̨ŋ papa. Dą' wan trǫ' a si na na fu ɛ̨ŋ papa, dą' a bribi wą' trǫ' tak' na ɛ̨ŋ sisa. Dą' a tai̯gi ɛ̨ŋ taki, mɛk' a kibri, bikasi ɛf' dɛn brada kɔm, dę' go kiri ɛ̨ŋ. Dę' mek' wą' swɛri, taki, ɛfi wą umą suma kɔm dia, dę' sɑ go kiri ɛ̨ŋ. Dą' nō, di a bɔri nyąm, dą' a pɔti dertin preti. Di den brada kɔm, den dę' ɑksi ɛ̨ŋ taki, san' wan tak' dati? Den dɛ twarfu suma, ma a pɔti dertin preti. Dąn 'a brada ɑksi den taki, ‘Ɛf' ųŋ si ųŋ sisa, san ų' sɑ du nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ?’ Dę' tak', ‘Wi dɛ kiri ɛ̨ŋ. Sɔrtu sisa?’ Dan dę' bɩgin fɔ̨m na brada. Den ati-brɔ̨ŋ. Ma no, di den taki, ‘Mek' a kɔm, mɛk' wi si ɛ̨ŋ,’ di a go kari ɛ̨ŋ kɔm. Den di a kɔm, dąn a sori den na trō lɩ̨ŋga, dąn dę' bribi ɛ̨ŋ. Dą' dę' prisiri nąŋga ɛ̨ŋ; den drɩ̨ŋgi makandra. Ma no dę' ala go na wroko no, dąn dę' libi na sisa fō bɔri.

Dąn dę' habi wąn ros bɔm, a bɛ̨n abi twarfu kropo. Dę' no bɛn opo yɛte. Ma de dei̯ dɑti den opo, dąn di na metyɛ bɔri, a pɔt tafra, dą' a broko den twarfu ros, dą' a pɔti ɛbriwąn fō den preti wąn ros'. Ma fa den brara kɔ̨n na 'oso, no mo den trǫ twalf raf. Dąn 'a sisa taki, so langa ɛ̨ŋ no si den brada baka, ɛ̨ŋ no sɑ taki mɔro. Dą' a bɩgin wak' 'a busi, tɛ ... ala ɛ̨ŋ krosi kɔm broko.

Dąn wąn yųŋgu, a bɛn dɛ wąn prɩ̨ns, dą' a kom na ɩn' na busi, dą' a teki ɛ̨ŋ. Dą' a weri manta gi ɛ̨ŋ, dą' a tyari ɛ̨ŋ go na ɛ̨ŋ 'oso, ma 'a medyɛ a no dɛ taki. Dąn dɛm sisa fō na yųŋgu bɛn lɔbi na metyɛ. Ma tɛ a no piki, dąn dɛn ati kɔm brɔ̨ŋ, dąn den bɩgin kɔsi ɛ̨ŋ, taki, na wan busi xei̯st. Dą' a kɔ̨m kɩsi wą pikin. Ma no, a mu kisi wą tra wą. Dąn na papa taki, ɛf' a no taki, dąn ɛ̨ŋ go kiri ɛ̨ŋ. Ma na prɩ̨ns sari so tɛ... A du ala fasi fō a tagi, ma a no bɛn mąŋ taki. Dąn dę' tek' ɛ̨ŋ a dɛ, tyari fō go kiri. Di den pɔti ɛ̨ŋ fō kiri, dąn na yųŋgu prɩns go na ɛ̨ŋ, a bɛgi ɛ̨ŋ tagi, ‘Mi gadu! Kɛ, tak' wan wɔrtu, meki no dɛdɛ.’ Fei̯f minut fɔs den kiri ɛ̨ŋ, dɛn twarfu raf frei̯ kɔm. Fa-i-si dɛn bari ‘Raf, raf,’ na wą'trǫ' na metyɛ taki. Dąn den trǫ' twarfu prɩ̨ns. Dąn wantrǫ den ɑksi na Konu frɔntwɔrtu san ɛdɛ a wan' kiri ɛ̨ŋ sisa.

Dąn dę' kɔmop' wantrǫ' tak' na Konu mu' dɛdɛ. Ma di dę' no sab' fa fo kiri ɛ̨ŋ, dę' go 'a lukumąn. 'A lukumąn taki, dę' mu gi wan fei̯st,

[p. 368]

dąn ala suma mu weri wan spɛsial susu fō na fei̯st. Dąn lukuman pɔt wan sani na ɩn' na susu fō na Konu, ɛ̨ŋ sɑ fa wer na susu, wantrǫ' dɛdɛ. Na mei̯djɛ nąŋga den twarf brada gō na den papa baka.

A kaba.

118. The Unknown Sister.¹

There was a King who had twelve sons. He had not a single daughter. But now when his children grew up, he called the mother, and he said, ‘Wife, I am going to swear you to a bargain. The day you give birth to a child, if it is a girl, then we will kill all the males.’ The mother was grieved so till.... But not long after she became pregnant. The father had to go to war now. Then now, he left orders with his minister that the day his wife gave birth² to a child, if it be a girl, he must kill all the boys.

But now when the time approached for the mother to give birth, she called her sons, and she said to them, she said, ‘Your father has made an oath with me, if I give birth to a daughter, then you are all to die.’...

1 Told by 1. Comparative, Bolte u. Polívka, i, 70-75, No. 5.

2 Taki-taki, ‘to make a child’.

[p. 365]

 

Bato! I was there!

 

What was said?

 

My Adelo Selina,

 

A fine boat flies,

 

Let it fly.

 

Go on with your story!

...Then she said, let them take food, and go into the bush, and then let them look every morning, if they should see a red flag flying, then she had been delivered of a girl. Then they must go farther. But, if a white flag, then a son had been born. Now every morning they looked. One morning they saw a red flag. Then at once they went away, they went farther. Then they cleared a place, planted food, built a house, and they lived there.

But when the girl grew up, then she saw the twelve chests. Then she asked her mother, she said, ‘Who owns the clothes inside these chests?’ The mother said they were there for people who came to visit. Now one day the girl took a revolver, and she said, if her mother did not tell her to whom the chests belonged, (then) one shot for her, one for her mother. The mother could not hold out any longer, and she said to her, she said, ‘Well, you had twelve brothers. But, before I gave birth to you, your father and I took an oath that if I gave birth to a daughter he would kill all the twelve sons. That is why I made them go away.’

Then the girl took her marriage kerchiefs and her father's ring, and she said she was going away to look for her brothers...

Bato!

Rainy season crabs

Wriggle nicely, nicely.

High tide brings me ashore.

Night arrests me at the falls.³

She walked so till... then she came one night to a place and she saw a fire far away. Then in the morning she went out; she went toward the place where her brothers were.

But her brothers had taken an oath that if a woman came there they would kill her, because for the sake of a woman they came to live in the deep bush. The brothers had a custom; eleven of them went to work, and one of them remained at home to cook...

Bato! I was there.
What was said?

Orange Nassau,

Better you had not come here,

When you see the boat arrive no more

The city will be happy ya ya!⁴

Go on with your story!

3 Song No. 238. This and the following are Kauna songs.

4 Song No. 239.

[p. 367]

...But when he saw the woman come, then he asked her, he said, ‘Why do you come here?’ She said, ‘I come to look for my brothers.’ Asked her, he said, ‘What kind of brothers?’ She showed the young man her handkerchief and her father's wedding ring. Then immediately he saw that it was his father's. Then at once he believed that she was his sister. He said to her, he said, let her hide because if the brothers came, they would kill her. They took an oath saying if any woman should come here they would kill her. Then, now, when he had cooked the food, he put down thirteen plates. When the brothers came, they asked him, they said, what was the meaning of that? They were twelve people, but he (had) put down thirteen plates. Then the brother asked them, he said, ‘If you saw your sister, what would you do with her?’ They said, ‘We would kill her. What kind of sister?’ Then they began to beat the brother. They were angry. But now when they said, ‘Let her come, let us see her,’ then he went to call her. Then when she came, she showed them the wedding ring, then they believed her. Then they were pleased with her; they drank together. But now they all went to work, and they left the sister to cook.

Then they had a rose bush, and it had twelve buds. They (the roses) had not yet opened. But, on the day they opened, after the girl had cooked and set the table, then she plucked the twelve roses, and she put a rose on each plate. But no sooner did the brothers come home, than they changed into twelve macaws. Then the sister said, as long as she did not see her brothers again she would not speak. Then she began to wander in the bush till... all her clothes were torn.

Then a young man, who was a prince, came into the bush, and he took her. He gave her a cloak and he carried her to his house, but the girl did not speak. Then the young man's sisters loved the girl. But when she did not speak, then they grew vexed with her and began to scold her, saying she was a spirit from the bush. Then she was delivered of a child. But now, the time had come for her to give birth to another. Then the father said, if she did not speak he would kill her. But the prince was sorry so till... He did all he could to make her talk, but she was unable to talk. Then they took her, and carried her off to kill her. When they were about to kill her, the young prince went to her and begged her saying, ‘My God! Please¹ say one word, so that you do not die.’ Five minutes before they were going to kill her, twelve macaws came flying. Just as they were crying, ‘Macaws, macaws,’² then at once the girl spoke. Then they changed into twelve princes. Then at once they asked the King to explain the reason why he wanted to kill their sister.

Then they at once said the King must die. But as they did not know how to kill him they went to a diviner. The diviner said they

1 ‘Kɛ!’ which informant translated as ‘please’.

2 The word is ‘Raf-raf!’ and is employed onomatopoetically.

[p. 369]

must give a feast, and everybody must wear special shoes for the feast. Then the diviner put something inside the King's shoes, and so as he put on the shoes, he died instantly. The girl and the twelve brothers went back to their father.

It is finished.