Suriname folk-lore

[p. 575]

d) Papa songs.¹

1 Songs for the dead. It is held that when a song of this type is sung and no ceremonial for the dead is being performed, it means the death of a member of the village where it is sung. A coincidence lay in the fact that the child of the singer's sister died one week after he had sung these songs for the phonograph. The people who heard them played showed fear, and demanded that the machine be stopped as soon as the nature of the songs were recognised. Most of these were improperly named when first sung.

62.

Dyąŋ - ga - si, sįŋ - ga - si Dyąŋ - ga - si, sįŋ - ga - si
Kɛm - bi - tien - ti ma kɛm - ba tu - tu A - wal' kwi -
so - - o yan - gi - si A - wan - ga - e - mi lu -
ku lu A - wan - gi - so - o yą - gi - di (3 times)

63.

A - o - o, ma - ma 'An - gye - ye Zam - be ma-ma -, na-
ki a-ban-dya-o - A - o - - o, ma-ma (etc.)

[p. 576]

 

A - o - - o, ma-ma (etc.)

64.

Ų da-mie -, ye-ye - o Ma - bu Ko - dya mi o - n-
de te a Ga - du Wa - ye mi kɔ̨ no da mi - dai
(........................)
(3 times with variations)
Ų da - Ų ku da -

65.

A-za - ke mu-ye - Ma Ga-du kɛ-mbu na yo- yo kɛ-mbu-an-ya-we

[p. 577]

 

A - za - kyɛmbu-o kyɛ-mbuna yo - yo kyɛ-mbu yo - y - o (6 times with variations)

66.

A - za - kye mu-ye, kye- mu- na yo- yo Ke - bwan - ga
A - za - kye mo - o - kye-mu - na yo - yo mu-yo -
A - za - kye mu - ye -, kye-mu-na yo - yo - yo Ke - bwan-ga
A - za - kye mo - o kye-mu - na yo - yo ki-mu-yo

67.

Si-na-ma-le bo - to Si-na-ma-le den-tiyo A ye -

[p. 578]

 

Si - na - ma-le bo - to Si-na - ma-le den - tiyo A - ye

 

I - ri - ye i - ri - yo si - ba si ba

68.

Wɛ, mąn na-ųn' bɛn go-e - ya-ye Wɛ, mąn na-ųn 'bɛn gō-o ya-ya
Cha go 'wa na mąn mi gąŋ-ga ke, Ga-dō na mi o - to me-ya-ye -
Ma Gadu miɛ-go 'we, ya - ye - no Ma na di miɛ-gyo, ya - ya
Ga-du a na mąn-yo Wa-ye na mi o - to dɛm wąn ki- ra
Tu bɛn g'we - ya - e Ma na di wi bɛn gyo - ya - ya
A na ma-di gąŋ-ga-o Wa-ya na mi o - to ųn' g'ia Ga-du -