Suriname folk-lore

3. Secular Songs.

a) Kawina.

235.

Mi'̮a Ma - ria We - gri Mi n'e we - gri fō lɛ - ti Dąn yu
kɔ̨'nami (mi) grɔn kɔ̨ - dɛ Tɛ yu wa - mi fu fre ye nąŋ-
ga mi si - sa Dąn yu kɔ̨' na mi grǫn kɔ̨n - dɛ
Mi na Ma - ria (etc.)

[p. 686]

 

I am Maria Wegri

 

I do not wegri fō leti

 

Then yon must come to my village.

 

If you wish to court my sister,

 

Then you must come to my village.

236.

No - do moi̯ mi go srib' nay̮' bɛ - di Sɛ - ki moi̯
mi go srib' nay̮' bɛ - di Pro - do moi̯ mi go srib'
nay̮' bɛ - di srib' nay̮' bɛ - di mi go srib' nay̮' bɛ - di

Spruce up nicely,
I am going to sleep in your bed.
Shake nicely,
I am going to sleep in your bed.

237.

Kɔ̨' go na o - po Kɔ̨' go Wa - i - sa Kɔ̨' go
na op' A - mer - ya Da - i kɔ̨' go Wa - i - sa Te - ki

[p. 687]

 

y'a - ka nąŋ - ga y'o - ru Kɔ̨' go na op' A - mer - ya Kɔ̨' go

 

Wa - i - sa (Repeated with minor variations)

Come let us go inland,¹
Come let us go, Waisa,
Come let us go inland, Amerya
Come let us go, Waisa,
Take your hoe and your axe,
Come let us go inland.

1 Opo is here translated ‘inland’ in accordance with its sense of indicating ‘up-river’.

238.²

A - lei̯n-tɛm kra - bu - o Kɔ - ti kwɛn-da moi̯, moi̯
Fru-du wa-tra pɔt' mi̯a shɔ - ro Ne - ti ta - pu m'a dam

2 Song to Story 118; for translation see p. 365.

239.²

O - ra - nyɛ Na-sau̯ Bɛ - tre no bɛn kɔ̨n di̯a Te'i si'̮a
bo - to dɔ - ro no mo Li - ba dɛ na wai ya - ya

2 Song to Story 118; for translation see p. 365.

[p. 688]

240.¹

To mi tya' g'we to mi tya' g'we
E - li - sa, yu na wą' to - bo - to to mi tya'
g' we To mi tya' g'we to mi tya' g'we
E - li - sa, yu na wą' to - bo - to to mi tya' g'we

1 Song to Story 103; for translation see p. 331.

241.¹

Na Go - li̯a - ti ba - ka dąn Dra - pɛ mo - ni dɛ lo - lo
Na Go - li̯a - ti ba - ka dąn Dra - pɛ me-ni dɛ lo - lo
Na Kɛ - tɛ - kɛ - tɛ ba-ka dąn Dra-pɛ pi-na dɛ lo - lo
Na Kɛ - tɛ - kɛ - tɛ ba-ka dąn Dra-pɛ pi-na dɛ lo - lo

1 Song to Story 103; for translation see p. 331.

[p. 689]

242.

Man - da Ma - de - ra Man dɛ Man-da Ma - de-ra Man dɛ
Mi no 'a - bi no pa - pa dɛ Man dɛ Man-da Ma - de- ra Man dɛ
(7 repetitions with minor variations)

Manda Madera,
Man dɛ.
I have no mother there,
I have no father there,
I have no sister there,
I haven't got anybody there,
Manda Madera,
Man dɛ.¹

1 The idiom in this song is that spoken near the British Guiana border.

243.²

Ɛ - mɛ-li - na, Ka-ro - li - na Wą' ku - nu d'a y'o so
Ma - yɛm - be Ma- yɛm - be Wą' ku - nu d'a y'o - so

2 Song to Story 124; for translation see p. 389.

244.

Dąn - si go na wo - wo - yo Te mi wąn' u - mą

[p. 690]

 

Wa - si na wąn' go li - ba Su - ku na wąn' mąn O,

 

Dąn - si go na wo - wo - yo - (etc.)

 

 

 

Dąn - si go na (etc.)

Dancing (I) go to the market
When I want a woman.
To wash in the river one goes
To seek a man.

245.

Tye, au̯ ma-ma -, au̯ ma-ma, tye au̯ ma - ma Wą' te, wą' te,
au̯ ma - ma, au ma - ma, tye au ma - ma Dą' yɛ - ri Kot'-
ka lib' wa - ka lɔn - tu (...) Mi wa - ka tɛ mi si wą'

[p. 691]

 

Dju - ka u - mą, Tą, tą, me - ki tą', Me - ki wąn pus-pu-si

 

Tą' me - ki tąn, Me -ki wąn pus-pus' Tye au̯ ma-ma au ma-ma tye

 

au̯ ma - ma Kot'-ka li - ba dɛ fu - ru nąn - ga Dju - ka

 

Kot' - ka li - ba de tyo tyo tyo tyo tyo tyo man - gri Dju - ka

 

Tą', tą', tą', Yɛ - ri są, - i - du A - te, a - te są me - ki,

 

są me - ki wą' pop - tya A - te, a - te są me - ki

 

są me - ki wą' pop - tya

Tye, o mama, o mama, tye o mama,
At once, at once, o mama, o mama, tye o mama,
Then you heard the Cottica river flowing along
I travelled till I saw a Djuka woman.
Wait, wait, let her wait,
Meki wan puspusi
Wait, let her wait,
Meki wan puspusi
Tye, o mama, o mama, tye o mama,
There are many Djukas on the Cottica river
The Cottica river is full of skinny Djukas
Wait, wait, wait,
Hear what is done
Until, until they give birth to a doll
Until, until they give birth to a doll.

[p. 692]

246.

Wą Sɔn- dɛ' ma-man-tɛm Mi go na Bu - gu - dąŋ Tɛ mi go,
mi si dri bi - gi mąn Nyąm a na de' nyąm wąn Ku - lia nyą-nyąm
Sɔn - dɛ' na A - de - lai̯ - na Sɔn - dɛ' na To - ro - a - ma
Sɔn - dɛ' na A - ma - ti - ri Di den nyąm wąn Ku - li nyą - nyąm
O sa - ni di dęn nyąm, Ku - ri nyą - nyąm Sąn' dę ba - ya
Ku - ri bai̯ - mąn O są - ni dɛn nyąm Ku - ri nyą-nyąm
Sąn' dę ba-ya Ku-ri bai̯-mąn O mi dɑ - ti bai̯ wą-wąn Ku-li nyąnyąm
O mi'ɛ-go pa-ya Ku-li pai̯-mąn Mi da- ti wa' sab', a Ku- li nyą-nyąm

(8 times, with minor variations)

[p. 693]

 

Solo:

 

One Sunday morning

 

I went to Bugudan

 

When I went I saw three big men

 

Eating, they were eating Coolie food¹.

 

Sunday² it was Adelena,

 

Sunday it was Toroama

 

Sunday it was Amateri

 

Who was eating a Coolie food.

 

 

 

Chorus:

 

Oh, what did they eat?

 

Coolie food.

 

Oh, what did they buy?

 

A Coolie purchase.

 

 

 

Solo:

 

Oh, I am the one who buys a Coolie food,

 

Oh, I will pay for a Coolie debt,

 

Oh, I am the one who knows the Coolie food

 

Oh, I am the one who knows Coolie roast beef.³

1 The verb ‘to eat’ means also to enjoy, to spend, and as in this case, to have connection; the reference to ‘Coolie’ is either to a Hindu or Javanese woman.

2 Or sɔntɛ, meaning ‘perhaps.’

3 This line is not in the song as transcribed.