Poem
Ali Cobby Eckermann
Yankunytjatjara Love Poems
1.I walk to the south I walk to the north
where are you my Warrior?
I sit with the desert I sit with the ocean
where are you my Warrior?
I sing to the trees I sing to the rocks
where are you my Warrior?
I dance with the birds I dance with the animals
where are you my Warrior?
Heaven is everywhere
where are You?
2.
I will show you a field of zebra finch Dreaming in the shadow of the stony hill ochre
when the soft blanket of language hums and kinship campfires flavour windswept hair
little girls stack single twigs on embers under Grandfathers skin of painted love
the dance of emu feathers will sweep the red earth with your smile
do not look at me in daylight; that gift comes in the night
tomorrow I will show Mother our marriage proposal in my smile
3.
in the cave she rolls the big rock for table, for the desert wildflowers they pick each another
she carries many coolamons filled with river sand to soften the hard rock floor
she makes shelf from braided saplings to hold all the feathers given by the message birds
when he sleeps she polishes his weapons with goanna and emu fat till they glisten in fire light
he tells the story of the notches on his spear, the story of the maps on his woomera
their eyes fill with spot fires lit on his return
the other women laugh “get over yourself” they laugh “he’s not that good”
she smiles she knows him in the night
4.
there is love in the wind by the singing rock
down the river by the ancient tree
love in kangaroo goanna and emu
love when spirits speak no human voice
at the sacred sites eyes unblemished
watch wedge tail eagle soar over hidden water
find the love
5.
Survival Day
I hear you as you sit
in silence your eyes search the Dreamtime
crammed in a modern world
Ah! there are the children of the Dreamtime
hands on thighs dancing
black legs beat drum and didgeridoo
Ah! there are the Grandmothers of the Dreamtime
quiet under shade trees alert for dangers
ready to fight protect and die
Ah! husbands and wives of the Dreamtime
share soul celebrations beyond the cultures
another baby of the Dreamtime will be born soon
Ah! all the Grandfathers sit silent
unmoving become rock face and sacred tree
the gibar magic man one with the earth
Ah! I see you on the horizon
in silence you search the Dreamtime
your eyes meet my silence
you reveal your presence with your smile
© Translation: 2010, Ali Cobby Eckermann
From: Best Australian Poems 2010
Publisher: Black Inc, Melbourne, 2010
From: Best Australian Poems 2010
Publisher: Black Inc, Melbourne, 2010
Yankunytjatjara Love Poems
Yankunytjatjara Love Poems
1.ngayulu tjina ananyi south ngayulu tjina ananyi north
where are you my Warrior?
ngayulu nyinakatinyi desert ngayulu nyinakatinyi ocean
where are you my Warrior?
ngayulu inma ankanyi trees ngayulu inma ankanyi rocks
where are you my Warrior?
ngayulu inmaku pakani birds ngayulu inmaku pakani animals
where are you my Warrior?
ngura ilkaritja everywhere
where are You?
2.
I will show you a field of zebra finch Dreaming in the shadow of the puli puli ochre
when the soft blanket of language hums kinship and campfires flavour windswept hair
little girls stack single twigs on embers under tjamus skin of painted love
the dance of kalaya feathers will sweep the munda with your smile
do not look at me in daylight; that gift comes in the night
tomorrow I will show ngunytju our marriage proposal in my smile
3.
in the cave she rolls puli pulka for table for tjulpun tjulpun they pick for each another
she carries piti tjuta filled with river sand to soften the hard rock floor
she makes shelf from braided punu to hold nyalpi tjuta given by the message birds
when he sleeps she polishes his weapons with goanna and emu fat till they glisten in fire light
he tells the story of the notches on his spear, the story of the maps on his woomera
their kuru fill with spot fires lit on his return
the other kungkas laugh “get over yourself” they laugh “he’s not that good”
she smiles she knows him in the night
4.
there is love in the wind by the singing rock
down the river by the ancient tree
love in malu ngintaka and kalaya
love when spirits speak no human voice
at the sacred sites eyes unblemished
watch walawaru soar over hidden kapi
find the mukuringanyi
5.
Yabun
I hear you as you sit
in silence your eyes search the Dreamtime
crammed in a modern world
Ah! there are the tjitji of the Dreamtime
mara on thighs dancing
maru legs beat drum and yidaki
Ah! there are the kami tjuta of the Dreamtime
quiet under shade trees alert for dangers
ready to fight protect and die
Ah! mama tjuta and ngunytju tjuta of the Dreamtime
share soul inma beyond the cultures
another iti of the Dreamtime will be born soon
Ah! wati tjuta sit silent
unmoving become rock face and sacred tree
the gibar magic man one with munda
Ah! I see you on the horizon
in silence you search the Dreamtime
your kuru meet my silence
you reveal your presence with nyuntu ikaringanyi
© 2010, Ali Cobby Eckermann
From: Nosside World Poetry Award Anthology
Publisher: Bosio Italian Studies Center, Calabria
From: Nosside World Poetry Award Anthology
Publisher: Bosio Italian Studies Center, Calabria
Yankunytjatjara: a traditional Aboriginal language group of northwest South Australia, who have maintained their traditional cultural practices, and are a major language group of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.
Poems
Poems of Ali Cobby Eckermann
Close
Yankunytjatjara Love Poems
1.I walk to the south I walk to the north
where are you my Warrior?
I sit with the desert I sit with the ocean
where are you my Warrior?
I sing to the trees I sing to the rocks
where are you my Warrior?
I dance with the birds I dance with the animals
where are you my Warrior?
Heaven is everywhere
where are You?
2.
I will show you a field of zebra finch Dreaming in the shadow of the stony hill ochre
when the soft blanket of language hums and kinship campfires flavour windswept hair
little girls stack single twigs on embers under Grandfathers skin of painted love
the dance of emu feathers will sweep the red earth with your smile
do not look at me in daylight; that gift comes in the night
tomorrow I will show Mother our marriage proposal in my smile
3.
in the cave she rolls the big rock for table, for the desert wildflowers they pick each another
she carries many coolamons filled with river sand to soften the hard rock floor
she makes shelf from braided saplings to hold all the feathers given by the message birds
when he sleeps she polishes his weapons with goanna and emu fat till they glisten in fire light
he tells the story of the notches on his spear, the story of the maps on his woomera
their eyes fill with spot fires lit on his return
the other women laugh “get over yourself” they laugh “he’s not that good”
she smiles she knows him in the night
4.
there is love in the wind by the singing rock
down the river by the ancient tree
love in kangaroo goanna and emu
love when spirits speak no human voice
at the sacred sites eyes unblemished
watch wedge tail eagle soar over hidden water
find the love
5.
Survival Day
I hear you as you sit
in silence your eyes search the Dreamtime
crammed in a modern world
Ah! there are the children of the Dreamtime
hands on thighs dancing
black legs beat drum and didgeridoo
Ah! there are the Grandmothers of the Dreamtime
quiet under shade trees alert for dangers
ready to fight protect and die
Ah! husbands and wives of the Dreamtime
share soul celebrations beyond the cultures
another baby of the Dreamtime will be born soon
Ah! all the Grandfathers sit silent
unmoving become rock face and sacred tree
the gibar magic man one with the earth
Ah! I see you on the horizon
in silence you search the Dreamtime
your eyes meet my silence
you reveal your presence with your smile
© 2010, Ali Cobby Eckermann
From: Best Australian Poems 2010
Publisher: 2010, Black Inc, Melbourne
From: Best Australian Poems 2010
Publisher: 2010, Black Inc, Melbourne
Yankunytjatjara: a traditional Aboriginal language group of northwest South Australia, who have maintained their traditional cultural practices, and are a major language group of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.
Yankunytjatjara Love Poems
1.I walk to the south I walk to the north
where are you my Warrior?
I sit with the desert I sit with the ocean
where are you my Warrior?
I sing to the trees I sing to the rocks
where are you my Warrior?
I dance with the birds I dance with the animals
where are you my Warrior?
Heaven is everywhere
where are You?
2.
I will show you a field of zebra finch Dreaming in the shadow of the stony hill ochre
when the soft blanket of language hums and kinship campfires flavour windswept hair
little girls stack single twigs on embers under Grandfathers skin of painted love
the dance of emu feathers will sweep the red earth with your smile
do not look at me in daylight; that gift comes in the night
tomorrow I will show Mother our marriage proposal in my smile
3.
in the cave she rolls the big rock for table, for the desert wildflowers they pick each another
she carries many coolamons filled with river sand to soften the hard rock floor
she makes shelf from braided saplings to hold all the feathers given by the message birds
when he sleeps she polishes his weapons with goanna and emu fat till they glisten in fire light
he tells the story of the notches on his spear, the story of the maps on his woomera
their eyes fill with spot fires lit on his return
the other women laugh “get over yourself” they laugh “he’s not that good”
she smiles she knows him in the night
4.
there is love in the wind by the singing rock
down the river by the ancient tree
love in kangaroo goanna and emu
love when spirits speak no human voice
at the sacred sites eyes unblemished
watch wedge tail eagle soar over hidden water
find the love
5.
Survival Day
I hear you as you sit
in silence your eyes search the Dreamtime
crammed in a modern world
Ah! there are the children of the Dreamtime
hands on thighs dancing
black legs beat drum and didgeridoo
Ah! there are the Grandmothers of the Dreamtime
quiet under shade trees alert for dangers
ready to fight protect and die
Ah! husbands and wives of the Dreamtime
share soul celebrations beyond the cultures
another baby of the Dreamtime will be born soon
Ah! all the Grandfathers sit silent
unmoving become rock face and sacred tree
the gibar magic man one with the earth
Ah! I see you on the horizon
in silence you search the Dreamtime
your eyes meet my silence
you reveal your presence with your smile
© 2010, Ali Cobby Eckermann
From: Best Australian Poems 2010
Publisher: 2010, Black Inc, Melbourne
From: Best Australian Poems 2010
Publisher: 2010, Black Inc, Melbourne
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