Bougainville Poetry: Barata Andrew, sumatin wantem gan

By Leonard Fong Roka

You translate this ‘personal story’ into PNG Tokpisin. Will it meet what my story telling intentions the way I wanted it to be? I do not know. But to me, I think translation would spoil my broth; so let PNG Tokpisin run with autonomy from English. With such an approach, Tokpisin can have its own evolution story in the future.

This a story of my friend, whom after a PNGDF soldier bit him up, he with another student stole a gun and escaped, then returned to hunt his foe back in Arawa in 1996.

Barata Andrew, sumatin wantem gan

Olgeta de taim san i go daun, mi save tingim yu

Mi save tingim desk bilong yumi long kona; ples mitupla bin save laikim tumas lo hait na pilai longlong lo ol meri lo klas

Na nau yu lusim mi pinis na stap we, em mi no save.

Yu stap Honiara, Auki, Gizo o Taro; em mi no save, tasol yu stap sam we lo hap!

Yes, tasol displa marara soldia i bin paitim yu nating olsem tru displa em Solomon bilong ol tumbuna blo em na yu bin lusim skul na mipla olgeta.

Yu bin hamamas tasol lo usim skul siot na trausis; raun wantem narapla ulungasi soldia, pulim gan bilong em na ranawe i go lo bus. Yu gutpla pikinini Bogenvil, oli bin kolim yu.

Bihain yu kam lo taun lo painim dispel birua ivitu bilong yu

Tasol em i ron igo hait namel long mipla ol sumatin bilong yu olsem meri na yu bin krai. Yu bin krai lo no kilim dispel man husat emi bin man taim yu sumatin nogat gan. Tasol taim yu sumatin wantem gan em i bin go hait.

Sore lo em na skul pait em i bin kisim lo Australia na Malaysia.

Barata Andrew, yu pait man tru. Yu no les lo Bekim hevi bilong na sutim wantem gan narapla erereng polis man na kisim narapela gan bilong yu. Yu man tru

Tasol lo wanem yu Lusim mi na go?

Mi krai stap lo Bogenvil.

 

WORDS & MEANING

Marara— redskin in Halia (Buka)

Ulungasi— redskin in Nagovisi

Ivitu— redskin in Telei or Buin

Erereng— redskin in Nasioi or Kieta