Nyanpi Matilda

Do we all know the famous Australian song Waltzing Matilda by Banjo Patterson? If you do join in if you don't just sing along when you know it. Don't forget to press play (the lyrics have been placed below as well)

So now that we've established we ALL know the traditional version of Waltzing Matilda how about we now try a Pitjantjatjara version of Waltzing Matilda called Nyanpi Matilda by Trevor Adamson. It uses one of the many Indigenous Aboriginal language dialects. Join in it's so catchy and not too hard!!

Waltzing Matilda

Once a jolly swagman* camp’d by a billabong,

Under the shade of a coolibah* tree,

And he sang as he watch’d and waited till his billy* boiled,

“Who’ll come a’ waltzing Matilda with me?”

Chorus:

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,

You’ll come a’ waltzing Matilda with me.

And he sang as he watch’d and waited till his billy boiled,

You’ll come a’ waltzing Matilda with me.

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong.*

Up jump’d the swagman and grabbed him with glee.

And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck* in his tuckerbag,*

“You’ll come a’ waltzing Matilda with me.”

(Chorus)

Up came the squatter* mounted in his thoroughbred.

Down came the troopers, one, two, three.

“Whose that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in you tucker bag?

You’ll come a’ waltzing Matilda with me.”

(Chorus)

Up jump’d the swagman, sprang into the billabong,

“You’ll never catch me alive” said he.

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong

“You’ll come a’ waltzing Matilda with me.”

(Chorus)

Up jump’d the swagman, sprang into the billabong,

“You’ll never catch me alive” said he.

And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong

“You’ll come a’ waltzing Matilda with me.”

And for those of you wondering what the * are for they are for funny terms that I will now define below for all you curious cats.

Swagman = hobo

Billy = water

Billabong = waterhole

Coolibah = type of tree

Jumbuck = young sheep

Tuckerbag = food sack

Nyanpi Matilda

Pitjantjatjara

Ultja-tjara kutju urungka ngura tjunu kulpingka

Wiltsa uninga panya

Munu nyakula inkagi billy pailirytjaku

Nyuntu Matilda nyanpi ngayula

Chorus:

Nyanpi Matilda nyanpi Matilda

Nyuntu Matilda nyanpi ngayula

Munu nyakula inkangi billy pailirinytjaku

Nyuntu Matilda nyanpi ngayula

Tjip Kutju wirkanu mina tijikintijikitja

Watingu pakara witinu munu

Yakutjangka tjunkula pukultu

Inkangi nyuntu Matilda nyanpi ngayula

(Chorus)

Mayatja pitjangu nyanytjungka tatiralta

Pulitjamjnu kulu one, two, three

Nganakun tjipi ultjangka tjarpa tjunu

Nyuntu Matilda nyanpi ngayula

(Chorus)

Watingku wangkara wankanin witilwiya

Urungka warara katingu munu kuruntu

Kuwari urungka wangka nyilta

Nyuntu Matilda nyanpi ngayula

Chorus:

Nyanpi Matilda nyanpi Matilda

Nyuntu Matilda nyanpi ngayula

Muny krunutu kumari urungka wangkanyilta

Nyunta Matilda nyapi ngayula