Kangaroos

Central Australian aboriginal song

Crunching their food in their mouths,—
While feeding they smack their lips noisily.

Grinding their food in their mouths,—
While feeding they smack their lips noisily.

The white-whiskered ones
While feeding smack their lips noisily.

The black-mouthed ones
While feeding smack their lips noisily.

Through their fodder stands of tnelja vines
They drag themselves along leisurely, leaving their tail prints behind.

In a thick plot of everlastings
They are forever playfully fighting with each other.

In a thick plot of everlastings
They are forever sportively fighting with each other.

In a thick plot of everlastings
They are forever resting with faces turned upwards.

Their foreheads darkened with down
They are sitting around glowing like fires.

The white sand crunches under them, the white sand crunches loudly under them;
The white sand echoes under them, the white sand echoes loudly under them.

The night parrots are speaking, the night parrots are speaking merrily;
In the tree tops they are speaking, in the tree tops they are speaking merrily.

With their ears pricked up
The broad-eared ones are looking about intently.

With their ears pricked up
The red-faced ones are looking about intently.



Back to Text