.
djenbiri dooka-k koorliny

(toes dust-in moving)

toes dragging through dust
manda nookert-ngoornd wer biyoo-kadak

(between sleep and awake-having)

between sleep and wakefulness
noorakoort-il yoowart koora nakolak baranginy

(brain-it not previous-time knowledge holding)

the mind cannot retain memories


..
yoowart biyoo-kadak, yoowart nookert-ngoordiny

(not awake-having, not sleeping)

not awake, not sleeping
djidar, malyarak, karnamook, bandang winarak

(dawn, midday, evening, all same)

dawn is noon is troublesome twilight
kedela baal woori maladji-k warniny, ngaangk-boort

(day it long shadow making, sun-without)

the day grows long shadows without a sun


…
nidja djena koorliny, mayakawa-boort

(here feet moving, echo-without)

footsteps don’t echo
windji nyidap-ak

(where edge-at)

where are the edges
benang baal djinara-boort wer mirook baal yindjarangany

(tomorrow it roots-without and yesterday it evaporates)

tomorrow is rootless and yesterday evaporates


….
ngalak Boodja-k nookert-ngoornd-barniny

(we Country-on sleep-walking)

we are sleepwalking on Country
miyal-il binbart binbardiny ngarda miyal nalyak

(eyes rolling under eye lids)

eyes rolling beneath lids
bintj-abiny kambarn ngalang moordang koondam

(trapped-becoming with our dark dreams)

trapped with our dark dreams


Cass Lynch uses the Marribank orthography when writing in the Noongar language and is indebted to the efforts

of Noongar Elders who have kept language alive.