The

WOL WANTOK

Page

Read a Poem, sing some songs - find out how to learn the language!

First, enjoy the rich texture of the language in this new Poem from the Wol Wantok pen of Niall McDevitt - it is a sort of Hymn to John Frum, the Cargo Messiah of Tana Vanuatu:

JIOJ BLONG JON FRUM

• Taem trabol i kam bigwan, wanem mekem yumifala?
• Yumi prea long God blong Wes, we i ded olgeta finis?
• Mane mi gat, lav mi gat, mo mi gat plante paoa,
• Be sipos mi wantem prea mi mas faenem wan nyu lanwis;
• Mi sing blong nyu laef ia, mi sing blong Jioj blong Jon
  
  
• Jon Frum i kamaot long dipsi mo i bin wan waetmanfala,
• Be Jon i gat blak devel, blak speret insaed long em,
• Emi talem se: "Lusum Baebol; Troem Baebol long solwara!
• Olgeta mas gobak long onafala kastom!"
• Mi sing blong nyu wod ia, mi sing blong Jioj blong Jon
  
  
• Kratis i bin wan gudman mo wan klevafala tija,
• Be Jioj blong Jake i giama mo mekem yumi fraet.
• Sipos yumi stap long tudak, wantem narafala prija....
• Wanfala i gat kago ia, wanman i gat waetlaet:
• Mi sing blong nyu laet ia, mi sing blong Jioj blong Jon

  Niall McDevitt
  

Now two songs from the MAKBED stage show:

Hymn to John Frum

• Dat fala i mesia blong blak aelan
• Bring kago blong em long Amerika
• I gat plante fren olraet, i ol toktok
• Baot kargo taem i kam Amerika
  
  
• Jon Frum i kam
• Singsing long Jon Frum
• Jake Kratis i no kam
• Singsing long Jon Frum
  
  
• Tu Jo Kepten Kokel sel
• Kepten Hones Kepten Wol
• Kalbapen, Karaparamum, Man-Tana;
• Tom Navy, Mista Nab-Nab;
• Prins Pilip, Jake, Jo, Sam;
• Henry, Noah, Isak, Dodi;
• Gladis tu....
  
  
• I gat plante fren olraet
• I ol toktok
• Baot kago taem I kam Amerika
• Dat fala i Mesia blong blak aelan
• Bring kago blong em long Amerika
  
  
• Jon Frum i kam
• Singsing long Jon Frum
• Jake Kratis i no kam
• Singsing long Jon Frum

Trad. Tana Song, arr. Kilgour

Fokwaea Solja

• Mi no gat wansamting long ples ia
• Oli narakaenfala raon ia
• Emi plantefala ia, be olsem taem
• Mifala nomo ia
  
  
• Yumi harem Fokwaea Solja
• Emi toktok blong lanwes ples
• Nao yumifala toktok olsem
• Mobeta olgeta ia....
  
  
• Nao yumifala gat wantok
• Oli pipel wantok
• Mekem isi wantok
• Olgeta oli taem
  
  
• Nao yumifala gat wantok
• Oli singaot wantok
• Oli wol tok wantok
• Mobeta olitaem
  

Ken Dodd/Ken Campbell/Richard Kilgour

WOL WANTOK COURSES

There have been a series of 2-day courses in the Wol Wantok language of Bislama Pidgin which took place at the Wantok Offices in Chalk Farm Road. There are no immediate plans to run more courses, but if enough people were interested they could possibly be laid on. Enquiries to:

E-mail meryfela@meryfela.demon.co.uk for details

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