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
Ken Dodd/Ken Campbell/Richard Kilgour
There were 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.
Back to meryfela homepage