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Tetun Dili (official Language)

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Bird Story in Tetun

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TEXT I: BIRD STORY
Kakuuk ho ninian sapeo
A boastful owl and its hat


This story is based on a wordless picture book:
Mercer Mayer. 1974. Two Moral Tales. New York: Four Winds Press.


listen to the story here

1.
Loron   ida  manu kakuuk aman ida ba pasiar.

Day    one  bird   owl male one go strolling. 

"Once upon a time, there was a male owl went strolling in a jungle."


2.
Nia hetan sapeo ida.

3sg find hat one

"He came accross a hat."  


3.
Doku tiha sapeo nee ba ninian ulun, teki-tekir nia hanoin nia an bonitu liu.

Put on complete hat this to POSS head, suddenly 3sg. think 3sg self handsome over.

"Putting the hat on top of his head, he thought that he was the most handsome bird in the whole jungle."


4.
Nia   hanoin nia an hanesan liurai ida iha ailaran tuan neeba.

3sg   think 3sg self like king one in jungle old there.

"He usually had a high regard of himself as a king in the untamed jungle."


5. Sapeo nee hanesan sasan ida neebe halo nia senti makaas liu tan.
Hat this like goods one that make  3sg feel strong over again.
"And the hat just made his over confidence bigger."
6. Atu hahuu   ninian kontrola dala uluk nuudar liurai, nia ba haree manu fuik inan ida neebe hela la dook husi ninian fatin.
TAM-irrias-future begin POSS control time first like king,        3sg go see bird wild female one that stay not far from
POSS place
"As part of his first control of the jungle as a self-appointed king, he went to see a female rooster that was living nearby."
7. Lao ba lao, nia hasoru duni manu fuik inan nee.
Go to go, 3sg meet really bird wild female this.  
"After walking for several hours, he saw the female wild rooster."  
8. Kakuuk nee dehan, “Hei manu inan matenek, o kokoteek dadeer no kalan; o nian kokoteek halo hau la dukur iha hau nian toba fatin.
Owl this say, "Hey, bird female smart, 2sg chuckle morning and night; 2sg POSS chuckle make 1sg not sleepy
in 1sg POSS sleep place."
The owl said, "Hey smart female wild rooster, you who chuckle by morning and night; your chuckles make me awaken in my residence."
9. O nian lian nee para soran.
2sg POSS voice this really enticing.
"Your voice is really captivating."
10. O dehan took mai hau agora hau bonitu ka lae bainhira hau tau sapeo nee?”
2sg tell try come 1sg now 1sg handsome or not when 1sg use hat this
"Now would you please tell me whether I look more handsome in this hat?"
11. Manu inan nee hanoin iha ninian laran,  “Sapeo nee buat diak ida. Hau mos presiza buat nee.”
Bird female this think in POSS inside, "Hat this thing good one. 1sg too need thing this.
"The female bird said to herself, "Gee, this hat is really good for me." I also dearly need that stuff."
12. Nia hamnasa, “Ha... ha... ha...! Hau hatene o manu bonitu liu iha ailaran nee.
3sg laugh, " Ha... ha... ha...! 1sg know 2sg bird handsome over in jungle this.
"The chicken chuckled, "Ha...ha...ha...! I know that you are the most handsome bird in the whole jungle.
13. O nian matan para soran; foti mate!
2sg POSS his eye really enticing; lift death!
"You have very beautiful eyes; deadly captivating!
14. Maibe atu dehan loloos ba o, o nian oin para aat, hanesan loos manu kalan, bainhira o tau sapeo nee.”
But TAM tell truly to 2sg, 2sg POSS face really bad, like truly bird night, when 2sg put hat this.
"But to tell you the truth, your face is literally ugly, like the face of another owl, when you put on this hat."
15. “Saida? Hau oin aat?  Mak lae duni, buatinak!”
What? 1sg face ugly? That no truth, small-girl
"What? My face is ugly? No way! That's a bad joke, lady!"
16. Nia senti mal kedas basaa nia hanoin nia mak bonitu liu iha ailaran neeba.
3sg feel bored soon because 3sg think 3sg that handsome over in jungle there.
"He felt losing his ground as he thought he was the most handsome bird in the jungle."
17. Nia halai husik hela kedas manu inan nee.
3sg run let stay soon bird female this
Soon he left the chicken.
18. Nia soe hela mos sapeo nee ba kotuk.
3sg throw stay also hat this to back.
"He also left the hat behind."
19. Manu inan nee ba hiit kedas sapeo nee.
Bird female this go lift soon hat this.
"The chicken went to pick the hat, inhesitantly."
20. Nia atu halo sapeo nee hanesan unuk ida.
3sg TAM make hat this like nest one.
She intended to make a nest out of the hat."
21. Loron atu tolun besik ona.
Day TAM lay egg near already.
"Her time to lay eggs was already at hand."
22. Udan mos atu monu rai ona.
Rain also TAM fall earth already.
"The rain would come soon as well."
23. Sapeo nee hanesan grasa ida husi ninian maromak. 
Hat this like grace one from POSS god.
"She thought of the hat as a bless in disguise from god."
24. Loron liu bebeik.  Manu kakuuk nee mos haluha tiha ninian sapeo.
Day pass continuously. Bird owl this also forget TAM (past) POSS hat .
"Days went by. The owl forgot his hat already."
25. Dala ida tan nia lao iha ailaran nee; hanesan baibain.
Time one more 3sg walk in jungle this; as usual.
"Until one day he travelled again the same memory line; as usual."
26. Teki-tekir nia haree fali manu inan nee ho ninian sapeo.
Suddently 3sg see again bird female this with POSS hat.
"To his shock, he saw the chicken still with his hat."
27. Nia hirus loos haree manu inan nee.
3sg angry very see bird female this.
"He got really mad with the chicken."
28. “Fo fali hau nian sapeo nee.  O uluk lohi hau.  Manu inan oin aat, lohi teen.
Give back 1sg POSS hat this. 2sg previously cheat 1sg.  Female bird face ugly, cheat very.
"Give me back my hat.  You cheated me.  Don't you realize that you are ugly, and cheating just makes you getting uglier."
29. Fo fali hau nian sapeo kedas.  Agora kedas!”
Give back 1sg POSS hat immediately.  Now immediately.
"Give back my hat to me now.  I said now!"
30. Manu inan nee hateten, “Kalma oitoan lai, maun bonitu.
Female bird this say, "Calm little yet, brother handsome.
"The chicken then said, "Cool down, my handsome brother.
31. Hau la bele fo sapeo nee ba o tanba agora hau nian oan iha laran.
1sg no can give hat this to 2sg because now 1sg POSS child in within.
"I cannot give it back to you as my cute baby is resting peacefully in it."
32. Nee hau nian oan ninian uma diak ida.”
This 1sg POSS child POSS house good one.
"This is a very good nest for my young one."
33. Nia laran nakali aat liu tan.  “Saida?  Uma ba o nian oan?  Hau la kohi hatene!”
3sg inside boil bad over again. "What? House to 2sg POSS child? 1sg no want know.
He got very angry.  "What?  A nest to your child? I don't care!"
34. Kakuuk nee ba hadau deit sapeo nee husi manu inan.
Owl this go confiscate only hat this from bird female.
The owl just grabbed the hat by force from the chicken."
35. Hafoin nia hahuu doku sapeo nee iha ninian ulun.
Then 3sg start cover hat this on POSS head.
"Then he started to put on the hat over his head."
36. Kakuuk nee rona manu oan nee hakilar.
Owl this hear bird child this cry.
To chis shock, he heard the poor chick crying (?)."
37. Maibe aat liu mak manu oan nee tee aat tiha ninian fuuk neebe naruk.
But bad over that bird child this shit bad TAM POSS hair where long.  
"But still the worst was that the chick had shitted on his long curly hair."
38. Nia oin hetok aat liu tan.
3sg face getting bad over again.
"His face got ever uglier."
39. Loron aat ida tan ba kakuuk aman neebe loko an.
Day bad one again to owl father where boast self.
"It was another bad day for the boasfull owl."  





© Language Documentation Center, University of Hawai'i at Manoa 2005