Translating Oral Literature: Aboriginal Song Texts

Abstract

This essay discusses what is involved in making oral literature in Australian languages, especially songs, accessible to speakers of English. It offers a variety of linguistic, technical and above all historical and cultural reasons why so little has been attempted, and why so few of the attempts have been successful. One group of examples of oral literature given, were contributed by the last generation of the Wangaaybuwan people who can still speak their language, Ngiyambaa.