Eora, Ramaytush, English¹ by Rachel Chalmers

Mungi, wilkawarep, lightning,
Burra, rinnimi, sky, 
Murungal, pura, thunder, 
May, hiin, eye.

Darrabara, puuhi, daylight, 
Minak, muur, night, 
Biyanga, ‘apaa, father, 
Dyirra, laskainin, white. 

Wiyanga, ‘anaa, mother, 
Mudjil, chitkote, red, 
Mudung, ‘ishsha, living, 
Gugun, hurwishte, dead. 

¹ Eora, or Dharug, is the original language of the Sydney region of Australia, where I was born and raised. Ramaytush is the original language of San Francisco, where I live today. Both survive in fragmentary form. English is the only language I speak.

Rachel Chalmers is an Australian writer living in San Francisco. Her work has appeared in Salon, Painted Bride Quarterly, The Marlboro Review, The Southern California Review and elsewhere.