Every now and then we enter the word 'iwaidja' into the little search window at the top right-hand corner of my internet browser to see what comes up. Last week brought the surprise finding of a site called Global Recordings (GR) which claimed to have some Bible stories in Iwaidja as part of its content. It turns out that the stories are indeed there, and what's more you can listen online here.

On contacting the organization we received a prompt reply from Noel Bachelor, who was able to tell us that the recordings were made in 1953. The recordist was Don Richter, and the speaker's name was recorded simply as 'Dudley'. So far we haven't found anyone who recognizes that name, but we're hoping that the voice and the name will ring bells for one or more of the older members of the Iwaidja-speaking community.

Joy Williams and Bruce Birch have transcribed and translated two of the texts so far, and will do the same for the remaining two over the coming weeks. One text consists of a re-telling of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, which we've pasted below. The recordings are good quality, especially given that they're now nearly sixty years old, making them the oldest recordings of Iwaidja we're aware of.  The recordings were made by the material being translated and recorded one sentence at a time on a 'ReadyCorder'. These were reel-to-reel paper tape recorders designed and made by GR engineers, and were about the most advanced portable tape recording machines of their day.

'Christmas'

When the rain and thunder start up, everybody thinks: "Christmas."
That's when everybody feels happy.
When all we think about - God.
Long ago, when God's son
was born.
A baby boy.
He [God] created the clouds and the stars.
He created the earth.
And the sea.
He had a child in the form of a man.
I hear you ask:
"What happened all that time ago?"
God sent one man [i.e., the angel Gabriel]
He was to carry a message to her.
Her name was Mary.
That woman had no husband [at first].
Then a man took her as his wife.
His name was Joseph.
This was according to God's word.
When they married,
Mary fell pregnant. With God's child.
"Soon you will give birth to a male child."
"You will call him Jesus."
"When he grows up,
this little child,
will be
like his Father".
This woman Mary said:
"What's going to happen?"
"I've never 'known' a man."
"This is the message he sent to you."
"From now on, he'll look after you."
"From now on, God will come to be with you."
"So, when you give birth,
your child will be the son of God."

At first,
Joseph and Mary,
carried on their lives as usual.
Then, after a time, he [Joseph] received it [the spirit of the child].
She [Mary] became pregnant.
Joseph didn't didn't like it.
But God sent word.
He said to Joseph,
"Don't be afraid."
"That woman is yours."
"That child within her,"
Lit. good - her [obl.] breath
A boy child was born.
His name is Jesus.
God told them long ago.
This is the word of God.
At first,
she had no husband.
Then she became pregnant.
She gave birth.
The child's name was Immanuel.
This name
like God,
God asks us.
This
is what God told us long ago.
And then Mary.
And Joseph.
Went to Bethlehem.
There at Bethlehem,
The had a celebration for the child.
Mary gathered together some 'cow's stuff'.
Hay.
She prepared a bed for him.
She made a bed for the child.
When Jesus was born,
Everyone rejoiced.
God sent word to them.
To 'those who look after sheep'.
He said, "Jesus is born. He's there."
They went to where Jesus ws born.
They all went and rejoiced.
The saw he was the son of God.
Three [wise] men,
saw Jesus.
They came to Bethlehem.
They had a ceremony for him.
There where Jesus was born,
lived an evil king.
He was angry.
That king heard the news.
That Jesus had been born.
He would have killed the child,
but God was watching over him.
God sent Mary and Joseph
to Egypt.
They took Jesus.
Time passed, and the king died.
Today we remember when Jesus was born.
We remember him.
We remember Jesus
And God.
When we think of God, he thinks of us.
God treats us as his children.
He's with us here on earth.
He [Jesus] grew into a man.
Jesus was a good man.
He had no wickedness in him.
When he died,
when he washed away our sins,
If we think of Jesus,
God will enter
[our] hearts.
When Jesus enters our hearts,
we can never die.
When we remember him at Chistmas, everything will be alright.