Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 24, 1913.djvu/324

 302 The Poetry of the Kiwai Papuans.

D. War Songs.

When the men return from a victorious fight they are received by the women, who dance outside on the beach. The name of the dance is nekede, and the following are a fev/ texts of the songs : —

J. I. '^ Eregebu7'o warami Jiajiiu iiere rebesio." ("Good brother he catch him man, he cut head along aere [be- heading knife]." )

2. " Namu durupi raraentti arinia maivio niawio}'0." (" Brother he cut head, blood he come, body belong man he leave him behind.'")

3. " Naviu uere raberuti eregeburo warai)ie namu uere raberuti." (" Brother cut him head along 7iere, wind belong that man he burst along throat." )

The dance with which the men celebrate a successful fight is called pipi, and in the songs they fight their battles over again, as shown by the texts : —

k. I. " Rorou gabo roroti mo sido gabo gabo roi'oa." (" I come along good road now.")

2. " Bedebede gubu bcdebede gubuo mo sido diirupio." (" All mud come on top me that time I fight, my body he fine [is well ornamented]." )

3. '' Ara papa degurara deguraj'o." ("I put uere [be- heading knife], blood he jump along man, behind [after- wards] break him bone inside.")

4. " Boboro mo durupi boboro, mo sido durupio!' (" That body I been leave him [the body of the enemy whose head has been cut ofif], he come soft now, close up he burst, my body he fine.")

5. " Bubure mo durupi bubiire mo sido durupio mo durupi bubure." (" Altogether fly he full up on top that body, my body he fine.")

While in the progress of a dance the people are engaged in singing one verse of a serial song, the leader has time to