Tutau er a Bo Dekasmesumech

from Mengemedaol er a Irechar by Ngirchoureng

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This waltz relates the story of a boat that broke down when making the passage between Angaur and Peleliu and drifted away to Indonesia. Most say that the passengers were never found again, but there may have been evidence that they survived in Indonesia. This apparently occurred in 1941 or 1942, just before the war came to Palau. The song was possibly composed by a man named Louch. More info: wp.me/p6WC5Y-rS

lyrics

Tutau er a bo dekasmesumech
e bo dekebii er a oluk el bad
Ki bom diderekl er a sambas
e a eolt a meses el ongos

Kele ng kerior milukel ema
a lorreked a remekedung lomes
Ki di liluk el bek el chad
e mocha doiderekl

Maki belual ku Mekaeb e
sechelei ng metemall a bilas
Ki di mengituuk er a kika
e a sils a kebesengei

Lengelakl el llel a kerrekar
e ak longela louroachel kmo
ng bai derengul el tang kuk mo
motechakl er a belumam

Mal suebek a charm er a melidiul
Ak lmangel loureng a adidil
Ko el lodengei tekoi me desmechii
mel bol subedeterir

Te chebuul el ta te diak lodengei
chised el kmo ke doibecheklang
Di mengiil a di klsuul eng me a
chisel ku kodelled

-----
Morning, when we say farewell to each other
and we separate from each other as if cut with a stone knife
We go to load onto the boat at the pier
and the wind is strong from the east

I wonder if misfortune came down on us
who held onto each other dearly as the well-behaved people watch?
We were just silent, like everyone,
as they are beginning to board the boat

And we are about to the area of Mekaeb
friend, when our boat broke down
We tinkered with the starter motor for the engine
and the day became night

The leaves of a tree pass by
and I am starting to cry deliriously that
lucky is the one who almost goes
drifting toward our village

The bird in the sky is really flying
I cry wishing for what connected us
If only it knew language and we could send a message
and go tell them

They are the poor ones, those who don’t know
our news that you are starting to cross over
Just wait, it is only a lie
the news of our impending death

credits

from Mengemedaol er a Irechar, released June 20, 2018

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Ngirchoureng Oakland, California

Ngirchoureng — Jim Geselbracht and Tony Phillips — perform songs from the Republic of Palau, written in the 1930s thru the 1960s, accompanied by acoustic guitar, mandolin and fiddle in the "old-skuul" style captured on the 1960s Ngerel Belau (local radio station) recordings. Ngirchoureng (ŋirʔouréŋ) translates to “Mr. Hopeful,” and is taken from Kodep Kloulechad’s song “Bai Derengul a Eolt.” ... more