Ljuljima / A Prayer（思念感恩歌）

(This is a very beautiful, yet  very difficult song. I am singing it for those who are attending the 2015 Graded Indigenous Language Proficiency Test tomorrow [19th December 2015], like I myself. Though whether or how the Test helps language revitalization remains debatable, I pray the act will mean for each participant a true commitment to live with their mother's - or in cases now, grandmother's - language for life.)

Ljuljima i ya na na ya u 

Ini maluljai e a izuwa i 

Masalutsalut ya a ti Cemas

Idu a tevelji itjen a mapuljat

Ljuljima i ya na na ya u 

Ini maluljai e a izuwa i

Kalevalevai idu a tja sevalitan 

Kinizazanga e a nitjen a palalaut

Ljuljima i ya na na ya u 

Ini maluljai e a izuwa i 

Tisun a nia sevalitan, papupiculi amen

Ina tjen a manguaq a patjemamilin. 

(Stanza A)

=pulima        (functional expletives)
Ljuljima        i ya na na ya u 
wise hand

(privative)       (adj.)       (functional)     (adv.)      (prep.)
    Ini            maluljai          e a             izuwa        i 
   not                tired                                there        at

(reduplicated verb)    (functional)    (case maker for p.)   (object)
    Masalutsalut              ya a                       ti                   Cemas
　 thank                                                       to                     God

(verb)        (adv.)           (subject)
  Idu    a   tevelji    itjen a mapuljat
   come     together   let's      all

Translation: What a wise hand! Always there and never feeling tired. God, how we thank you! Come, people! Let's join together!有智慧的手啊！不辭辛勞地在那兒。神啊，我們感謝您！大家一起來吧。


(Stanza B)

=pulima        (functional expletives)
Ljuljima        i ya na na ya u 
wise hand

(privative)       (adj.)       (functional)     (adv.)      (prep.)
    Ini            maluljai          e a             izuwa        i 
   not                tired                                there        at

     (adj.)        (verb)    (case marker)        (subject)

Kalevalevai    idu               a                 tja sevalitan
  happy           come                               our ancestors

   (verb)           (case marker)   (object)      (adv.)
Kinizazanga e        a               nitjen     a palalaut
   protect                                      us          forever

Translation: What a wise hand! Always there and never feeling tired. Come be happy, our ancestors! [Who] protect us forever! 有智慧的手啊！不辭辛勞地在那兒。祖先啊，一起來歡樂吧！你們永遠地守護著我們啊！


(Stanza C)

=pulima        (functional expletives)
Ljuljima        i ya na na ya u 
wise hand

(privative)       (adj.)       (functional)     (adv.)      (prep.)
    Ini            maluljai          e a             izuwa        i 
   not                tired                                there        at

(subject)  (case marker)    (appositive)     (verb)        (object)
  Tisun            a              nia sevalitan,  papupiculi   amen
    you                             our ancestors,    empower       us

=u tjatjen        (adj.)                (adv.)
Ina tjen   a manguaq     a patjemamilin.
Let us            well                  forever

Translation: What a wise hand! Always there and never feeling tired. You, our ancestors, please give us strength. Bless us forever and ever! 有智慧的手啊！不辭辛勞地在那兒。您是我們的祖先，請賜給我們力量。永遠祝福我們吧！