Ne’e mak Khalai. Nia tinan hitu. Ninia naran signifika ‘buat di’ak ida’ iha ninia lian, Lubukusu.
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
Khalai hadeer no ko’alia ho sabraka hun. “Favor sabraka hun, aas sa’e ba no fó mai ami sabraka fuan tasak barak.”
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
Khalai la’o ba eskola. Iha dalan nia ko’alia ho duut. “Duut favor, sai matak liu-tan no labele sai maran.”
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
Khalai la’o liu ai-funan fui “Favor ai-funan, funan nafatin atu nune’e ha’u bele tau o iha ha’u nia fuuk.”
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
Iha eskola, Khalai ko’alia ba ai-hun iha resintu nia klaran. “Favor ai-hun, fó sai sanak boot sira atu nune’e ami bele lee iha o nia mahon.
At school, Khalai talks to the tree in the middle of the compound. “Please tree, put out big branches so we can read under your shade.”
Khalai ko’alia ba ai-badak sira haleu ninia eskola. “Favor sai forte no hapara ema aat sira tama mai.”
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
Bainhira Khalai fila ba uma husi eskola, nia vizita sabraka oan. “O nia sabraka fuan sira tasak ona?” Khalai husu.
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
“Sabraka sira ne’e sei verde nafatin,” Khalai suspira. “Ha’u sei hasoru o aban sabraka hun,” Khalai hateten.” Karik depois o sei iha sabraka tasak mai ha’u!”
“The oranges are still green,” sighs Khalai. “I will see you tomorrow orange tree,” says Khalai. “Perhaps then you will have a ripe orange for me!”
