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!”
