Peipeituher present iwor fasar Tamor me rani reng
Christmas from the Sky

Translated by Wayne Andrew; recorded by Felicia Andrew.
To see Felicia Andrew reading this story in 2014, go to the Tobian deposit in the Endangered Languages Archive: Documenting Ramari Hatohobei. Once you click on the New User link and register, you will be able to view all content in that deposit.  Felicia’s video is at https://elar.soas.ac.uk/Record/


Christmas was coming and everyone on Hatohobei was waiting for the airplane from Guam with this year’s presents.
Fesar Tamor yerau bito nge uruteh yahamat iwor Hatohobei he mor motengi wayer ra yebe bituh me Guam ra ye bahasituh presenter masirapewe.

Finally they heard the sound of the plane.
Hesa hongohong ngur remar wayer.

It got louder and louder.
Yesa repera me ramar.

The plane filled the whole sky.
Hesa teretehei rani reng nge ye tehitehiroh ifir wayeriwe.

It dropped something small onto the reef that sent smoke into the sky.
Yesa peitatuh sew matar hapar fauhumir wor yourung ra ye buhohota rani reng.

Then down came a big box.
Ngeye sa peitahuh sew hamatarahiri baho.

It landed in the taro field
Ngeye puhutuh repeiribor.

Everyone ran to see. The first one to come was the lady who always used a crutch. Now she was carrying her stick on her shoulder as she ran past everyone.
Uruteh chori feruh heseharong be hebe meyahi. Metamowari yehamat me yebirong repeiribor we semar terapar fafir ra yehawar sohosoh. Ngara firmena ye hachaichichirong nge ye yefaha sohor yesa fat rehur yesa hachaichichtengiih uruteh yehamat.

The men went into the taro to get the box.
Marerekewe chor feruh hesa birong repeiribor hesa hohawoe bohowe.

Then someone started calling, “Help, get me out of here.”
Semar yehahamat yesa sehichou “Tepengiemo, iterieiwomo me itere.”

“Who is calling?”
Marekewe hesasoh ba “Her ito ra hofesafas?”

“Oh no. It’s an old lady, she is stuck under the pandanus tree.”
Heseberesoh ba “Nobowat! Mesirats we ye ha sohosoh yemorimets retipar facheye.”

“Mother, what are you doing there?”
“Neira, hofita iran chepir fechera?”

“I thought it was World War Two again when he dropped that bomb on the reef.”
Nge yesasoh ba “I sohuchoh be yereberowoh maur be wayer ye peipeituh bakusang wor yourung.”

The men laughed and pulled her out from the pandanus roots.
Marekewe hesa memer hasa yefisawo meiron chepir wahahar fechewe.

Then they told her that the airplane was not dropping bomb but rather Christmas gifts for everyone.
Marekewe hesa hangeri be wayeriwe yetei peipeituh bakusang ba ye peipeituh present yah uruteh yahamat wori fasar Tamor.

They all joined and started singing and dancing to celebrate their present from Santa Claus.
Uruteh hasa chufengan hesa chinger nge he bahuh ifir keheri yah present meiohor Santa Claus.