Phyllis Thomas spoke about the place where the Moon was diving into the water in her country at Mende-menden, Island Yard. Berrem ngarrgarlem yilag ngagenyen daan, Mende-menden, Mende-menden yilag. Gardiya call em Island Yard. Berrem goorloom,
berrem barlawam. Nginyawoo nyirrega wanemayinde, Garnkiny. Nyirreg-bebe nginiwardjende. Yiligin nginiyinde goorloon. ‘This is a rocky place down at in river in my country, at the place called Mende-menden.
downstream at Mende-menden. White people call it Island Yard. This is the water and this is the flat rock [in the middle of the painting]. This is where the man who became the Moon was bathing. He kept getting in for a bit of a swim. He used to stay under the water.’
Ngenengga dagoorlan, berrema dagoorlan, boorab giniyinde. Yangge benayanyjende melagawoom dam, darndal-ngarrem. Darndal-ngarrem, lalanggarrany, ginyany, dawool, thamboorroogal dan. Berdij-bebe nginiyinde, "Gaboowa jarremendande-gili?"
‘Here [the circles in the middle] are the deep holes in the rocks, the deep holes where he used to come out. He used to ask all the Turtles and that kind. All the Turtles, the Crocodile, the White-faced Heron and his mother-in-law the Black-Headed Snake at that place. He used to climb up [out of the water and say] "What did you all say?"’
"Ngoorrinya ngoorrinya, jarloongoorroonyi wany-wany nginiyi, goorlangge yiligin yiligin.
‘"That one, that one is a handsome one swimming under the water poor thing," [they told him].’
Ngoowana berra wayina woomberramande-ningi. Roowaj woomberramande. "Mana-ginyi ngoorrinyi ge," wayina naw, woomberramande-ningi.
‘They did not really talk like this about him. They were swearing. "That one has a big back side" that's the kind of thing they were saying about him.’
Nyimoog-jaliny nginiwardjende. Wany-wany-ngarri, boorab ngenengga goorloon, yilag. Dagoorlagbe benema. “Gaboowa jarramanande-ngirri?”
‘He used to keep diving in again. After swimming along he would come out of the water down here. He kept making the deep holes [that are still there in the rocks in the riverbed]. "What were you saying to me?" [he kept asking].’
Ngoowan. "Ngoorrinya jarloongoorroony, gaboowa nginiyi-yarre goorloon? Gaboo, gaboo ngoowoon? Gayigana boorab goowiyayi? Marri nginya boorab giniyinde yilang."
‘“No. That good looking man, where has he gone on us in the water? Where has he gone? When will he come out? Ah there he is coming out from the bo