SHINE BENKIM
Marshallese storyteller, artist
Ms. Shine Benkim is a Marshallese elder, community leader, and practioner of Marshallese traditional arts. She resides in Springdale, Arkansas. Shine was born on January 31, 1951 on Imroj islet on Jaluit Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Her clan is Ijjidrik and she is the mother to nine children.
Having migrated to Arkansas in 2013, Shine maintains Marshallese traditional practices of weaving, storytelling, and sharing of songs, and occasionally through roro, a chant to lift spirits-the words and meanings of which are only known by a few.
Shine shares her knowledge with Marshallese youth through the process of jitdam kapeel, sharing knowledge so others may gain wisdom - the traditional way of passing down knowledge from one generation to another. These are some of her works.
SONG TRANSCRIPTIONS & TRANSLATIONS
TITLE: EJEM̗L̗O̗K PĀD EO AD
Ejem̗l̗o̗k pād eo ad
Jen reilak n̄an Irooj
En jipan̄ kōj ilo jepeliklok in ad
Im dāpij mour m̗ae iien
Jenaaj bar lo doon
n̄e ejjab ilo lal ak ilo lan̄
Oh, goodbye, iakwe kom
Otemej m̗ae juon iien
Iakwe eo em̗ool im pen
Ro jera im jooj al aolep ippān doon aolep raan
OUR TIME TOGETHER IS DONE
Our time together is done
Let’s look up to the Lord
May he help us in our parting
And take care
until we meet again
If not on Earth, then in Heaven
Oh, goodbye, Love you all
All of you, until next time
Love that is true and pure
My friends, let us all sing together every day
TITLE: AELŌN̄ IN JALOOJ
Aelōn̄ in Jalooj ewōr ilo bwebwenato ko rel̗ap ilo M̗ajel̗ Island (2x)
Rar buj pepe eo ioon aelōn̄ eo bwe ren m̗ōm̗akūtkūt, pukot jel̗ā;
Robōk kooj in Wolape bujin buj jelate;
Bwe o bwe o n̗e tūrin lan̄irok.
Kwar jab pokake
ke jeium ear ba em̗m̗an bwe tūrin lan̄irok;
Kwar jab pokake
ke jeium ear ba em̗m̗an tūrin lan̄irok.
Lale Lenewe lo Lejeron̄;
Kwon lale Lenewe lo Lejeron̄;
Kwon mājmāj karuo kōpl̗e jar eo item kan̄ jibukwi.
JALUIT ATOLL
There are popular Marshallese stories from Jaluit (2x)
They use good magic on the Island to escape, to seek knowledge
They took the course of Wolape using magic
The result of divination is by the southern sky
They did not obey
When your older sibling said the southern sky was good
Watch out for Lenewe on Lejeron̄ Island
Stay alert, chased away the party, and ate Jibukwi.
TITLE: IJ IAKWE L̗O̗K AELŌN̄ EO AO
IJ IAKWE L̗O̗K AELŌN̄ EO AŌ;
IJO IAAR L̗OTAK IĒ;
MEL̗AN KO IĒ IM IAL KO IĒ;
IM IAIEO KO IĒ;
IJĀMIN ILO̗K JEN E;
BWE IJO JIKŪ EM̗M̗OOL;
IM AŌ L̗ĀM̗ORAN INDEEO;
EM̗M̗AN L̗O̗K N̄E INAAJ MEJ IĒ.
I LOVE MY ISLANDS
I LOVE MY ISLANDS.
WHERE I WAS BORN,
THE SURROUNDINGS, THE PATHS,
AND THE GATHERINGS.
I CANNOT LEAVE HERE,
BECAUSE THIS IS MY RIGHTFUL PLACE,
MY FAMILY HERITAGE IS FOREVER HERE,
I SHOULD DIE HERE.
Click here for more information about the songs and their meanings.