Hočąk Text — The Captive Boys
narrated by Philip Longtail (Sįčserečka), Buffalo Clan
interlinear translation by James Owen Dorsey
p. 1 —
Ejá | čináñk | hižą́ | nañk | škúni. |
There | village | one | the one sitting (or, it sat) | perhaps. |
Žegų́ | nañk | s'á | škúni. | Hagórežá |
In that manner | it sat | always | perhaps. | At one time in the recent (?) past, |
toją́ | wirájiré* | škúni. | Skejᆠ| mahujáhiráwi‡ |
war | they came to attack | perhaps. | Awful(ly) | they killed many |
škúni. | Egí | hočį́niñgižą | hotáhire* | škúni. |
perhaps. | Then | a boy | they spared him | perhaps. |
Hočį́čįniñgrá | haní | hákaraíre | škúni. | Egí |
Boy the | having him | they started homeward | perhaps. | Then |
toją́na | hagíre | škúni. | Hočį́čįniñgrá | wagíkiríre |
warparty the | they reached home | perhaps. | Boy the | they gave him —- after —-ing him from? a distance |
škúni. | Žegų́ | tówe | haraíre | škúni. |
perhaps. | In that manner | continuing | they went | perhaps. |
Jobą́hą | wágikiríre | škúni. | Íjopą́hąrá | wágikiríre |
Four times | they gave them to them (or, to others) | perhaps. | The fourth time | they gave him to others |
gáją | éja | hotáhire* | škúni. | Égi |
just then | there | they spared him | perhaps. | And |
hágoréža | žigé | hižą́ | gikíre | škúni. |
at one time | again | one | they gave him away | perhaps. |
Égi | wé | škúni. | Hočį́čįniñk | tée |
And | he said | perhaps. | Boy | this |
hótawáhi | škúni. | Égi | wé | škúni: |
they spared them | perhaps. | And | he said | perhaps: |
xetéwahí | kšąné, | é | škúni. | Égi |
he caused them to be large | will, | he said. | perhaps. | And |
p. 2 —
hočį́čįniñk | náñgre | íčakórokíre* | škúni. | Égi |
boys | the st. | they were friends to each other | perhaps. | And |
wažónina | žegų́ | 'ų | náñk | s'á |
the hunting something | so | doing | they (st. ones) | always |
škúni. | E | híniñkwahíra | žegų́ | 'ų |
perhaps. | He | his sons | so | doing |
náñk | s'á | škúni. | Žejáñga | wañk |
they sat (= were) | always | perhaps. | At length | men |
iskéjahiré | škúni. | Égi | wawagé | škúni: |
size of they were | perhaps. | And | he said to them | perhaps: |
"Hočį́čįnegá | ske† | wažónine | šunúná." | Égi |
"[The] young men* | [also]‡ | they hunt | always." | And |
hočį́čįná | wažóni | hájaharaíre | škúni. | Maščą́ |
the young men | hunted something | they began | perhaps. | Strong |
wažą́ | t'éhi-kaíre* | škúni. | Égi | hágoréža |
something | they killed - often | perhaps. | And | at one (past) time |
kigó | wakigó | hajíre | škúni. | Égi |
feast | to invite them | they came | perhaps. | And |
wañgížą | hit'ét'e | jiré | gają́ | wé |
man one | speaking often — | he began | just then | he said |
škúni, | hočį́čįniñgrá | é | čóni | warúčiré |
perhaps, | the young men | he (or, they) | first | they eat |
kšąné, | é | škúni. | Žeské | e |
will | he said | perhaps. | Like that | he said |
gáją | huñgrá | t'ąp' | kírikére | nañgá |
just then | the chief | stood up quickly | he went along | the st. one [= he was] |
hakíhinąp´ | škúni. | Égi | hočį́čįníñk | nañgré |
he went out (from them) | perhaps. | And | young men | the st. ones |
hiñké | kipį́ra | ní | škúni. | Žeske |
not | they liked it | not | perhaps. | Like that |
p. 3 —
jobą́hą | wágigíre | škúni. | Égi | gajañgá |
four times | they treated them | perhaps.* | And | just then |
hočį́čįniñgrá | wógitekíré | škúni. | Égi | hagórežá |
the young men | they became angry | perhaps. | And | at one (past) time |
čaní | negí | gixána | haraíre | škúni. |
fall of year | when | migrating* | they went | perhaps. |
Hočį́čįníñk | teé | hošípji | hákikížu | 'ųhiré |
Young men | this | always | together | they do [= why] |
s'a | škúni. | Égi | hagórežá | ejá |
always, ——— | perhaps. | And | at one (past) time | there |
ahiną́ire | gáją | húñgra | hijá |
they went? at night | just then | the chief | thither |
hajíre | škúni. | Gixá | ejá | hahí |
they came | perhaps. | Thick ? woods | there | he got there |
nątéje | škúni. | Égi | hočį́čįniñgrá | hokíkit'aíre |
he chopped wood | perhaps. | And | the young men | they talked together |
škúni. | Égi | waíre | škúni: | T'ehiré |
perhaps. | And | they said | perhaps: | They kill him |
kšąné, | aíre | škúni. | Žejáñga | hajíre |
will, | they said | perhaps. | Just then | they reached there |
škúni. | Húñgra | hahí | nątéja'ų́ | hičáwįná |
perhaps. | The chief | he reached there | he was chopping wood | his wife |
hakáraikížu. | Égi | hočį́čįníñk | náñka | húñkra |
he was with her, his own. | And | young men | the two? | the chief |
t'ehíre | škúni. | Nasúra | rusránañgá | hájiákaraíre |
they killed him | perhaps. | That head? | they took it - the - st. [or, when?] | they started back |
p. 4 —
škúni. | Jobą́hą | huñk | t'éhira | nų́niñgé |
perhaps. | Four times | chief | they killed | (they) may have |
hiñkága | wipéresrá | ni | škúni. | Égi |
never | they knew it about them | not | perhaps. | And |
hagórežá | tók | régi | hákiríre | gáją |
at one (past) time | summer's | when | they had come back | just then |
húñgižą́ | waníhi | hiré | že, | wigé | škúni. |
one chief | slaves | they are | that, | he said to them | perhaps. |
Égi | hočį́čįníñk | hokíkit'airánañgá | waíre |
And | young men | they talked together, the st. [or, when] | they said |
škúni: | Niñgé | hówaraíre | kšąné, | aíre |
perhaps: | somewhere | they go thither | will | they said |
škúni. | Égi | haíninegí | hikórohóreránañgá |
perhaps. | And | when morning | those who were friends |
niñgé | hówaraíre | škúni. | Hą́pra | kérepána |
somewhere | they went thither | perhaps. | The day | ten |
hižą́* | hiñkága | wažą́ | rúčhira | ni | škúni. |
one | never | something | they ate | not | perhaps. |
Égi | hagórežá | žée | nižą | hirájíre |
And | at one (past) time | that | a river | they came to it |
škúni. | Teé | Nišójra | ére |
perhaps. | This | Missouri River | it was the aforesaid |
že, | aíre | škúni. | Égi | hirárexčeníñk |
that, | they said | perhaps. | And | a little while |
gają́ | čináñgižą́ | hirájíre | škúni. | Égi |
just then | a village | they came to it | perhaps. | And |
hižą́ | wawí | škúni. | Égi | Hičakóro, |
one | said as follows | perhaps. | And | O friend |
p. 5 —
nažį́re, | hijáwa | waté | kšé | na |
stand! | thither | I go thither | will | [-] |
čóni. | Égi | hakíri | gí | hinúbiké |
first. | And | I come back | when | we two |
hiné | kšé | na." | "Hojá," | é |
we go | will | . | "Yes," | he said |
škúni. | Hiją́hį | jegá. | Xóxčanáni | regí |
perhaps. | Other one | the std. | Evening | when |
čináñgra | howáre | škúni. | Hičákororá | hapé |
the village | he went thither | perhaps. | His friend | waited for him |
škúni. | Nąhučéjá | haį | sérečį́. | Haíni |
perhaps. | At the back of a tree | night | long | Morning |
gają́ | hičákororá | kirí | škúni. | Égi |
just then | his friend | came back | perhaps. | And |
hinúbiké | hijówarawí | škúni. | Čoní | čižą́ |
the two | thither they went | perhaps. | First | a tent |
hajíre | gają́ | wañgížą | híhinąp´ | ánañgá |
they came to | just then | a man | he came out | when (or, as he did) |
aakí | hočį́čįníñg | náñgre | wahí | škúni. |
on both sides | young men | the two | he took hold of them | perhaps. |
Jegų́he | ánañgá | wą | škúni. | Gajañgá |
That manner he did | when | he hallooed | perhaps. | Just then |
haną́č | wañkšikrá | hikíne | škúni. | Hošíp |
all | the men | they awoke | perhaps. | All the time |
hočį́čį | náñkre | mañkéja | hokérajįjį́re | škúni. |
young men | the two | on the chest | they hit their own often | perhaps. |
p. 6 —
E | wáñkšik | wakížu | hiré | že, |
That | people | with them | they were | that, |
airá | nañgá | waų́náñk | škúni. | Égi |
they said | as (or, because) | they were doing that | perhaps. | And |
gájañgá | ruščą́ire | škúni. | Gajáñga | wañknúnik |
just then | they ceased (to threaten the two) | perhaps. | Just then | old man |
hižą́ | hagú hahíre | škúni. | Wañknúnik |
one | they went for him (to fetch him) | perhaps. | Old man |
jegá | haní | hákiríre | gają́ | wokít'e |
the std. | having him | they had come back | just then | he talked to them |
škúni. | Égi | wawagé | škúni: | "Wañkšík |
perhaps. | And | he said to them | perhaps. | "People |
jagú | raniwí* | že." | Égi | hižą́ |
what | you belong to (or, you are) | ?" | And | one (youth) |
wawí | škúni: | "Wañkšíke | wakížure | že, |
said as follows | perhaps: | "People | they were with them | that, |
é | škúni. | Égi | wañknúnigrá | wogírak |
he said, | perhaps. | Then | the old man | he told them (the people) (or, he interpreted) |
škúni. | Hočį́čįníñk | náñkre | waíre | škúni: |
perhaps. | Young men | the two | they said | perhaps: |
Xunúnikré | regí | toją́ | wirájiré | gają́ |
they were small | when | war | they came to us/them | just when |
ája | waníhákaraíre | žé, | aíre | škúni. |
at that time | they took us/them home | that, | they said | perhaps. |
Wañknúnigi | nañgá | wogírak | škúni | žigé. |
Old man | the st. one | he told them | perhaps | again. |
Égi | gájañgá | hiskéwe wiránąíre | škúni. |
And | just then (or, at length ?) | they believed them | perhaps. |
p. 7 —
Égi | gájañgá | hačą́ | waríra | kšé |
And | just then | where | they have them | will |
niskaíre | škúni. | Ejá | hiwákičíre | že, |
they did not know | perhaps. | There | they live with them | that, |
airéna. | Hinúbiké | hinúñk | kanañgré | nañgá |
they said. | The two | women | they married women | the two (or, when) |
či | pį́xči | hočiré | že | airéna. | Žeją́na. |
lodge | very good | they dwelt in | that, | they said. | So far.* |
Philip Longtail, "The Captive Boys," translated by J. O. Dorsey (National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, 1893) 4800 Dorsey Papers: Winnebago 3.3.2, Story II: 1-7.