Hotc‰k Text -- The Captive Boys

narrated by Philip Longtail (Sîtcseretcka), Buffalo Clan
interlinear translation by James Owen Dorsey

English Version

p. 1 --
Edj‡
tcin‡–k
hij‰«
na–k
ckœni.
There
village
one
the one sitting (or, it sat)
perhaps.

Jegž«
na–k
s'‡
ckœni.
Hag—rej‡
In that manner
it sat
always
perhaps.
At one time in the recent (?) past,

dodj‰«
wir‡djirŽ*
ckœni.
Skedj‡**
mahudj‡hir‡wi***
war
they came to attack
perhaps.
Awful(ly)
they killed many
*"wiradjire < hira dji, to come suddenly or unexpectedly upon." -- J. O. Dorsey
**"skedja, an awful thing, or, awfully." -- J. O. Dorsey
***"mahudj‡hir‡wi, they killed him." -- J. O. Dorsey

ckœni.
Eg’
hotc”«ni–gij‰
hod‡hire*
ckœni.
perhaps.
Then
a boy
they spared him
perhaps.
*"hodahire (< hoda, to remain, be left over), 'they caused him to be left over,' i. e., they spared him." -- J. O. Dorsey

Hotc”«tc”ni–gr‡
han’
h‡kara’re
ckœni.
Eg’
Boy the
having him
they started homeward
perhaps.
Then

dodj‰«na
hag’re
ckœni.
Hotc”«tc”ni–gr‡
wag’kir’re
warparty the
they reached home
perhaps.
Boy the
they gave him --- after ---ing him from? a distance

ckœni.
Jegž«
d—we
hara’re
ckœni.
perhaps.
In that manner
continuing
they went
perhaps.

Djob‰«h‰
w‡gikir’re
ckœni.
Ídjop‰«h‰r‡
w‡gikir’re
Four times
they gave them to them (or, to others)
perhaps.
The fourth time
they gave him to others

g‡dj‰
Ždja
hod‡hire*
ckœni.
ƒgi
just then
there
they spared him
perhaps.
And
*"hoda-wahi used by mistake instead of hoda-hire, they spared him." -- J. O. Dorsey

h‡gorŽja
jigŽ
hij‰«
gik’re
ckœni.
at one time
again
one
they gave him away
perhaps.

ƒgi
wŽ
ckœni.
Hotc”«tc”ni–k
dŽe
And
he said
perhaps.
Boy
this

h—daw‡hi
ckœni.
ƒgi
wŽ
ckœni:
they spared them
perhaps.
And
he said
perhaps:

xetŽwah’
ktc‰nŽ,
Ž
ckœni.
ƒgi
he caused them to be large
will,
he said.
perhaps.
And

p. 2 --
hotc”«tc”ni–k
n‡–gre
’tcak—rok’re*
ckœni.
ƒgi
boys
the st.
they were friends to each other
perhaps.
And
*this word normally begins with an /h/.

waj—nina
jegž«
'ž
n‡–k
s'‡
the hunting something
so
doing
they (st. ones)
always

ckœni.
E
h’ni–kwah’ra
jegž«
'ž
perhaps.
He
his sons
so
doing

n‡–k
s'‡
ckœni.
Jedj‡–ga
wa–k
they sat (= were)
always
perhaps.
At length
men

iskŽdjahirŽ
ckœni.
ƒgi
wawagŽ
ckœni:
size of they were
perhaps.
And
he said to them
perhaps:

"Hotc”«tc”neg‡
ske**
waj—nine
cunœn‡."
ƒgi
"[The] young men*
[also]***
they hunt
always."
And
*Dorsey has, "Young men they are / when (?)".
**more usually cke or cge.
***Dorsey has, "do (?)".

hotc”«tc”n‡
waj—ni
h‡djahara’re
ckœni.
Mactc‰«
the young men
hunted something
they began
perhaps.
Strong

waj‰«
t'Žhi-ka’re*
ckœni.
ƒgi
h‡gorŽja
something
they killed - often
perhaps.
And
at one (past) time
*"t'ehikaire < t'ehi ke" -- J. O. Dorsey.

kig—
wakig—
hadj’re
ckœni.
ƒgi
feast
to invite them
they came
perhaps.
And

wa–g’j‰
hit'Žt'e
djirŽ
gadj‰«
wŽ
man one
speaking often --
he began
just then
he said

ckœni,
hotc”«tc”ni–gr‡
Ž
tc—ni
warœtchirŽ
perhaps,
the young men
he (or, they)
first
they eat

ktc‰nŽ,
Ž
ckœni.
JeskŽ
e
will
he said
perhaps.
Like that
he said

g‡dj‰
hu–gr‡
t'‰p'
k’rikŽre
na–g‡
just then
the chief
stood up quickly
he went along
the st. one [= he was]

hak’hin‰p«
ckœni.
ƒgi
hotc”«tc”n’–k
na–grŽ
he went out (from them)
perhaps.
And
young men
the st. ones

hi–kŽ
kip”«ra
n’
ckœni.
Jeske
not
they liked it
not
perhaps.
Like that

p. 3 --
djob‰«h‰
w‡gig’re
ckœni.
ƒgi
gadja–g‡
four times
they treated them
perhaps.*
And
just then
*"Four times were the young men invited to feasts, and each time did a different chief insult them." -- J. O. Dorsey

hotc”«tc”ni–gr‡
w—gitek’rŽ
ckœni.
ƒgi
hag—rej‡
the young men
they became angry
perhaps.
And
at one (past) time

tcan’
neg’
gix‡na
hara’re
ckœni.
fall of year
when
migrating*
they went
perhaps.
*the translation is almost unreadable.

Hotc”«tc”n’–k
deŽ
hoc’pdji
h‡kik’ju
'žhirŽ
Young men
this
always
together
they do [= why]

s'a
ckœni.
ƒgi
hag—rej‡
edj‡
always, ------
perhaps.
And
at one (past) time
there

ahin‰«ire
g‡dj‰
hœ–gra
hidj‡
they went? at night
just then
the chief
thither

hadj’re
ckœni.
Gix‡
edj‡
hah’
they came
perhaps.
Thick ? woods
there
he got there

n‰dŽdje
ckœni.
ƒgi
hotc”«tc”ni–gr‡
hok’kit'a’re
he chopped wood
perhaps.
And
the young men
they talked together

ckœni.
ƒgi
wa’re
ckœni:
T'ehirŽ
perhaps.
And
they said
perhaps:
They kill him

ktc‰nŽ,
a’re
ckœni.
Jedj‡–ga
hadj’re
will,
they said
perhaps.
Just then
they reached there

ckœni.
Hœ–gra
hah’
n‰dŽdja'ž«
hitc‡w”n‡
perhaps.
The chief
he reached there
he was chopping wood
his wife

hak‡raik’ju.
ƒgi
hotc”«tc”n’–k
n‡–ka
hœ–kra
he was with her, his own.
And
young men
the two?
the chief

t'eh’re
ckœni.
Nasœra
rusr‡na–g‡
h‡dji‡kara’re
they killed him
perhaps.
That head?
they took it - the - st. [or, when?]
they started back

p. 4 --
ckœni.
Djob‰«h‰
hu–k
t'Žhira
nž«ni–gŽ
perhaps.
Four times
chief
they killed
(they) may have

hi–k‡ga
wipŽresr‡
ni
ckœni.
ƒgi
never
they knew it about them
not
perhaps.
And

hag—rej‡
d—k
rŽgi
h‡kir’re
g‡dj‰
at one (past) time
summer's
when
they had come back
just then

hœ–gij‰«
wan’hi
hirŽ
je,
wigŽ
ckœni.
one chief
slaves
they are
that,
he said to them
perhaps.

ƒgi
hotc”«tc”n’–k
hok’kit'air‡na–g‡
wa’re
And
young men
they talked together, the st. [or, when]
they said

ckœni:
Ni–gŽ
h—wara’re
ktc‰nŽ,
a’re
perhaps:
somewhere
they go thither
will
they said

ckœni.
ƒgi
ha’nineg’
hik—roh—rer‡na–g‡
perhaps.
And
when morning
those who were friends

ni–gŽ
h—wara’re
ckœni.
H‰«pra
kŽrep‡na
somewhere
they went thither
perhaps.
The day
ten

hij‰«*
hi–k‡ga
waj‰«
rœtchira
ni
ckœni.
one
never
something
they ate
not
perhaps.
*"H‰«pra kŽrep‡na hij‰,« 'one ten of days'." -- J. O. Dorsey

ƒgi
hag—rej‡
jŽe
nij‰
hirádjíre
And
at one (past) time
that
a river
they came to it

ckœni.
DeŽ
Nic—djra
Žre
perhaps.
This
Missouri River
it was the aforesaid

je,
a’re
ckœni.
ƒgi
hir‡rextcen’–k
that,
they said
perhaps.
And
a little while

gadj‰«
tcin‡–gij‰«
hir‡dj’re
ckœni.
ƒgi
just then
a village
they came to it
perhaps.
And

hij‰«
waw’
ckœni.
ƒgi
Hitcak—ro,
one
said as follows
perhaps.
And
O friend

p. 5 --
naj”«re,
hidj‡wa
wadŽ
ktcŽ
na
stand!
thither
I go thither
will
[-]

tc—ni.
ƒgi
hak’ri
g’
hinœbikŽ
first.
And
I come back
when
we two

hinŽ
ktcŽ
na."
"Hodj‡,"
Ž
we go
will
.
"Yes,"
he said

ckœni.
Hidj‰«h”
djeg‡.
X—xtcan‡ni
reg’
perhaps.
Other one
the std.
Evening
when

tcin‡–gra
how‡re
ckœni.
Hitc‡koror‡
hapŽ
the village
he went thither
perhaps.
His friend
waited for him

ckœni.
N‰hutcŽdj‡
ha”
sŽretc”«.
Ha’ni
perhaps.
At the back of a tree
night
long
Morning

gadj‰«
hitc‡koror‡
kir’
ckœni.
ƒgi
just then
his friend
came back
perhaps.
And

hinúbiké
hidj—waraw’
ckœni.
Tcon’
tcij‰«
the two
thither they went
perhaps.
First
a tent

hadj’re
gadj‰«
wa–g’j‰
h’hin‰p«
‡na–g‡
they came to
just then
a man
he came out
when (or, as he did)

aak’
hotc”«tc”n’–g
n‡–gre
wah’
ckœni.
on both sides
young men
the two
he took hold of them
perhaps.

Djegž«he
‡na–g‡
w‰
ckœni.
Gadja–g‡
That manner he did
when
he hallooed
perhaps.
Just then

han‰tc«
wa–kcikr‡
hik’ne
ckœni.
Hoc’p
all
the men
they awoke
perhaps.
All the time

hotc”«tc”
n‡–kre
ma–kŽdja
hokŽradj”dj”«re
ckœni.
young men
the two
on the chest
they hit their own often
perhaps.

p. 6 --
E
w‡–kcik
wak’ju
hirŽ
je,
That
people
with them
they were
that,

air‡
na–g‡
waž«n‡–k
ckœni.
ƒgi
they said
as (or, because)
they were doing that
perhaps.
And

g‡dja–g‡
ructc‰«ire
ckœni.
Gadj‡–ga
wa–knœnik
just then
they ceased (to threaten the two)
perhaps.
Just then
old man

hij‰«
hagœ hah’re
ckœni.
Wa–knœnik
one
they went for him (to fetch him)
perhaps.
Old man

djeg‡
han’
h‡kir’re
gadj‰«
wok’t'e
the std.
having him
they had come back
just then
he talked to them

ckœni.
ƒgi
wawagŽ
ckœni:
"Wa–kc’k
perhaps.
And
he said to them
perhaps.
"People

djagœ
raniw’*
je."
ƒgi
hij‰«
what
you belong to (or, you are)
?"
And
one (youth)
*"raniwi, you (pl.) are or belong to [something]." -- J. O. Dorsey

waw’
ckœni:
"Wa–kc’ke
wak’jure
je,
said as follows
perhaps:
"People
they were with them
that,

Ž
ckœni.
ƒgi
wa–knœnigr‡
wog’rak
he said,
perhaps.
Then
the old man
he told them (the people) (or, he interpreted)

ckœni.
Hotc”«tc”n’–k
n‡–kre
wa’re
ckœni:
perhaps.
Young men
the two
they said
perhaps:

XunœnikrŽ
reg’
dodj‰«
wir‡djirŽ
gadj‰«
they were small
when
war
they came to us/them
just when

‡dja
wan’h‡kara’re
jŽ,
a’re
ckœni.
at that time
they took us/them home
that,
they said
perhaps.

Wa–knœnigi
na–g‡
wog’rak
ckœni
jigŽ.
Old man
the st. one
he told them
perhaps
again.

ƒgi
g‡dja–g‡
hiskŽwe wir‡n‰’re
ckœni.
And
just then (or, at length ?)
they believed them
perhaps.

p. 7 --
ƒgi
g‡dja–g‡
hatc‰«
war’ra
ktcŽ
And
just then
where
they have them
will

niska’re
ckœni.
Edj‡
hiw‡kitc’re
je,
they did not know
perhaps.
There
they live with them
that,

airŽna.
HinœbikŽ
hinœ–k
kana–grŽ
na–g‡
they said.
The two
women
they married women
the two (or, when)

tci
p”«xtci
hotcirŽ
je
airŽna.
Jedj‰«na.
lodge
very good
they dwelt in
that,
they said.
So far.*
*more typically translated as "the end".

Source:

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.