Hocąk Text — A Deer Story

narrated by Wámąnįga (Ken Funmaker, Sr.)
Hox’aija (Mauston, Wisconsin)
ca. 1997

transcribed by Sheila Shigley

translation based on that of Edward Lonetree Jr., Chloris Lowe Sr., Bill O’Brien, and Lucille Roberts, with emendations by Sheila Shigley

Ken Funmaker

English Translation


Stylistic Features

 

hapaxlegomena: hají ášgéįk, "as it got nearer"; hají e, "it's getting so"; hu-u-u-u-u-u, ’u ‘u ‘u ‘u ‘u-u-u-u-u, "rutting call of the female deer"; nįhá, "greetings"; rokígų, "to want" (< rokígų̀įnegi, "when they wanted"); ųnąk, "it is" (usually, ų́nąk’ų).
  rare words: ną́ka, "that" (found only once elsewhere); nąke (n Ke), "there" (found twice elsewhere); sįnįówagu (< sįnį-hó-wagu), "north," (found once in Susman).
  -n’ after a vowel, often used in place of -ną.
  ke used in preference to hąké or hįké.

 

Ca Worak
Deer Story

 

 

YouTube                
Nįhá egi, hagoréižą, egi hi’ą́c hara egi wóigiràgᵋ ną’į́ną.
Greetings [then,] once [then] father my [then] to tell a story he tried.

 

 

É, wórák te’èn’, gójáxjį howáji tégi hanį́ ų hajíre.
This, story this, way back it comes [right here] [to have] [to do] [they came].

 

 

Egi wí ną̀ą̀gᵋra wárárác irèže,* en’.
[And] months these to talk about they did, he said.

* the initial /h/ is dropped from external sandhi.

 

Žégų̀ną hahíšgé cá ną̀ą̀gᵋra warác irèn’.*
And [at one time] deer the to talk they did.

* the initial /h/ is dropped from external sandhi.

 

Ésgè, žé, wórák hižą̀ horák hajíreną, en’.
[So,] [this,] story a [to tell] [they came,] he said.

 

 

Hagoréižą, róhą́xjį egi wórak te’e hipéréz hanįháirèną, en’.
At one time, a lot [then] story this to know they did, he said.

 

 

Nųnigè hají? Jásgé gają en’, ke –
But now? How is it, he said, there's not –

 

 

hají e haruxà, hokúrújís arèn’, wórák te’e, ųsge kípérezᵋranįn’.
it's getting so more and more fewer [it is said] story this [thing] they do not know.

* Shigley adds parenthetically: "It has come to the point that, more and more so, there’s a decrease in ability …"

 

Nųnįgè, Nįóxàànį̀* ánągra, cíną́gᵋ nąka éja éną.
Nevertheless, Black River Falls they call, town [there,] he said.

* also Nįóxàwanį̀.

 

É, sįnįówagu są́įg éja, égi wióiré sąįg, hocáké nąka, éną,
Then, north [side] there, and west [side], in between, he said,

 

 

éja, xé hižą̀ ną̀kše. Xé ną́ka, cá hocí hižą̀ ų ną̀kše en’.
there, hill a it stands. Hill that, deer [dwelling] [a] [they make,] he said.

 

 

Áire s’aže, en’.
This is what they used to say, he said.

 

 

Žégų̀ gižì, cegᵋrégi, egi wą́kšígᵋra Hócą́gᵋra éja, hą́táginą̀c ahíre s’aže.*
Thus, long ago, [then] the people Hoocąk [there] vision quests they used to go.

* the initial /h/ is dropped from external sandhi.

 

Ną́jokiją̀ rokígų̀įnegi, žégų̀ híre s’aže.
Blessings when they wanted, this is what they used to do.*

* the translation has, "They went there to receive blessings from the Spirits." Shigley adds parenthetically, "when they wanted to make themselves pitiable, this is what they used to do."

 

Xé ną́ka, xé wákącą̀k hižą̀ ų nąk, žégų̀ híre s’aže.
That hill, hill sacred a it is, so that they used to do.

 

 

Égi hagoréižą, èn’, éja Hócą́k ną́kíkaràire šgųnį, s’íréją̀.
[And] once, he said, there the Hocąk they used to hunt, long ago.

 

 

Žégų̀ gają ną́kíkara ną̀ą̀ka, wažą́ižą ną́xgų́įne gųnį hiráire gają̀.
When thus it was, those hunters something they heard they thought.

 

 

Haruxá ášgé hú gają̀, té, ną́wą́ wàkše.
As it got nearer [as it came], here, [song] [it was uttering.]

 

 

Hají ášgéįk jí gają, égi, jágu é wàk hi, gająga [?] ną́xgų́įne.
As it got nearer, [as it came,] then what it [to utter] it did, finally (?) they heard.

 

 

Té, ną́wą́ te’e ną́wą́ howé wàkše.
[This one,] song this singing he was going along [it uttered.]

 

 

"Hija nąke, huukjeno, huukjeno;
"There there, let her come over, let her come over;

 

 

"Hija, nąke, huukjeno, huukjeno;
"There, there, let her come over, let her come over;

 

 

"Hija, nąke, huukjeno, huukjeno, hoi!"
"There, there, let her come over, let her come over, hoi!"

 

 

á huhéžé.
he was saying, as he was coming.

 

 

Harašją́ hį̀p hì gają̀, hiraréxjį ną’įną.
To stop to lie she did when, in a little bit [she tried.]

 

 

Éja: "Hu-u-u-u-u-u, ’u ‘u ‘u ‘u ‘u-u-u-u-u,"
Then: "Hu-u-u-u-u-u, ’u ‘u ‘u ‘u ‘u-u-u-u-u,"

 

 

á huhéžé. Cá hinų̀k hižą̀ howè.
[she was saying,] [as she was coming.] Doe a [that was going about.]

 

 

Égišgé té wáǧᵋra haǧép gają̀, té cá wą̀k hížą̀ wákše.
[And indeed] the one [shouting] he appeared when, it male deer a he was singing.

 

 

Cá hérócą̀ hižą̀ wàk.
Deer spiked a [male.]

 

 

Hinų́k giną́wą́ wàk.
Women he was singing about [male.]

 

 

Ésgè én’, hi’ą́c hàra, ésgé àireže.
Thus he said, father my, [so] [it is said].

 

 

Ké Hócą́kjànè, ké wą́kšíkjàné šąną̀ wókíxetè, wókígixetè ruxúrúgnį́ wa’ųną̀k.
Not [the Hocągara,] [not] human beings only love, love for them not capable they do it.

 

 

Wanóicgeną̀ą̀gᵋra, žé, hirásá èsgè hiruxúruk wa’ųną̀k.
The animals, those, [also] [therefore] to be able to do it.

 

 

Haną́c egi, jágú hikíráųną̀gᵋra [?] ésgé egì, wokíxete wa’ųną̀k.
All [then,] whatever the kind they are (?), therefore [then,] love they do it.

 

 

Hišgé esge wa’ųną̀kše, é wen’.
[Also] so the way they are, he he said.

 

Source:

Ken Funmaker, Sr., "Ca Worak, a Deer Story," transcribed by Sheila Shigley, trs. Edward Lonetree Jr., Chloris Lowe Sr., Bill O’Brien, and Lucille Roberts (Hoocak Academy, ca. 1997), YouTube.