Hočąk Text — Hare Kills a Man with a Cane
narrated by Jacob Russell
interlinear translation by Richard L. Dieterle
The MS is a phonetic text with all diacritical marks in place, written in a very clear hand, probably by Oliver LaMère, who is listed as the (prospective) translator. The text is untranslated. It is double-spaced in order allow the insertion of an interlinear translation. There are six such lines to a page, and the text takes up only about a half page of space. Each page is numbered by twos, suggesting that the missing page was intended to be devoted to an English translation.
Brackets '[ ]' indicate uncertain translations.
English Translation
p. 49 —
| Haininégi |
žigé |
jíkerešgùni. |
Uañkšigížą |
éja |
| The next morning |
again |
he started forth. |
A man |
there |
| 'ųješgúni. |
"Égi |
miánañke |
hotuxújikjèną. |
Jagú-ižą |
| he was at. |
"Well, |
I am going to sit |
I will look around. |
Which one |
| wa'ųjegùni? |
Hiságų |
hakerešgúni. |
T'ehirešgùni. |
Wašjiñgéga |
| would it be? |
With a cane |
I am going back. |
They will kill him. |
Hare |
| éja |
hañké |
kírinišgùni. |
Hičųšgéniñkàra, |
jagú'ų |
| there |
not |
he does not return. |
Little nephew, |
why |
p. 51 —
| wa'uñgúni? |
Hañké |
kiriníną. |
Wákuruxuč |
tékjiną." |
| are you doing it? |
Not |
he does not return. |
Looking around at something |
I will go." |
| Hijá |
hišgúni |
uañgerájane. |
"Hičųšgéniñkàra |
hañké |
| There |
he arrived |
the man. |
"Little nephew |
not |
| hínagišjàniže." |
"Hitokéniñgera, |
éja |
wažą´nigìžą |
hisagų´ |
| you will not do it." |
"Little uncle, |
there |
a little something |
cane |
| hakeréną." |
Erés'áre |
hokúruǧučšgùnigáją. |
Éja |
| I am coming back." |
Perhaps it was he |
who looked at him. |
There |
| t'anañkšgúni. |
Kúrusguni. |
Haníñkerešgùni. |
Gígi. |
Íni |
| he was dead. |
He took his man. |
He took him away back. |
He did for him. |
Stone |
| ǧokéwigi'ųšgùnigáją. |
Ni-ǫpšgúni |
"Kúnika |
hačitékjeną." |
| he began scratching him (?). |
He was alive. |
"Grandmother |
he will live." |
p. 53 —
| "Hąhą´ |
žejuñgá |
rešgúni." |
Wázira |
nųpíwi |
| "Yes |
now |
he is gone." |
The pines |
two |
| hisagų´ |
kik'ųšgúni. |
Hijá |
hįšgúni. |
"Hahó |
| cane |
he made for himself. |
There |
he went. |
"Okay |
| hi'uñkjeną. |
Nišgé |
nisagų´ |
hakérešonùną." |
Žéjuñga, |
| I will do it. |
I too |
— cane |
I usually go home." |
Now then, |
| uáñkjega |
hisagų´ |
hakérešgùni. |
T'ehirešgúni. |
"Žéjuñga, |
| the man |
cane |
he went home. |
They killed him. |
"Now then, |
| piñkjanéną. |
Kunika, |
t'eháną. |
Hitégeniwahàra |
| it will be good. |
Grandmother, |
I killed him. |
My uncles |
| hiuníniñgwahàra |
t'éwahijèra. |
Hišgé |
t'eháną. |
Kúnika, |
| my aunts |
he killed many. |
Therefore, |
I killed him. |
Grandmother, |
p. 55 —
| jágu |
hiraréže?" |
"Hičųšgéniñkàxjį, |
pįnáną. |
| what |
do you wish to do?" |
"My dear little grandson, |
it is good. |
| Hitégeniñgwàraga |
hiuníniñkwaragá |
waragíkik'ačąną |
pį. |
| Your uncles |
your aunts |
[you have done for them ?] |
good. |
| Uañkšik |
ínekjanèną." |
"Kuniká, |
pįhágają |
| Humans |
[will be left alone]." |
"Grandmother, |
that I have done well |
| hišegáją." |
| you have said it." |
English Translation
Source:
Jacob Russell, Stories from the Trickster and Hare Cycles, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #14, Freeman #3893 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) 49-55. Phonetic text only.