Hotcâk Text -- The Necessity for Death, Version 2


English Translation


p. 59 --

Hagí tc'íra hoik'éweje. "Hâhâ´, k'únîk'a,
There the house he went in. "Now, O grandmother,


Hiâ´ñtc'hara warehúîñgigíra tuxúrukcanâ. Wogû´ñzara p'î´'û
my Father [the] work he set me for I have accomplished. The creation to make good


húîñg igíra hanâtc´ tuxúrukcanâ. Wâñkcígo'îná hitégwahará
that he sent me for all I have accomplished. The life my mother's brothers


hiûnî´wahará wiák'arak'iske'û´înekdjanénâ." Égi, "Tc'ûñckánû jaskéranâgá
my mothers' they will have like my own." And, "O grandson how did you make and


hitégwaragá wâñkcígo'îná wirák'iske jaskékdjeje? K'ejeskánînâ."
your mothers' brothers the life like your own how could you? It is not so."


"Hiâ´ñdjîhiwíra jegû´ gûñské jegû´nâ. Hâñk'é
Our Father thus because he created it is thus. Not


jegû´x igíp'înî´nâ. K'únîk'ága wajâ´wahigû´nî éske hâñk'é
it is not good to do to him thus. My grandmother must be something to them therefore not


p. 60 --

gip'înî´ge wanâ´k'ûnî t'ewágigíra," hiranâ´kce. "Hâñk'á'a
because it is not good for her she must be saying that I killed them for her," he thought. "No


tc'ûñckánû hâñk'eje jéske yaré wahanî´nâkcanâ´.
O grandson, not like this I think I am not saying.


Tc'ûñckánû rorá hok'âné higûñscánâ. Warútc
O grandson, the body the fall he created with. Food


hik'irúdjis k'î´nekdjanegédjînî éske hok'âné
to fall short of because they would make each other therefore the fall


tc'û´wahige wa'û´nâ. Mânâ´gare hak'î´nîk'î´nekdjanegédjînî
to make them have he made. This earth because they would crowd each other


wa'û´nâ hot'é tc'û´wahigí. Égi hiskextcî´ Wactcîñgéga, "Hâñk'é
he made death that he made them have. And really Hare, "Not


gip'înî´nâk'adjâ´ éwajâ´wahigé wak'áracíganâk'adjâ," hiranâ´kce. "K'á'a
it is not good for her because she is something to them she is taking their part," he is thinking. "No


tc'ûñckánû, k'ejeskánînâ. Hagáwojâ´ñgadjâ´nâîjâ nâtc'kéra nîtegíjâ
O grandson, it is not so. For a long time the heart you ache and ache


tc'ak'ó hitégwaraga hinî´waragá wâñkcígo'înaji hip'ânâî´nekdjanâ.
nevertheless your mothers' brothers your mothers' the life at least they will have enough.


Hoc'agará hirahíxtcînekdjénâ, wageje. "Hâhâ´, tc'ûñckánû,
The old age they will surely reach," she said to him. "Now, O grandson,


nâñjî´ne. Hiróîk'ânâk'ûînánîhekdjanénâ, égi hironî´k'ânâî´ñkdjanîhénâ. Tcûñckánû,
stand up. They will keep on following me, and I will keep on following you. O grandson


hitadjé wa'ûâ´ñdje. Wâ´ñgaranî´nâ. Hâñk'é hakdjâ´mbanîâ´dje."
mightily do. You are a man. Not do not look back."


Hogîñgî´ñx rawígi hâñk'é hakdjâ´mbanîciákce. K'unîk'ága
Around as they started not she was telling him not to look back. Grandmother


p. 61 --

djagú'û wegû´nî hiregédjînî. Tc'owéxtcînîk' hoirátc'kedja
why she said it because he thought. Just a little to the left


hakdjâ´mpgadjâ´ hágohúra horuxâ´nâdjik'éreje. "Tc'ûñckánû, hagágaskéjâñxtcî,
he looked back and then the place they had come from suddenly caved in. "O grandson, alas,


wâ´ñgaranîgádjâ wajânók'ânâ hanîk'átajîñxtcî´gadjâ´. Tc'ûñckánû, te'erécke
you are a man something great I urged it upon you strongly. O grandson, this even


hâñk'é k'urustuxúruganînâ." Hok'ânâ´djâne, hot'ádjâne wagákce,
not I can't take back." This fall, this death she meant,


aírenâ. Hogîñgîñx´ haraíregi, p'edjitc'édjara hogíwe
it is said. Around as they went, the edge of the fire to go around


wa'û´îneje, aírenâ.
they did, it is said.


English Translation


Source:

William Lipkind, Winnebago Grammar (New York: King's Crown Press, 1945) 59-61.