Hocąk Text — The Nightspirits Bless Ciwoit’éhiga
narrated by Sam Blowsnake
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Sam Blowsnake |
p. 456 —
Hok’áwas | Manína | honihára | cok’agá | jasge |
In the Night | Those who Walk | their breath | grandfather | what, how |
gik’ererégi | Ciwoit’éhiga | Hok’áwas | Manína | wawíp’erez |
they placed within the reach | Kills within the Lodge | In the Night | Those who Walk | to know how to sing |
na’iñgíži. | Hątáginąjànąga | iwust’ék’iñgi | hicók’ehiwahìwira | mą’ák’i |
when he tried. | He fasted and | he thirsted himself to death | what our grandfathers spread out for him | beyond the earth |
wana’į́ñgik’erèregiži. | Cok’agá | Ciwoit’éhiga | wéže, | niñgi-owajížą |
they placed within the grasp of his consciousness. | Grandfather | Ciwoit’éhiga | he said, | where he came from |
herežé | hik’igéže | hąboguregináñgere | Hąhé | hiyuñgíwiną |
he thought | he came from | those from the east | Nights | chieftainess |
e | ’unihéže. | Egi | žige | sániñk |
she | she was. | And | again | beloved |
yoiréregi | Wak’ánja | huñgra | hiniñkhígi | e |
[in the west] | Thunderbirds | chief | son to us | he |
aną́c | híže. | Ésge | mą’ák’i | š’agwahi. |
all | he did. | Thus | beyond the earth | his parents. |
Nunigé | wagínącgi | p’įhí | nąjojaíneže. | Ésge |
However, | when he borrowed [fasted] | carefully | they blessed him. | Thus |
hagaréžą | t’egiží | mą’ák’i | horak’jék’joneže, | eže, |
anytime | should he die | from beyond the earth | he would be able to visit, | he said, |
airéną. | Ésge | honihá | gų́se, | Hąhé |
they said. | Thus | their breath | he was taught, | Nights |
nąwą́na, | jagúxjį | egíži, | žésge | tuxúruik’jawìže. |
the song, | [just how ?] | they said, | that way | we will try to sing it. |
Source:
Sam Blowsnake, The Warbundle Feast of the Thunderbird Clan, in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 399-481 [456-457].