Hočąk Text — The Buffalo's Walk

narrated by Sam Blowsnake

English Translation

 

p. 4 —
’é·ki waȟop‘íni wi·čáča wačápirerà žečą́įȟčį
Égi waxopíni wičáča wačápirerá žečaį́xjį
And the spirits crier their own [thus far]

 

 

p. 5 —
ruhá k‘erekč‘ánaháwiną x ’é·ki wiaǧép‘hu·réki siníwakúreki
ruhá k’erekjánaháwiną. Égi wiaǧéphurégi siníwagúregi
to move* [let us go back home.] And from the east to the north
*Susman adds, "put in another place[;] next[;] ruhá·ną[,] movement[.]

 

 

hoč‘awéra ha·rí wa’ų́nąkšąną x éske wi·čáčarà
hočawéra harí wa’ų́nąkšąną. Ésge, wičáčará
the place quite a way it was. So the crier

 

 

hinųpéča hiček‘čánaháre waruč‘á·ra wi·čáčara te’é
hinųpéja hijekjánaháre. Waručára wičáčará teé
in the second place he is going to be.* Assistant† the crier [this one]
*hije actually means "to step" (Miner) or "to stand" (Marino, et alia).
†Susman has a number of comments on this term. "like usher, head water[,] master of ceremony assistant[.] This is the waiter (every spirit has an assistant)[.]"

 

 

p. 6 —
reže aíreną x č‘e·tóžera herá ta·žážaȟčį
reže, aíreną. Četóžera herá tažážaxjį†
[he went,]* [it is said.] The buffalo bull his horn shiny
*this is translated as "of the drum" (as if it were rex), which doesn‘t seem to make sense. Her loose translation omits this and the succeeding word.
†a hapaxlegomenon, but cf. Hé-atažąžąk’a, "Shining Horns," a Waterspirit Clan personal name; and tažážapčį́, "well done."

 

č‘o·wéra hočičékčanéną x mą·nį́ čik‘erekì mąrá
čowéra hočičékjanéną. Mąnį́ čik’eregí, mąrá
in front he is going to stand. To walk if he starts, the earth

 

 

mą·há howéki‘ųžé aíreną wó·kšųkšuéča hip‘á
mąhá howéki‘ųžé, aíreną. Wókšųkšuéja hip’á,
mud to go, he did, [it is said.] To his joint as far,

 

 

hirušóročšé aíreną mą·nį́ čik‘ereki x mą́įtačéhira
hirušóročšé, aíreną. Mąnį́ čik’eregí, maį́tačéhira
he pulled out, [it is said.] To walk when he starts, the wind†
*the phrase mą·nį́ čik‘ereki is repeated on the next page, presumeably by mistake.
†she translates mą́įtačéhira k‘ó·ȟ‘ as "mud", but has "(wind-whistling, he walked ?)". In her loose translation, she has, "the mud whistled it is".

 

p. 7 —
k‘ó·ȟ‘ mą·nį́že aíreną p‘e·ȟsósoȟ·ną́k·re wąisoǧikčanaháwirè
kóx mąnį́že, aíreną. Pexsósoxną́kre wąisoǧikjanaháwiré
whistled he walked, [it is said.] This rattle we will rattle

 

 

himąščá že’é ’e· wá·ki‘ų́kčąnąháwiną x
himąščą́ žeé, e wáki’ų́kjąnąháwiną.
power that, for that reason we will do it.

 

 

mą́įtačéhira k‘ó·ȟ‘ mą·nį́ki mą́įtačéhira sa·nįk‘´
Maį́tačéhira kóx mąnį́gi, maį́tačéhira sanįk´
The wind sound when he walks, the wind side

 

 

p. 8 —
hereskúnina haną́č wažašíšik·ra hą·te šisikrá
Herešgúnina haną́č wažąšíšigera, hąte šíšigera
[the Devil] all bad things, dreams the bad ones

 

 

hatek šíšik·ra po·kóȟše aíreną x že·kų́ki
hatek šíšigera, pokóxše, aíreną. Žegų́gi
aches the bad ones, it blows aside, [it is said.] Then

 

 

hą·prá k‘arap‘įéske k‘e mą·ȟíwira nįké
hąprá karap’įésge, k’e mąxíwira nįgé
the day pretty, no clouds anywhere

 

 

p. 9 —
mį·ną́k.nįže aíreną x že·kų́ki hąp‘okuréki siníwa·kúreki
mįną́genįže, aíreną. Žegų́gi hąp’okurégi siníwagúregi
there are not, [it is said.] Then the east the north

 

 

hoč‘ak‘énąra haną́č wą·kšíkoí k‘inįpíže aíreną x
hočakénąra, haną́č wąkšígoí k‘inįpíže, aíreną.
between them, all life it becomes, [it is said.]

 

 

že’é ya’ų́kčanaháwiną x hinihára wi·rúhįč·ra ną·wą́ra
Že’é ya’ų́kjanaháwiną. Hinihára, wirúhįjera nąwą́ra
This we are going to use. [My brothers,] salutary songs

 

 

wi·čáča čą·re ’e· wá·ke wahékčanáwiną x
wičáča čąre, e wáge wahékjanáwiną.
crier (drum) [which is public,] [these] [I mean] we will sing them.

 

 

mą·rókeča howá čihika mą́ tinąk·rè
Mąrógeja howá, jihiga; mą́ tinągeré
Inside the earth [he went,] when he was sent; earth [those around]

 

 

hiȟkąȟągere čihika  x
hixgąxgągere, jihiga.
he shook, when he was sent.

 

Source:

Sam Blowsnake's Account of the Medicine Rite, in Amelia Susman, Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, Jan. 17 - 19, 1939) Book 9, 4-10.