Hocąk Text — The Spiritual Descent of John Rave's Grandmother

by John Rave's Grandmother

     
Winnebago III, #8: 1   Notebook 26, 1

English Translation

As is the case with a number of other Radin interlinear MSS, this text is full of abbreviations for common word terminations.

α β γ ε ɜ λ
égi éja giži ésge -šaną žesge

·נ ρ ψ ᴗ ω X
nunįge ánąga hąké -regi žigé wąkšik

ɕ 9 ⨪ / ·|
-xjį -(i)žą nąk, nañk -ną -kjane, -kjone

Where a missing translation has been supplied from other sources, it is enclosed in brackets, [ ].

Key —

First Row "raw" interlinear text from Paul Radin, Notebook 26: 1-5.
Second Row revised text from Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago III, #8: 1-3.
Third Row corrected text in proper orthography.
Fourth Row English translation based in part on that of the interlinear text.

 

Winnebago III, #8: 1; Notebook 26, 1 —

haⁿhá hitcûⁿcgê wonîñgedagikdjonihe[/] hanañxgŭáⁿdjê hocawaγacáwañgrê
Haha, hitcucge, wonigidagikjonihena. haraxguadje hocawajacawagre
Hąhą́ hicųšge, wonįgitagikjaniheną. Harąxguąje hošawažašawągre,
[Well] [grandson,] I will tell you something. Listen to it because you're sick,

 

 

niṇucdjañkdjegê [ε] worak‘ wakaⁿtcañga[d]jaⁿ honîñgídagi[·|]nenaⁿ
nirucdjakdjege esge worak wakatcagaja honigidagikdjonena.
nįrušjąkjege. Ésge worak wakącągają, honįgitagikdjaneną.
that you may get well. [So] [story] a holy one, I will tell you.

 

 

hagâré[9] tcasî́ntck‘uhaⁿ aíre[/] dexêdé[9]
Hagoreja Tcasintckuha airena, de xedeja
Hagoréžą Casį́ckuhą aíreną, te xetéžą
[In time] [Shaped Like a Deer Tail]* it is said, [this] [a big one]

* the translation has, "name of a place," below which is "[Illi]," probably for "Illinois," although McKern says that it is "a landmark on the west bank of the Wisconsin River."

 

 

[β] heré[/] [β] k‘uháⁿṇegi [β]
edja herena. edja Kuharegi edja
éja hereną. Éja kuhą́regi éja
[there] [it is]. [At] [its base] [there]

 

 

hatciwi[/] hijaⁿ hak‘íju[-]* hûñg[-] ére[/]
hatcinwina hija hakijura hugera erena.
haciwiną. Hižą hakižura hųgera ereną.
we lived. [A] husband [the chief] [he was].

* a clear /u/ is written above the somewhat illegible letter here.

 

 

[α] nîñkdjôñk hiⁿtcûⁿwi[/] [α] [X]ᴇnañgᴇrê
"egi nikdjak hitcuwina. Egi wakcigenagere
Égi nįkjąk hįcųwiną. Égi wąkcigenągere
[And] children we had. [Then] [these people]

 

 

[β] howare ruágu[/] yagé[/]* jegûñkdjé[/]
edja howare roagu yagena" "jegukdjena,
éja howare roágų yageną. "Žegųkjeną,
[there] to go I wish to [I said]. "Never mind,

* hˆ..ñgé[/] occurs just before this word.

 

 

Notebook 26, 2 —

djagúra hijaⁿ [β] woregipidjîñkdjê [β]
djagura hija edja waragigipikdje edja
jagura hižą éja waragigipįkje, éja
[whatever] [one] [there] you can help them, there

 

 

rahi[γ] jeguⁿ k‘eraníṇê* hîñgé[/]
rahigiji jegu ke ranire," higena.
rahigiži, žegų ke ranį́re," hįgéną
if you go, so not don't go," [he told me.]

* three letters are scribbled out just before this word.

 

 

[λ] a[·נ´] hingê[ɕ] [X]ᴇ[ᴗ] wawahuru-águ[/]
jesge anunige hisgexdji wakcigeregi wawahu ruaguna
Žesge anunį́ge, hisgexjį wąkšįgeregi wawahu ruágųną,
But even so, [in truth] but the Indian to come I wish,

 

 

[ω] yagé[/] higûⁿ hisgê[ɕ]
jige yagena; higu hisgexdji
žige yagéną. Higų hisgexjį
[again] [I said]. [Still] [in truth]

 

 

rero-agú[/] yagé[-] hisgế hirê rarê
ne roagana yagera." "hisge hine rare,"
ne roagúną, yagéra. "Hisgé hire rare,"
[I] I wish, [I said]. "[So] do so go,"

 

 

hîñg[ρ´] hundji[/] sîndj[-] huhí[-]
higanaga hundjina sindjera huhira
hįgánąga hųjiną* sįjera huhira
he said to me, and he struck me [his tail] [toward]

* < ho-hį-jin-ną.

 

 

naⁿsura hîp‘a húhi[/] sîntc hojedjána hicdjak‘uhaⁿ
nasura hipahuhina, sintc hojedjana, hicdjakuha
nąsura hįpahuhiną, sįc hožejána, hišjakuhą
the head he struck me, [tail] the end, under the eye

 

 

Winnebago III, #8: 2 —

sindjojedjana hak‘iridjêwi[/] hunt’ék[ɜ] de[λ]
sindjojedjana hakiridjewina hu t’ekcana, dejasge
sįjožejana hakirijewina hųt’ekšaną, dežasge
the end of the tail he made it strike to be blue by bruising, [that way]

 

 

Notebook 26, 3 —

[X][β] wawade[·|][γ] [ψ] haip‘íninaⁿ haγak[ɜ]
wakcigedja wawadekdjegiji. hake haipinina haγakcana
wąkšigeja wawatekjegiži, hąke haipininą. Haǧakšaną.
[at the people] if I were to go, not I didn't like it. I cried.

 

 

naⁿtcgéra dek[ɜ] [α] waigé[/] jenûñga arê
natcgera dekcana. egi waigena, "jenuga are
Nącgera tekšaną, égi waigeną, "Ženųga are
My heart it hurt, and he said to me, ["That's all] [say]

 

 

niṇucdjañ[γ] [α] cere[·|´][/] djobốhañ[γ]
nirucdjagiji egi cerekdjonena. djobohagiji
nįrušjągiži, égi šerekjaneną. Jobóhągiži,
when you get over it, [then] you may go. In four days,

 

 

niṇucdjañ[·|][/] witcûⁿt’iⁿ ni-ûñge wa-ûñgadjeré[/]
nirucdjakdjonena. witcat’i ni’uge wa’ugadjenena."
nįrušjąkdjaneną. Wicąt’į ni’ųge wa’ųgajereną,"
you'll get over it. To brand you it is why I have done it,"

 

 

a [·נ´]   [ψ] k‘eni hirucdjáni jegûⁿ
a nunige hake keni hirucdjani jegu
a nunige hąke keni hirušjáni, žegų
he said, but [not] before I was not well, anyhow

 

 

[X][ᴗ] wawahuru-águ[/] [ε] hicdjara hu-î́nt’ek
wakcigeregi wawahu ruaguna esge hicdjara hu-int’ek
Wąkšigeregi wawahu ruáguną. Ésge , hišjara hu-į́t’ek
to Indians to come I wished to. [Therefore,] black eyes

 

 

hadjí[/] nîñkdjôñk hani-anihe[-] hijañk‘íra hinûñg[-]
hadjina. nikdjak hani-anihera hijakira hinugera
hajiną. Nįkjąk hani-anihera hižąkíra hinųgera
I came. [Children] that I had the only one girl

 

 

hak‘árani tcañgᴇrûnt’úre[/] [ε] hinûñgᴇrijaⁿk‘ira
hakarani tcagerunt’urena esge hinugerijakira
hakárani cągerųt’úreną. Ésge hinųgerižąkira
with he threw me at. [So] [my only girl]

 

 

Notebook 26, 4 —

wañkcî́gi-gi-ínañgᴇre ére[/] [α] tci[⨪][9] heré[/]
wakcigigi’inagere erena. Egi tcinakija herena
wąkšigigi’inągere ereną. Égi cinąkižą heréną,
she is living for me now [she is]. [And] a village it was,

 

 

wawadjírê hûñg[-] hiruk‘ốnana ére[/] [α] ninañgᴇrê
wawadjire hugera hirukonana erena. egi ninagere
wawajíre, hųgera hirukónana éreną. Égi ninągere
where I came from, the chief the ruler he was. [And] these rivers

 

 

nañgú[-] erére[/] hijáⁿ hinû́ñktcab[-] nijak‘ísûntc
nagura ererena. hija hinuktcabera Nijakisuntc
nągura erereną. Hižą hinųkcabera Nižakísųc
their roads they are. [One] that is his sister Cliffs Coming to Water

 

 

ấnañgere [β] hiruk‘ốnana ére[/] ráj[-]
anagere edja hirukonana erena rajera
ánągere, éja hirukónana éreną. Rážera
it is called that, [there] the ruler she is. [The name]

 

 

Winnebago III, #8: 3 —

máⁿzitciga higaíre[/] djasgê [α] tci* djasgá[⨪]rê
Mazitciga higairena. djasge - tci djasganagre
Mą́ziciga higaíreną. Jasge égi ci jasganągre
Lives in Metal [they call him]. [How] [here] lodges the way they are

 

 

[λ] aíre[/] k‘uháⁿ[ᴗ] wawadjírê je[λ]
jesge airena. Kuharegi wawadjire jejesge
žesge aíreną. Kuhąregi, wawajíre, žežesge
[that way] [they say]. At the base, where I came from, that way

 

 

a[⨪][ɜ] [ε] [ψ] hot’ê tcu-îⁿṇani[/] [ε]
anakcana. esge hake hot’e tcuiranina. esge,
anąkšaną. Ésge hąke hot’e cuiraniną.* Ésge
[they say]. [So] [not] death they do not have. [So]

* this would normally be cųhirenįną, but the /h/ has been lost through internal sandhi.

 

 

hitcuⁿcgê wañkcik‘[?]îñkdjégê* [ε] worak dêê honîñgidak[ɜ]
hitcucge, wakcik’ikdjege. Esge worak dee honigidakcana
hicųšge, wąkšik’įkjege, ésge worak tee honįgitakšaną.
[grandson], so you may live, [thus] story this I have told you.

* the question mark indicates the place where an letterlike mark appears.

 

 

Notebook 26, 5 —

hagôrejaⁿ haken[e]kdjonihé[/]* tcasîntck‘uhaⁿ†
hagoreja hakenekdjonihena Tcasintckuha
Hagorežą, hakenekjanihéną, Casįckuhą,
Some day I will go home, [Below the Deer Tail],

* the /e/ between the /n/ and /k/ has been omitted.
† /dj/ has been written just before this word.

 

 

ánañgᴇre [β] nîñkdjôñk‘ wárina [β] hîñginañk[ɜ]
anagere edja nikdjokwarina edja higiginakcana.
ánągere. Éja nįkjąkwárina warina éja hįgiginąkšaną.
they said. [There] [the children] [my]* [there] they are.

* -wánina means "my", and -wanína means "his, her"; but both of these forms are said to refer only to inanimate objects.

 

 

deê [X] c’iñkdjegêdjêni [ε] honiñgidak[ɜ] hagôré[9]
dee wakcikc’ikdjegedjeni esge honigidakcana. hagoreja
tee wąkšikš’įkdjegejeni, ésge honįgitakšaną. Hagoréžą,
This that you might live, [that is why] I tell you. [Some day]

 

 

tce[γ] hakêregê wa-ûñ[·|][/] dejénûñga é[/].
tcegiji hakerege wa’ukdjonena. dejenuga ena.
cegiži, hakerege wa’ųkjaneną. Teženųga," éną.
when I die, it'll be because I'm going home. This ends," she said.

 

Source:

The original texts are in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #8: 1-3 (phonetic text only), and Notebook 26, 1-5 (phonetic text with an interlinear translation).