Hocąk Text — Trickster and the Dancers, Version 2

narrated by Oliver LaMère

   
Oliver LaMère   Winnebago I, #3: 17

English Translation

 

p. 17 —
wáⁿkshigxĕdĕ́ră s’ī́rḗdjāⁿ Wakdjeⁿkā́ga gīkāī́ṇeshŏnúṇaⁿ hīgwaknā
Wą́kšigxetéra s’íreją Wakjąkága gikaínešonúną. Higwána
Old people long ago the Foolish One they told of him. Now

 

 

hiⁿpḗrĕsdjā́wīgĕ́ weⁿgā́wāgāī́rawísarŏgū́nĕ héⁿkīnā́xgŭⁿwīnīnăⁿ Wakdjeⁿkā́ga
hįpéresjáwigé, wągáwagaírawísarogúne hą́kináxgųwininą. Wakjąkága
for us to know, so it was told us we could not understand. [Trickster]

 

 

ḗdjā rāhĕshgū́nĕ wākēhā́wāī́na kā́rāyÁnŏgā édja
éja rahešgúne, wakeháwaína káraiánąga éja
there going he coon's skin [wrap] around him [and] there

 

 

p. 18 —
wāshīnáⁿk’ūⁿ´ wīrāhī́nŏ ä́sge hĭshgĕ́ wāī́na
wašiną́k’ų́ wirahíną. Ésge hišgé waína
they were dancing he went there. Then he also his blanket

 

 

heⁿpsĕ́rĕtc ū́năⁿ hŏxdjÁnŭⁿgā́djoⁿ rūshdjāīⁿ´ṇēgĕ́ hīdjṓrūxū́tcgā́djeⁿ
hąpsérec ų́ną. Hoxjánųgáją, rušjaį́negé, hijóruxúcgáją,
all day he did. In the evening, [when] they quit, he looked around,

 

 

inēkī́ wāūndjḗnŏ māīndādjḗhīdjéⁿnĕ rāxgéra wābōk’sŭ́ntcgī
inekí wa’ųjéną. Maįtajéhiją́ne raxgéra waboksų́cgi,
alone he was. That Wind the reeds it blew them around,

 

 

jeskĕ hōkīwāshī wāūnăⁿ hōtcăⁿ´gĕră jeskĕ́
žesge hokiwaši wa’ųną. Hocą́gara žeské
that kind he danced with he did. The Winnebagoes that kind

 

 

hīkī[wī?]nŏ hīwā́shīwiÁnūgă hiⁿxĕadjḗgāshgĕ́ hōrūshajāīⁿ´djā
hiki[wi?]ną. Hiwášiwiánąga hįxeajégašgé, horušažaį́ja,
we act. We dance, and we make noise, and in the end,

 

 

haⁿkéwādjăⁿ´ hīwāgī́ŭⁿwī́neshŏ́nūnăⁿ.
hąkéwają́ hiwagí’ųwínešónuną.
nothing we have not accomplished.

 

 

Source:

Oliver LaMère, Untitled, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3862 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago I, #3: 17-18. An English translation is found in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 376.