Hocąk Text — The Animal that would Eat Men
Transliterated and Translated by Richard L. Dieterle
Winnebago V, #23: 137 |
The syllabic text, which has neither transliteration nor translation, is written with a dark, thick pencil, with good legibility.
tteAe Kitti L. | Ao w K. | Ai Ki wx deAe. |
Cekjira | howaką | higiwaxše, |
The first time | eel | he asked him, |
tt rKe | Ai Ktt n Ae Ki di. | Ao w K | we de. |
"Jasgé | hįkjanahegiži?" | howaką | wéže. |
"What | would I suck?" | eel | he said. |
w KidiKi | Lo tti Ktt n he de | e de. | e rKe. |
"Wakšig | rujikjanaheže," | éže. | Ésge |
"Man | could I eat him?" | he said. | And so |
w ditti Ke K | we de. | Ai | L tt ni reKe K tt | e de. |
Wašjįgega | wéže, | "Hi | rajnisgegają," | éže. |
Hare | said, | "With teeth | after you eat a piece." | he said. |
Ai L Ki w A de. | Ai L. | reAe Le ttAi re de. | n Ke we rKe de |
Hira giwaháže. | hira | seréjireže. | Nąkeweskeže. |
Teeth he showed him. | The teeth | they were long. | He was also afraid. |
p. 138 —
e Ki. | te e. | wK Kidi Ke tt. | w i Ao w tti n. |
Égi | tee | wąkšigeja | waihowajiną |
And | this one | among the people | [he asked him] |
Lo tteLe | Ai rKe | w deAe Ki di. | Ai K n K. | mi Ki |
rujere. | "Hisgé | wašegiži | hikanąk | mįki |
to go eat. | "Some portion | as you said | [I took it] | [as he lay there] |
xl leKe. | Ao Koo de. | K tt | roKo teKe | Kitti Ki di. |
xapge | hok’ųže," | gają. | Skutege | gijigiži, |
quickly | to give it back," | [. ] | Because of the sourness | after he received them, |
Ai L | lo rA n Ai de. | Ai | leAe | ni Ke tt | tA n. |
hira | bosąnąhiže. | Hi | pe | nįgeja | taną. |
the teeth | by means of great force, they fell out. | Teeth | in his head | at someplace | he had left. |
ttAo we xitti | niKi | Ai rKe | niKi | Ao t Ai Le de. |
Cowexjį | nįk | hisgé | nįk | hotahireže. |
Very little | small | some | small ones | they remained. |
e tt. | Ao w K | xK deAe. | w ditti Ke |
Éja | howaką | xakše. | Wašjįge |
There | eel | he cried. | Hare |
A Ke | liAi ni | w Ae K tt. | tt Ko | A Ke |
hąké | pįni. | Wahegają, | "Jagú | hąké |
not | he did not like it. | He said, | "How | not |
de rK ni Kette n. | Ai teKe niKi w L K. | tee | wi Le Ki di |
žeskanikjeną. | Hiteknįkwaraga | tee | wiregiži. |
could it not be? | Your little uncles | this | they have to work with. |
p. 139 —
Ai Lo tti L ni Ae Kette n | e de. | e Ki | w ditti Ke ni K |
Hirujiranihekjeną," | éže. | Égi | Wašjįgenįka |
I will be meant for eating," | he said. | And | Little Hare |
w i Ki nl deAe | e liAi n. | Ai Ke de. |
wa’įkinapše, | "Epįna," | higéže. |
he began to thank himself, | "It is good," | he said. |
Source: The Hare Cycle, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #23: 137-139.