Hočąk Text — The Captive Boys

English Version

p. 1 —

Ejá	čináñk	hižą́	nañk	škúni.
There	village	one	the one sitting (or, it sat)	perhaps.

Žegų́	nañk	s'á	škúni.	Hagórežá
In that manner	it sat	always	perhaps.	At one time in the recent (?) past,

toją́	wirájiré*	škúni.	Skejá†	mahujáhiráwi‡
war	they came to attack	perhaps.	Awful(ly)	they killed many

*"wirajire < hira ji, to come suddenly or unexpectedly upon." — J. O. Dorsey
†"skeja, an awful thing, or, awfully." — J. O. Dorsey
‡"mahujáhiráwi, they killed him." — J. O. Dorsey

škúni.	Egí	hočį́niñgižą	hotáhire*	škúni.
perhaps.	Then	a boy	they spared him	perhaps.

*"hotahire (< hota, to remain, be left over), 'they caused him to be left over,' i. e., they spared him." — J. O. Dorsey

Hočį́čįniñgrá	haní	hákaraíre	škúni.	Egí
Boy the	having him	they started homeward	perhaps.	Then

toją́na	hagíre	škúni.	Hočį́čįniñgrá	wagíkiríre
warparty the	they reached home	perhaps.	Boy the	they gave him —- after —-ing him from? a distance

škúni.	Žegų́	tówe	haraíre	škúni.
perhaps.	In that manner	continuing	they went	perhaps.

Jobą́hą	wágikiríre	škúni.	Íjopą́hąrá	wágikiríre
Four times	they gave them to them (or, to others)	perhaps.	The fourth time	they gave him to others

gáją	éja	hotáhire*	škúni.	Égi
just then	there	they spared him	perhaps.	And

*"hota-wahi used by mistake instead of hota-hire, they spared him." — J. O. Dorsey

hágoréža	žigé	hižą́	gikíre	škúni.
at one time	again	one	they gave him away	perhaps.

Égi	wé	škúni.	Hočį́čįniñk	tée
And	he said	perhaps.	Boy	this

hótawáhi	škúni.	Égi	wé	škúni:
they spared them	perhaps.	And	he said	perhaps:

xetéwahí	kšąné,	é	škúni.	Égi
he caused them to be large	will,	he said.	perhaps.	And

p. 2 —

hočį́čįniñk	náñgre	íčakórokíre*	škúni.	Égi
boys	the st.	they were friends to each other	perhaps.	And

*this word normally begins with an /h/.

wažónina	žegų́	'ų	náñk	s'á
the hunting something	so	doing	they (st. ones)	always

škúni.	E	híniñkwahíra	žegų́	'ų
perhaps.	He	his sons	so	doing

náñk	s'á	škúni.	Žejáñga	wañk
they sat (= were)	always	perhaps.	At length	men

iskéjahiré	škúni.	Égi	wawagé	škúni:
size of they were	perhaps.	And	he said to them	perhaps:

"Hočį́čįnegá	ske†	wažónine	šunúná."	Égi
"[The] young men*	[also]‡	they hunt	always."	And

*Dorsey has, "Young men they are / when (?)".
†more usually ške or šge.
‡Dorsey has, "do (?)".

hočį́čįná	wažóni	hájaharaíre	škúni.	Maščą́
the young men	hunted something	they began	perhaps.	Strong

wažą́	t'éhi-kaíre*	škúni.	Égi	hágoréža
something	they killed - often	perhaps.	And	at one (past) time

*"t'ehikaire < t'ehi ke" — J. O. Dorsey.

kigó	wakigó	hajíre	škúni.	Égi
feast	to invite them	they came	perhaps.	And

wañgížą	hit'ét'e	jiré	gają́	wé
man one	speaking often —	he began	just then	he said

škúni,	hočį́čįniñgrá	é	čóni	warúčiré
perhaps,	the young men	he (or, they)	first	they eat

kšąné,	é	škúni.	Žeské	e
will	he said	perhaps.	Like that	he said

gáją	huñgrá	t'ąp'	kírikére	nañgá
just then	the chief	stood up quickly	he went along	the st. one [= he was]

hakíhinąp´	škúni.	Égi	hočį́čįníñk	nañgré
he went out (from them)	perhaps.	And	young men	the st. ones

hiñké	kipį́ra	ní	škúni.	Žeske
not	they liked it	not	perhaps.	Like that

p. 3 —

jobą́hą	wágigíre	škúni.	Égi	gajañgá
four times	they treated them	perhaps.*	And	just then

*"Four times were the young men invited to feasts, and each time did a different chief insult them." — J. O. Dorsey

hočį́čįniñgrá	wógitekíré	škúni.	Égi	hagórežá
the young men	they became angry	perhaps.	And	at one (past) time

čaní	negí	gixána	haraíre	škúni.
fall of year	when	migrating*	they went	perhaps.

*the translation is almost unreadable.

Hočį́čįníñk	teé	hošípji	hákikížu	'ųhiré
Young men	this	always	together	they do [= why]

s'a	škúni.	Égi	hagórežá	ejá
always, ———	perhaps.	And	at one (past) time	there

ahiną́ire	gáją	húñgra	hijá
they went? at night	just then	the chief	thither

hajíre	škúni.	Gixá	ejá	hahí
they came	perhaps.	Thick ? woods	there	he got there

nątéje	škúni.	Égi	hočį́čįniñgrá	hokíkit'aíre
he chopped wood	perhaps.	And	the young men	they talked together

škúni.	Égi	waíre	škúni:	T'ehiré
perhaps.	And	they said	perhaps:	They kill him

kšąné,	aíre	škúni.	Žejáñga	hajíre
will,	they said	perhaps.	Just then	they reached there

škúni.	Húñgra	hahí	nątéja'ų́	hičáwįná
perhaps.	The chief	he reached there	he was chopping wood	his wife

hakáraikížu.	Égi	hočį́čįníñk	náñka	húñkra
he was with her, his own.	And	young men	the two?	the chief

t'ehíre	škúni.	Nasúra	rusránañgá	hájiákaraíre
they killed him	perhaps.	That head?	they took it - the - st. [or, when?]	they started back

p. 4 —

škúni.	Jobą́hą	huñk	t'éhira	nų́niñgé
perhaps.	Four times	chief	they killed	(they) may have

hiñkága	wipéresrá	ni	škúni.	Égi
never	they knew it about them	not	perhaps.	And

hagórežá	tók	régi	hákiríre	gáją
at one (past) time	summer's	when	they had come back	just then

húñgižą́	waníhi	hiré	že,	wigé	škúni.
one chief	slaves	they are	that,	he said to them	perhaps.

Égi	hočį́čįníñk	hokíkit'airánañgá	waíre
And	young men	they talked together, the st. [or, when]	they said

škúni:	Niñgé	hówaraíre	kšąné,	aíre
perhaps:	somewhere	they go thither	will	they said

škúni.	Égi	haíninegí	hikórohóreránañgá
perhaps.	And	when morning	those who were friends

niñgé	hówaraíre	škúni.	Hą́pra	kérepána
somewhere	they went thither	perhaps.	The day	ten

hižą́*	hiñkága	wažą́	rúčhira	ni	škúni.
one	never	something	they ate	not	perhaps.

*"Hą́pra kérepána hižą,´ 'one ten of days'." — J. O. Dorsey

Égi	hagórežá	žée	nižą	hirájíre
And	at one (past) time	that	a river	they came to it

škúni.	Teé	Nišójra	ére
perhaps.	This	Missouri River	it was the aforesaid

že,	aíre	škúni.	Égi	hirárexčeníñk
that,	they said	perhaps.	And	a little while

gają́	čináñgižą́	hirájíre	škúni.	Égi
just then	a village	they came to it	perhaps.	And

hižą́	wawí	škúni.	Égi	Hičakóro,
one	said as follows	perhaps.	And	O friend

p. 5 —

nažį́re,	hijáwa	waté	kšé	na
stand!	thither	I go thither	will	[-]

čóni.	Égi	hakíri	gí	hinúbiké
first.	And	I come back	when	we two

hiné	kšé	na."	"Hojá,"	é
we go	will	.	"Yes,"	he said

škúni.	Hiją́hį	jegá.	Xóxčanáni	regí
perhaps.	Other one	the std.	Evening	when

čináñgra	howáre	škúni.	Hičákororá	hapé
the village	he went thither	perhaps.	His friend	waited for him

škúni.	Nąhučéjá	haį	sérečį́.	Haíni
perhaps.	At the back of a tree	night	long	Morning

gają́	hičákororá	kirí	škúni.	Égi
just then	his friend	came back	perhaps.	And

hinúbiké	hijówarawí	škúni.	Čoní	čižą́
the two	thither they went	perhaps.	First	a tent

hajíre	gają́	wañgížą	híhinąp´	ánañgá
they came to	just then	a man	he came out	when (or, as he did)

aakí	hočį́čįníñg	náñgre	wahí	škúni.
on both sides	young men	the two	he took hold of them	perhaps.

Jegų́he	ánañgá	wą	škúni.	Gajañgá
That manner he did	when	he hallooed	perhaps.	Just then

haną́č	wañkšikrá	hikíne	škúni.	Hošíp
all	the men	they awoke	perhaps.	All the time

hočį́čį	náñkre	mañkéja	hokérajįjį́re	škúni.
young men	the two	on the chest	they hit their own often	perhaps.

p. 6 —

E	wáñkšik	wakížu	hiré	že,
That	people	with them	they were	that,

airá	nañgá	waų́náñk	škúni.	Égi
they said	as (or, because)	they were doing that	perhaps.	And

gájañgá	ruščą́ire	škúni.	Gajáñga	wañknúnik
just then	they ceased (to threaten the two)	perhaps.	Just then	old man

hižą́	hagú hahíre	škúni.	Wañknúnik
one	they went for him (to fetch him)	perhaps.	Old man

jegá	haní	hákiríre	gają́	wokít'e
the std.	having him	they had come back	just then	he talked to them

škúni.	Égi	wawagé	škúni:	"Wañkšík
perhaps.	And	he said to them	perhaps.	"People

jagú	raniwí*	že."	Égi	hižą́
what	you belong to (or, you are)	?"	And	one (youth)

*"raniwi, you (pl.) are or belong to [something]." — J. O. Dorsey

wawí	škúni:	"Wañkšíke	wakížure	že,
said as follows	perhaps:	"People	they were with them	that,

é	škúni.	Égi	wañknúnigrá	wogírak
he said,	perhaps.	Then	the old man	he told them (the people) (or, he interpreted)

škúni.	Hočį́čįníñk	náñkre	waíre	škúni:
perhaps.	Young men	the two	they said	perhaps:

Xunúnikré	regí	toją́	wirájiré	gają́
they were small	when	war	they came to us/them	just when

ája	waníhákaraíre	žé,	aíre	škúni.
at that time	they took us/them home	that,	they said	perhaps.

Wañknúnigi	nañgá	wogírak	škúni	žigé.
Old man	the st. one	he told them	perhaps	again.

Égi	gájañgá	hiskéwe wiránąíre	škúni.
And	just then (or, at length ?)	they believed them	perhaps.

p. 7 —

Égi	gájañgá	hačą́	waríra	kšé
And	just then	where	they have them	will

niskaíre	škúni.	Ejá	hiwákičíre	že,
they did not know	perhaps.	There	they live with them	that,

airéna.	Hinúbiké	hinúñk	kanañgré	nañgá
they said.	The two	women	they married women	the two (or, when)

či	pį́xči	hočiré	že	airéna.	Žeją́na.
lodge	very good	they dwelt in	that,	they said.	So far.*

*more typically translated as "the end".

Source:

Philip Longtail, "The Captive Boys," translated by J. O. Dorsey (National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, 1893) 4800 Dorsey Papers: Winnebago 3.3.2, Story II: 1-7.