Hočąk Text — The Completion Song Origin
narrated by Jasper Blowsnake|
Mąxi
|
wągerégi
|
čoré
|
[h]ajaną́gwire,
|
éja
|
|
[Sky]
|
[up above]
|
blue
|
that we see,
|
[there]
|
|
wak'aį́čuna
|
sgaxjįžą*,
|
š'ak
|
wanąjojaį́sgera
|
nąj wojągíži,
|
|
[Wood Spirit]
|
[a very white one,]
|
[ancestor]
|
[the poor one]
|
he pitied,
|
|
"Wąkšigé,
|
nąjonijáną.
|
Wažągų́zera*
|
hąbirukónaxete†
|
hįgų́saną.
|
|
"Human,
|
I bless you.
|
[The Creator]
|
in charge of much life
|
he created me.
|
|
Hą́bera
|
nąjirónijáną,
|
higųk'íni
|
s'ira
|
ǧákšaną,
|
|
[Light and Life]
|
I bless you,
|
inasmuch as
|
long
|
you have cried,
|
|
iwust'érak'iną.
|
Wąkšigé
|
Hąp
|
janeréšge
|
tujanáną.
|
|
to thirst yourself to death.
|
[Human,]
|
[Light and Life]
|
even
|
I bless you.
|
|
Wąkšígera,
|
hagaréžą*
|
hižą́
|
hąbirok'aragúinanąga
|
égi
|
|
The people
|
sometimes
|
[one]
|
one they wished life for, and
|
then
|
|
honihánina
|
hiš'ųgíšge,
|
wąkšígo'į
|
hirorágų
|
wašegíži,
|
|
my [breath]
|
if you use even,
|
[life]
|
you used for it
|
if you desire,
|
|
žesgékjaneną,"
|
éže,
|
aírera.
|
"Honihára
|
e
|
|
[thus it will be,"]
|
[he said,]
|
[they say.]
|
["The breath]
|
[it]
|
|
čąt'į́
|
wahekjáwira.
|
Wíruhinč
|
hi'unánihekjanègi,"
|
éže,
|
|
[it is visible]
|
[we will sing.]
|
Life-engendering greetings*
|
they will forever use it,"
|
[he said,]
|
|
aíreną.
|
E
|
čąt'į́
|
hiyahikjáwira.
|
(Hiraisųjera)
|
|
[they say.]
|
[It]
|
[it is visible]
|
[let us go.]
|
(Completion Song)
|
Source:
The original interlinear MS is found in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #1: 103-104; a handwritten phonetic text is found at Winnebago II, #1: 128-129; its typed version is at Winnebago II, #5: 135-136. A loose English translation is found at Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 136-137.