Hocąk Text — The Completion Song Origin
narrated by Jasper Blowsnake
p. 135 —
Mąxi | wągerégi | coré | [h]ajaną́gwire, | éja |
[Sky] | [up above] | blue | that we see, | [there] |
p. 136 —
Wak'aį́cuna | 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] |
cąt'į́ | wahekjáwira. | Wíruhinc | hi'unánihekjanègi," | éže, |
[it is visible] | [we will sing.] | Life-engendering greetings* | they will forever use it," | [he said,] |
aíreną. | E | cąt'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.