Hočąk Text — Fighting Retreat

narrated by Jim Pine

The following are Greek letters used as morpheme abbreviations in Radin's text. Their values generally correspond to those given in Radin's notebook Winnebago II, #6, on the interstitial page between 107/108:

α β γ δ ε ɜ
égi éja gíži žegų* ésge šaną
*this value is given for [δ] on p. 244 of this MS.

 

λ ρ υ ϕ ϕ-i ω
žesge ánąga -regi hąké hįké žigé

 

X - / ⨪ ʆ ɕ ƪ
wąkšig(o) -ra -ną -nąk -že, -še -xjį -žą

Where a missing translation has been supplied from other sources, it is enclosed in brackets, [ ].

English Translation

 

p. 240 —
[α] [ω] hagûré[ƪ] [X] [β] tcírê,
Égi žigé haguréžą wąkšig éja číre
[And] [again] [in time] [men] [there] [who lived,]

 

 

haⁿhé[υ] wañgᴇnañki peresê [α] [X]
hąhéregi wągenąki perese. "Égi wąkšig
[at night] the men they came to knowledge of. ["And] [men]

 

 

radjirawi[/] t'ewañgirekdjoneháwi [ε]
wągirajirawiną. T'ewągirekjoneháwi." Ésge
they have come upon us. They will kill us." [And so]

 

 

wa-ú[⨪][ɜ] [ρ] guⁿ hanáⁿtcîⁿ t'ewañgirekdjáwi
wa-únąkšaną. Ánąga gų haną́čį t'ewągirekjáwi.
they were doing it.* [And] [now] [all of them] they would kill.
*the translation has, "when they were doing it."

 

 

p. 241 —
[ρ] jegûⁿ[υ] hîñgi-aísdawi[/] [ρ] jegûⁿ
"Ánąga žegųregi, hįgi-aístawiną. Ánąga žegų
[And] [as it is thus,] let us flee. [And] thus

 

 

gicốnôp p'iⁿ yaré[/] jegûⁿ hînûñgᴇ[⨪]a
gišónop p'į yaréną." Žegų hinųgenąka
it alone would be best, I think." [Thus,] [that woman]

 

 

hik'â´rob[o?] [ρ] [ε] wa[ƪ]nap'ina hanaⁿtc
hik'árob[o?], ánąga ésge wažąnap'ina hanąč
[account for ?], [and] [so] their good things all

 

 

ṇoxawaⁿju xadab[β´] [α] jegûⁿ haini[υ]
noxawąžu xatabéja, égi žegų hainiregi
they were hidden in the bush, [and] [so] in the morning

 

 

giazire[/] gadjaⁿ hosgáxede[ɕ]na* [β] k'izag[β]
giazireną. Gają hosgáxetexjįna éja k'izageja
[they fled.] [Then] the big plain [there] in the center of
*/na/ is written over an original [/].

 

 

hoxarairawi[/] [ρ] [α] wañkdjega wak'iza
hoxarairawiną. Ánąga égi wąkjega wak'iza
they caught up to them. [And] [then] [that man] [he fought them,]

 

 

[ρ] tcekdji[-] negiji wañgᴇi[ƪ] t'ehirê
ánąga čekjira negiži wągeižą t'ehire
[and] the first time he started for them, [one man] he was killed.

 

 

[α] naⁿsu[-] russê [ρ] [α]
Égi nąsura ruse ánąga égi
[And] [the head] [he took,] [and] [then]

 

 

hinuñkdjega hoxérêgi hok'úⁿ [α] hatcîndja
hinųkjega hoxéregi, hok'ų´. "Égi hačįja
[the woman] when he caught up he gave it to. ["And] wherever

 

 

p. 242 —
cdjacawañki edja* wañgenaⁿsu[⨪]rê hanicdjekdjê [α]
šjašawąki, eja wągenąsunąkre hanišjekje." Égi
if you die, there this man's head you may have with you." [And]
*this looks as if it were written, e da.

 

 

ánañga [ω] hakdjárê [ρ] jigijaⁿ t'ehi

ánąga

 žigé hakjáre, ánąga žigižą t'ehi.
[and] again he went back, [and] [again one] he killed.

 

 

[α] gê naⁿsura rus kirigi
Égi ge nąsura rus. Kirigi,
[And] [so] [his head] [he took.] When he returned,

 

 

[ω] hinû́ñkdjega [ω] naⁿsura hok'únê
žigé hinúñkjega žigé nąsura hok'úne.
[again] [the woman] [again] [the head] [he gave.]

 

 

jegûⁿ-kira hinúñkdjega [ρ] [α] wañgôñka
žegų-kira hinúñkjega. Ánąga égi wągąka
That many only [the woman.] [And] [then] the man

 

 

wak'izak' [ρ] wecgúne[ʆ] [ϕ] sagᴇrê
wak'izak'. Ánąga wešgúneže, "Hąké sagere
he fought them. [And] he said, ["Not] fast

 

 

'úni-aⁿdjê hinî́ntcgegi [α] hag[υ] ha'uⁿwáñk[ɜ]
'úni-ąje, hinínčgegi. Égi hagregi, ha'ųwą́kšaną.
do not go, you might feel tired.* [And] behind I shall be.
*an initial "if" has been crossed out, and "might" inserted with a caret.

 

 

[ϕ] nañγiraniaⁿdje [ε] hinúñgôñka hazohi ú[/]
Hąké nąǧiraniąje." Ésge hinúñgąka hazohiúną.
Not don't get frightened." [Therefore,] the woman she took her time.

 

 

p. 243 —
wañgóñk'a wacocê [ϕ]-i* t'ehipini wañkwacocerê
Wągóñk'a wašoše hįké t'ehipini. Wąkwašošere
[The man] brave [not] not to be killed† The brave man
*just before this symbol, the letter /h/ has been crossed out.
†this is written above "he couldn't kill", which has been crossed out.

 

 

wañgañka wawáhassê* [ε] hanáⁿtcîⁿ [X]
wągąka wawáhase. Ésge haną́čį wąkšig
the men caused them to flee. [And so] [all of them] [men]
*the initial /w/ is written over an original /h/.

 

 

wakiju[β] gigigi hokarak'i naⁿtcgigi p'iⁿne
wakižueja. Gigigi, hokarak'i. Nąčgigi p'įne.
[they were with him there.] When he returned, he told it. [They felt good.]

 

 

[α] wañgwacocerê xedera* ére[ʆ] [ρ]
Égi wągwašošere xetera éreže. Ánąga
[And] [the warrior] [the great one] [he was.] [And]
*before this word, the symbol [α] has been crossed out. The syllable /ra/ is written above a crossed out wañgwacocere.

 

 

jê hanaⁿtcîⁿ karacicigrê jésgê aíre[/]
že hanąčį karašišigre, žésge aíreną.
they all they thought very much of him, [so] [it is said.]

 

 

nañxgûⁿ waga[⨪][ʆ] nûñgaziga e horak
Nąxgų waganąkše. Nųgaziga e horak,
It has been heard it is the story. My uncle he he told it,

 

 

wé[/] [β] nañxgûⁿ nûñgáziga e
wéną. Éja nąxgų. Nųgáziga e
[he said.] [There] [he heard it.] [My uncle] [he said,]

 

 

p. 244* —
keni [X]'ini [α] [β] wa-úine[ʆ].
keni wąkšigo'ini égi éja wa-úineže.
before he was born [then] [there] it happened.
*at the top of this page just tot he right of center, Radin writes, "δ = jeguⁿ".

 

 

[λ] hinûñgas higi ehorak[ʆ]* [ρ]
Žesge hinųgas higi ehorakše. Ánąga
[So] his uncle [still] he told him that. [And]
*just before this word, /eoh/ has been crossed out.

 

[δ]* [α] worak de [β]
žegų égi worak te éja
[so] [then] [story] [this] [there]
*[ω] has been scribbled out just before this symbol.

 

 

horak nañxgûⁿ wagé[/]. hiñke yaperez
horak nąxgų wagéną. Hįke yaperez
[it told] he heard it he meant. Not I don't know

 

 

wagani[⨪][ʆ] [ρ] worak tcowaradjáñ[ɕ]
waganinąkše. Ánąga worak čowarają́xjį
[he did not mean.*] [And] [story] very old
*this sentence is translated as, "I do not know it from first hand".

 

 

waga[⨪][ɜ] hosgê wanáñxgûñkdjawiji esgê*
waganąkšaną. Hosge waną́xgųkjawiži. Esge
I mean [in order] that you may hear of it. Therefore,
*in the initial position, either an /e/ is written over an /a/ or vice-versa. Just before it a word beginning /esh/ has been crossed out.

 

 

horagᴇ[⨪][ʆ] mejenaⁿ worak[ʆ].
horagenąkše. Meženą worakše.
I tell it. [This much] [to tell.]

 

Source:

Jim Pine, [untitled,] in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Notebook 26, 240-244.