Hocąk Text — The Sweetened Drink Song

narrated by Jasper Blowsnake

Winnebago III, #1: 113 Winnebago II, #1: 137 Winnebago II, #5: 146

English Translation

As is the case with a number of other Radin interlinear MSS, this text is full of abbreviations for common word terminations. The revised texts in Winnebago II, #1: 137 and Winnebago II, #5: 146, can be used as a kind of Rosetta Stone for interpreting their values:

α β γ ε ɜ ρ υ ω
égi éja -giži ésge caną ánąga -regi žigé


Ↄ C• X 2 ɕ 9 < ⨪
-hįjera waxopini wąkšik -že, -ce -xjį -žą žénąga -nąk, -nąg

In the interlinear text where the translation is missing, it has been supplied whenever possible from the English text of The Road of Life and Death (see Source below). Where a missing translation has been supplied from other sources, it is enclosed in brackets, [ ].

Key —

First Row "raw" interlinear text from Paul Radin, Notebook, Winnebago III, #1: 113-114.
Second Row revised text from Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Winnebago II, #1: 137, and Winnebago II, #5: 146.
Third Row English translation based in part on that of The Road of Life and Death.

 

Winnebago III, #1: 113 = Winnebago II, #1: 137 = Winnebago II, #5: 146 —
’uañgí[9] mañkánixedé[9] mą́djobóhą nañkára[γ] egi
Wągížą mąkánixetéžą mą́jobóhą nąkáragiži, égi
A man [one of great medicine] four years he sought, and then

 

 

[β] honihá* girucdją́rehíre[2] wíru[Ↄ]
éja honihá girušją́ rehíreže.† Wiruhį́jera
there [with a nod of affirmation] they let go for him. Life-engendering greetings
*a character resembling a capital /S/ is written above the /ni/ of this word.
†the revised texts (Winnebago II, #5: 146 and Winnebago II, #1: 137) separate girucdją́ from rehíreje.

 

 

wi’únihekdje higaíre[2] [α] mañkánixedé[⨪]a
wi’únihekje, higaíreže. Égi mąkáni xeténąka
that he might use ever, [they said to him.] And [that one great in medicine]

 

 

djagú[ɜ] hiperéze[⨪]k[γ´] haną́tcį hok’ųjége[2]
jagúšaną hipérezenąkíži, haną́cį hok’ųžégeže.
whatever each such as they knew, [all] they gave him he said.

 

 

p. 114 —
djagu’i [C•]k’įdjegi tconí[ɕ]na tcowiógijú[2] [α]
Jagú’i waxopínik’įjegi coníxjįna cowiógižúže.* Égi
What he made himself holy with first thing in front he put it for him. And
*the revised texts have tcowe hogijúje.

 

 

hag[β´] xą́wihúpina hąbiną́jįna dj[ρ´]ki karókehíwira
hagéja xą́wihúpįna hąbiną́žįna* janągáki Karókehíwira
afterwards good plants that stand up with life [as may as there were,] Our Grandmother
*the revised texts have, hąp hinąjį́na.

 

 

hį́tcabera dj[ρ´] xaįwioxerepináki [α] [ω]
hį́cabera jánąga xaįwioxerepįnáki,* égi žigé
her hair [every] good blossoms, and [again]
*the revised text have, xaįwi hoxerep’įná’ki.

 

 

x’awína dj[ρ´] ponapiáñki here[ρ´] [α]
x’ąwína jánąga ponapią́ki hereánąga égi
[herbs] [every one] smell good they do, and and

 

 

[ω] dj[ρ´] ratcgá[-] piáñki je[ρ]
žigé* jánąga racgára pią́ki žežénąga†
[again] [every one] taste good [that many]
*the revised texts omit the line (from homoeoleuteron), " dj[ρ´] ponapiáñki here[ρ´] [α] [ω]".
†the revised texts have jejénųga.

 

 

sdoihír[ρ] wasgú* úinegí [X] hąbédjikére
stoihíranąga wasgú ’úinegí. Wąkšigera† hąbéjikére
they gathered, and a sweetened one they made it. [Men] to put in life
*just before this word, wasgub has been lined out.
†the revised texts have wąkcik, but the plural is appropriate here.

 

 

hi’úine[2] [γ] pįná hiperézirege [ε]
hi’úineže, giži. Pįná hiperézirege, ésge
they used it for, [.] [The good ones] they know of, [it is the reason why]

 

 

jeé wasgúnąwą higaí[υ] wíruhįdji[9´] here[2´]
žeé wasgúnąwą higaíregi, wíruhįjižą herežé,
[that] sweet-song which they call, [a ceremonial greeting] it is,

 

 

higaíre[2]* [ε] jeé honihá jeé
higaíreže. Ésge, žeé honihá, žeé
[they said to him.] [Therefore,] [that] [breath], [that]
*both revised texts skip (from homoeoleuteron) the line, "[ε] jeé wasgúnąwą higaí[υ] wíruhįdji[9´] here[2´] higaíre[2]".

 

 

e tcąt’į hikdjáwira wíruhįdji[9] here[2´]
e cąt’į hikjáwira, Wíruhįjížą herežé,
[it] to be heard it is about to be, a life-engendering greeting it is,

 

 

aírera.
aírera.
[they said.]

 

Source:

For the original handwritten interlinear text, see Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3898 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society: n.d.) Winnebago III, #1: 113-114; the handwritten phonetic text is found at Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3872 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society: n.d.) Winnebago II, #1: 137; and the typed phonetic text is found at Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3875 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society: n.d.) Winnebago II, #5: 146. A loose English translation is found in Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 142.