Hočąk Text — Thunder Cloud Marries Again

narrated by Sam Blowsnake


English Translation

p. 1 —
Hagaréžą
wa'úną
wak'ą́wañx
hąhi-oráje
ánañgere.
In those days
he was
a poisoner,
he used to travel in the dead of night,
they say.


Žeske
hírekjanèže,
éną.
Hąhéregi,
ejáxjį
That
it is what he was going to do,
he said.
At night,
at about


11 o'clock*
wa'ų
rek'arohóną[.]
Uañkšík
honihéžą
11 o'clock
[it was]
he got ready.
[People]
[a group]**
*spoken in English.
*translated as "a family".


"B——-"
wigaírera,
žee
éja
wak'ą́wañxšekjanèže,
"B——-"
by the name
[these]
[there]
he was going to poison,


éną.
Hanáñxguą
hañgwíną.
Čiéja
hamiñgwi-ánañga
he said.
Listening
we lay.
In the house
we were lying (and)


hahí
čañgerégi
wažą́
ǧaǧak
hinóñkšaną.
then
outside
some
noise
he was making.


Wak'ą́wañxk'e
hiraną́įwíñgi,
nañk'éwekjàwige.
Poisoner
because we thought,
we were afraid of him.


E
wáčiwi-èja
eruk'ónoną
herekjége
He
of our household
in control
[so that he would be]


jagúrižą
egíži.
Hañk'agá
hinuš'ágeniñkjàwige,
[what one]
he said.
Nothing
they could not accomplish,


howašéra
wak'ąwañxk'éžą
wa'ų́jege,
nañk'awawíną.
because we knew
a poisoner
he was,
we were afraid of him.


Waxop'íni
warájireja
howáji
wa'ų́jege
The spirits
[from the various ones]
he came
[he did]


uañkšigak'íhaįžą,
wažą́nižą
hañk'é
a reincarnated man,
[someone]
[not]


eri-agigíwiniñgi,
hiñk'áwažikjonàwige.
Eske,
if we did not displease him,
[he would not do anything to us.]
So,


jagúrižą
egíži,
hagi'úñkjawi.
Žeskéną.
whatever
he said,
we did (it) for him.
That way it was.


Hinuñgwáčabera
xetéra
k'onoñkjá
nunige
žige
My sister
the eldest
he had been married
[but]
now


xeténųbra
k'onaíñkje,
éną.
Niñgi-owájigi,
the second eldest
he wished to marry,
he said.
Where he had been,


éja
Mą'úna
hóminañgèja,
éja
čigi
there
Earthmaker
where he dwells,
there
she lives


hičáwįhigi
ejanáñkše.
Hinuñgwáčabera,
hinųbéjerèjega,
his wife
[there she was.]
My sister,
the second one,


hičáwįhira
'uáñgeregi
náñkše,
his wife
[from above]
[sitting]


horuǧújera hik'iskéxjįžę,*
éže.
"Jaskegáją
jagú
she resembled her,
[he said.]†
"She must be
[what]‡
*generally, the sound /ę/ is not recognized as either a phoneme or an allophone, although this is not the only place where it has been presented as a candidate.
†translated as "he claimed".
‡translated as "the one".


hat'ųta
huną
yaréra,"
hiregíži.
'Uañgerégi
I left behind
when I came
[I think,]"
he thought.
Up above


Mą'únominoñgéja*
hičáwina
k'araíšja
hiže
gáją.
to where Earthmaker dwells†
his wife
to see
he went
[.]
* < Mą'úna-ho-minąk-éja, "Earthmaker - the place where - he lies - at".
†translated as, "to Earthmaker's village".


Higų́
dee
hijanáñkše,
wagéže.
"Uañkšigéja
Still
she
she was there,
he noticed.
"Among the human beings


hahiáničage.
Jaskegáją
yarége,
nįšjak'iríną,"*
I saw you [there].
How can it be?
I thought,
[as I saw you when I came back,"]†
* < ni-hįšjá-k'irí-ną, "you - I glimpsed - upon returning - [.]".
†translated as, "I came to see if you were still here." However, it seems more likely that he is merely reiterating that he had seen her among the humans (mistaking her sister for her).


higežé.
"Hačą́wątekše?
Égi
hinąt'ų́
šarašererá,
he said.
"Where was I to go?
Here
you left me
when you went away,


higų́iñgi
ha'únañk'àją́,"
higežé.
Hinuñgenoñk'a
wéže,
up to the present time
I have remained,"
he said.
The woman
she said,


"Uáñkšik
jagúižą
waragégiži?
Haníñk'iri-àje,"
éže.
["Person]
what one
do you mean?
Bring her here to me,"
she said.


Éske
hinuñgwáčabera
hinųbéjajega
ewagajéną
'uáñgeregi
Thus
my sister
the second one
she, he meant*
up above
*translated as, "it was whom he said".


hižaįčawehìgi
hik'iskéxjįže horuǧújera;
éske
his wife
she resembled;
and for that reason


k'anaíñkje,
éną.
Wak'ąčáñgi[ž]ą,*
wak'ą́wañxk'èžą,
he wished to marry her,
he said.
A shaman,
a poisoner,
*the text has "Wak'ąčáñgi-ą".


wanoñk'éjeni
k'onokgigíreną.
Noñk'áwairege
he was both (?)
they let him marry her.
Because they were afraid of him


hañk'e
gi'úinanìške,
wak'ą́waiñxjanège.
K'onokgigíreną
not
if they didn't permit him,
he would poison them.
They let him marry her


wak'ąčáñgi[ž]ą
wa'ų́jege.
Éske
hinúñgera
nųp
a shaman
because he was.
Thus
women
two


k'onóñkšaną,
wes'áže.
"'Uáñgeregi
Mą'úna
hominóñgenoñk'i
he married,
he used to say.
"Up above
Earthmaker
where he lives


éja
wawajíną
egi
Mą'úna
waigéną,
there
I came from
[here]
Earthmaker
said to me


uañkšíkera
jop'íwi
haniáñgikje,
hiñgéną,
wótoǧujànañga,
men
four
I was to bring back,
he said,
and I was to look them over,


uáñšik
wanąį́p'į.
Hañk'é
wanąį́-agi,
waną'įnunàna,
men
virtue.
Not
quick tempered,
one of changeable ideas,


p. 312 —
žéske
wagániže,
'uáñkšik
p'íñxjį
žéske
[that kind]
he did not mean,
men
real virtue
that kind


haniñgišíže."
Éske
jop'íwi
Mą'úna
eja
he told me."
Thus,
four
Earthmaker
there


howáni
k'érekjanèže,
es'áže.
to take
he would go back,
he used to say.


English Translation

Source:

Paul Radin, Personal Reminiscences of a Winnebago Indian, Journal of American Folk-Lore, 26, #102 (1913): 293-318 (Sam Blowsnake narrative: 310-312).