Hocąk Text — The Twins Kill a Waterspirit

collected by Sam Blowsnake

English Translation

 

p. 27 —
Éki Wanąǧínik’a wežé, "K’oté Warorá,
And Little Ghost he said, "Say Flesh,

 

 

nį́ža ’ekowéną, ’éca howaįrekcèną." Hakoréža,
a river going here, there let's go." Afterwards,

 

 

’ųnąk’ų́, nįxetéižą hot’ą́pirèną.* ’Éki Wanaǧinik’a
[finally,] a big river [they came to]. And [Little Ghost]
*/ną/ has /že/ written above it.

 

 

wéže, "Toík’ewehíną. K’oté Warorá, nį’ákra
he said, "I am hungry. Say [Flesh,] across the water

 

 

p. 28 —
hòrawášeréki, hišké ’ak’éki* ha’ų́kcéną. Rap’
if you go, me across here I will do. Beaver
*an original initial /h/ has been crossed out.

 

 

honį́kceną." Eki Waroká wežé,* "’Eki†
I will hunt." [And] [Flesh] [he said,] "Here
*eki waroká wežé was crossed out, but rewritten below the line again. The English line, "And w. said" has also been crossed out.
†just before this word, ’eca howé’ųą́k’ų, has been crossed out, as has the English line below it, "and he was walking along".

 

 

rapíą* ’ųkúnį (ya)réną." ’Éki Wanąǧínik’a†
a beaver maybe he was, I thought." And [Little Ghost]
*below this word are numerous cross out and rewrittings.
†just befored this word, wažą́ has been crossed out.

 

 

p. 29 —
kiwárehiže, "Huré, hací horuǧúcre. Rapížą
he hollered, "Come, here look! A beaver

 

 

’éki ’ųkų́ni yareną."* ’Éki kicáciže.
here he may be, I think." And he came there.
*/ki/ has been crossed out and /ną/ written above it.

 

 

Horuǧúcki p’įkcáneną. Rapížą wa’ų́ną. Hocírá
After he looked, "That will be a good one. A beaver that was. Where he lives

 

 

honį́kce nį́c’ecrá ho’ų́nąk’ų." ’Eca nąšų́ra
let's hunt the edge of the water to be around." There the path

 

 

p. 30 —
hi’éreže. ’Éki c’i ną́k’uni," ’aíreže.
they found. "Here he lives he probably sits," they said.

 

 

Žigų* ’ųnąk’`ų nįké ną́k’i hip’érésireže.
So they kept doing this where they were they found out.
*/ži/ has been written above a crossed out /hį/.

 

 

"’Éki ną́kšana. Warorá, nąšų uícreki
"Here he is. [Flesh,] runway at the mouth

 

 

hìraráp’eki ’éki k’ìriki raisákikceną. ’Éki
if you wait, here if he comes, you hit and kill him. [Then]

 

 

p. 31 —
c’ihéca hopuáxànakcanéną, žekúki ’éki k’írikcanéną."
at his house I can make it cave in, so here he will come."

 

 

’Éki xé hihákará hòwaré ške
And hill the top he went and

 

 

nąį́žą hipozá k’ik’ų́že, ’éki nąmác’eížą
a stick pounding in by force he made himself, and a club

 

 

’ųžé. ’Éki nąmą́cera Waroká hak’úžé.
he made. Then the club [Flesh] he gave.

 

 

p. 32 —
"Te’é hiš’uánaka raisakik’céną," hiréžé. ’Éki
"This you use you kill by str[iking]," he said. Then

 

 

xé hihakara howáranaka raprá hacícąnąk’i
hill the top he went up and the beaver [where it was]

 

 

’éca hopoxánąže. Žegú hiánąka níc’ecra
there he caved it in by pounding. Then he did it and the water's edge

 

 

p. 33 —
honųąkše. Raprá Waroká honąžį́ceka ’éca
he ran. The beaver [Flesh] where he stood there

 

 

kinúnike ruką́žrehíže. Nióxeterá hokit’ápše,
he arrived but he missed it and it got away. The Mississippi River he arrived and jumped in,

 

 

raprá nįnarek’u k’érežè. Towe* k’irúxe
the beaver waters downstream he went back. Going here to run after each other
*< te’é howé.

 

 

hahaíreže. ’Únak’`ų, hahít’ehíreže. ’Éca ’ąt’ų́piránaka
they went. While doing it, they arrived and killed it. There they took it out and

 

 

p. 34 —
ną́stohíra raprá mąžéžé hirežé. Hižą́
they made a wood pile the beaver to cut it in pieces with a knife they did. One

 

 

wežé, "K’unik’áka ’aškénįk ’éki c’íną, ’Éwàwàtekcéną."
he said, "My grandmother close here she lives, I will go over there."

 

 

’Éki ’ehonuą́kšaną. Xap’énį́k’ k’írižé. Rex
And he ran in there. Very soon he returned. Basket

 

 

p. 35 —
xetéžą́ hanį́k’iriže. ’Éki Wanaǧinįk’a wežé,
a big one he brought. And [Little Ghost] said,

 

 

"Warorá, woréra te’é horuákrá wakíkireną.
"[Flesh] work this the last it is for us.

 

 

’Éki hįk’íwákaixikcéną, ’é Wąkšíkra hacaírešunukcéną.
Here we will draw ourselves, so the Indians they will sometimes see.

 

 

’Éki wanoíckiak’a* wa’írá hi’ų́įranaka k’iwákáxirèžè.
Then that animal the blood they used and they drew themselves.
*originally written as wanioíckiak’a, the /i/ was crossed out.

 

 

p. 36 —
Níš hik’ic’kísk’ere mįk’í, ’éca k’iwákaxirežè.
Rocky perpendicular laying, there they drew themselves.

 

 

Wanioíckiáka wakahirekì rorá sérecšé. ’Éki
That animal when they drew it, the body it was long. Then

 

 

sįcrá serec’į́že. Sįcrá hokį́kį́x t’ų́pireki,
the tail it was very long. The tail around when they put,

 

 

p. 37 —
rohą́ hokį́kį́xše, rorá. ’Éki sirá
lots it went around it, the body. And the foot

 

 

šukrowácku hįšék sinískeže. ’Éki nąprá c’axšép
lion* foot is like. And the forefeet eagle
*"dog" is crossed out and "lion" written in its stead.

 

 

sí’ųžé. ’Éki hec’ų́žé. Herá rukąnąkąnąpxcįžé.
foot was made. And it had a horn. The horn it was shiny.

 

 

’Éki ’irá wak’ą́ ’inískeže. Rezíraške
And the mouth snake it was like the mouth. The tongue also

 

 

p. 38 —
wikíwe c’ųžé. ’Éki p’erá* wąkšík
stinger it had. And the forehead man
*just before this word, hašcárá has been crossed out, then the succeeding replacement word, hašcásúra, has also been crossed out.

 

 

p’enískeže, ’éki hišcasúra p’écniskeže. Že’é
it was like the forehead, and the eyes they were like fire. That

 

 

nįžéca wakáxiréže. Wa’írá hi’ųį́ránaka ’éki
at the rock they made marks. The blood they used and and

 

 

p. 39 —
c’oéca Wanaǧinik’a k’iwákaxše. ’Éca nąžíceže.
there in front [Little Ghost] drew himself. There it stands.

 

 

’Éki hakéca Waróká hišké k’iwákaxše.
And behind [Flesh] too he drew himself.

 

 

’Ak’íak’e nąžį́nąkše.* ’Éki hąhą́ Warorá,
On both sides they stood. Then, "Well [Flesh,]
*the original ending in -šana has been replaced with -še.

 

 

te’éži žekúną. Hįkuána raprá hohą́kceną." P’ec’ot’ų́įranaka
that's that. Now the beaver we will cook." They made a fire and

 

 

p. 40 —
wohą́ną́ hica hak’eréreže. Tuckíži, ną́wašiš
the bucket there they put. When it was cooked, small branches

 

 

k’anákiranaka wąnírá kizéranaka ’ak’iak’e ciną́kiranaka
they put and the meat they lifted out and on both sides they came and sat, and

 

 

p. 41 —
warúcireže. Nįp’anará hicá k’eréranaka, "Hąhą́
they ate. The soup here they put and, "Now

 

 

Warórá, hicá ’ųxcią́ce, caskéxcį šąną hįnuckácą,
[Flesh,] hustle, as much as each after we eat,

 

 

c’epíhįki herekcáneną." ’Éki ’ų́ąciaraíreki, hąk’é
if we finish that will do." And as they kept doing it, not

 

 

p. 42 —
s’inįže, c’epíreze. ’Éki nį́p’anara hica*
it did not take long, they finished it. And the soup [there]
*the following letters, /xhoix/, added to this word, have been crossed out.

 

 

hoišcákcákiránaka raskepireže.
they stirred it up to cool it and they drank it.

 

Source:

Amelia Susman, Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, Aug. 30 - Oct. 10, 1938) Book 3.27-42.