Hočąk Syllabic Text — Trickster's Adventures in the Ocean

translated by John Baptiste

English Translation

p. 71 —
e tt.
ni
so Ke tt.
o ni Ae de.
de Ko de.
Éja
nį
rogeja
'ųniheže.
žegų́že.
There
water
in
he remained.
Thus it was.

A ttiAi tt.
mo so s
Ai e Ktt n Ae Ki di
Ai Ke
Hačįja
morora
hi'ekjanahegiži
hįké
Where
the bank
to find he will
not

Ai lAe se rini de.
de Ko
de Ki xitti
A lA Ai de
hipéresnįže.
Žegų,
žegixjį
hapahíže.
know of it he did not.
Thus,
not a certain place
toward he went.

p. 72 —
te we s Ki
e tt
ow Ai K tt.
Aoyi tt Ki d.
e tt.
Tewéraki
éja
'úwahigają
hoijagižą
éja
To his surprise,
there
as he was going along,
a fish
there

Ao we.
owK deAe.
w Ktt K K.*
we de.
Ao Ao
howe
'ųwąkše.
Wakjąkaga
wéže,
"Hohó
moving about
it was.
Trickster
quoth he,
"Oh oh
*the /w/ appears in the MS to be an /e/.

Ai roAo Ki tt.
w ni lA K nK dAo no n.
mo so s.*
hisųkija,
wanipakąnąkšųnųną.
Morora
my younger brother,
you have been always clever.
The bank
*the /m/ appears in the MS to be an /n/.

p. 73 —
A tti tt
Ae se Ki di.
A no ni n.
A Ke se deKe
hačįja
heregíži
hanųnįną.
Hąkerešge
where
it is
I have no knowledge of.
Never at all

Ai ni xitti.
mo so s.
A K.
A ttA ni A tt n.
e de.
hiníxjį
morora
hąka
hačanįhajaną,"
éže.
brother
the bank
never
I did not see it,"
he said.

de Ko
di Ke
to w se de.
e tt
di Ke
žegų
žigé
towareže.
Éja
žigé
Thus
again
on he went.
There
again

we s Ki.
Ao wi xi d.
A tt de.
di Ke
we de.
wéraki
howiǧižą
hajaže.
Žigé
wéže,
unexpectedly
a catfish
he saw.
Again
he said,

p. 74 —
Ai roAo Ki tti.
w ni lA K nK dAo no n.
mo so s.
"Hisųkiji,
wanipakąnąkšųnųną.
Morora
"Brother,
you have been always clever.
The bank

A ttiAi tt
Ae se Ki di.
A no ni n.
Ao Ki s Kse.
hačįja
heregíži
hanųnįną.
Hogirakre,"
where
it is
I do not know.
Tell me,"

e de.
K tt.
Ao wixi xK.
we de.
A Ke se deKe.
Ai ni xitti.
éže
gają.
Howiǧaga
wéže,
"Hąkerešge
hiníxjį
he said
[.]
Catfish
said,
"No, never
brother

p. 75* —
mo so
A K
ni Ke
y ttAe ttini A tte n.
e de.
moro
hąka
nįge
yačejinįhajeną,"
éže.
bank
not
anywhere
I have not come near it,"
he said.
*on this MS page only, the Hočąk lines have been numbered (1-8).

de Ko de.
di Ke
to w se de.
e tt di.
žegų́že.
Žigé
towareže.
Éjaži
Thus it was.
Again
on he went.
There again

A Ko se d
ow Ai K tt.
te we s Ki.
n ri tt K.
hagoréžą
úwahigają
tewéraki
nązíjąga
in the course of time
as he went along
unexpectedly,
[the muskie (muskellunge)]
*this word is not translated in the MS.

p. 76 —
owK deAe.
Ao Ao.
Ai rAo Ki tti.
w ni d doAo no n.
'ųwąkše.
"Hohó
hisųkiji,
wanižašųnųną.
he was.
"Oh oh
brother,
something you have always been.

mo so s.
A ttiAi tt.
Ae se Ki di.
A no ni n.
Morora
hačįja
heregíži
hanųnįną.
The bank
where
it is
I do not know.

Ao Ki s Kse.
e de.
Ae Ae.
Ai ni xitti
Ai Ke se deKe.
Hogirakre,"
éže.
"Hehe,
hinixjį,
hįkerešge
Tell me,"
he said.
"Alas, alas,
brother,
never, no

A K
mo so.
ni Ke
y tteAe ttini A tte n
hąka
moro
nįge
yačejinįhajeną,"
never
bank
nowhere
I have not come near it,"

p. 77 —
Ai Ky se de.
w Ktt K K.
de Ko de.
di Ke
to w se de.
higaíreže,
Wakjąkaga.
žegų́že.
Žigé
towareže.
it was said to him,*
Trickster.
Thus it was.
Again
on he went.
*the word "they" has been erased and "it was" written over it.

ow Ai K tt.
te we s Ki.
Ao lA rA ttA Ki d.
e tt.
Úwahigają,
tewéraki,
hopásačąkižą
éja
As he was going,
unlooked for,
a spoonbill fish*
there
*Miner's informants translate this word as "swordfish".

A tt de.
Ao Ao.
Ai roAo Ki tti.
w ni lA K nK doAo no n.
hajaže.
"Hohó
hisųkiji,
wanipakąnąkšųnųną.
he saw.
"Oh oh
brother,
you are always clever.

p. 78 —
mo so s.
A ttAi tt
Ae se Ki di.
Ao Ki s Kese.
Morora
hačįja
heregíži
hogirakre.
The bank
where
it is
tell it to me.

A no ni n.
Ae Ae.
Ai ni xitti.
Hanųnįną.
"Hehe,
hinixjį,
I do not know.
"Alas,
brother,

A Ke se deKe.
A K
mo so
hąkerešge
hąka
moro
no, never
not
bank

y ttAe ttini A tte n.
e de.
de Ko de.
di Ke
to w se de.
yačejinįhajeną,"
éže.
žegų́že.
Žigé
towareže.
near it I have not come,"
he said.
Thus it was.
Again
on he went.

p. 79 —
te we s Ki.
wixi doAo Ki d.
e tt
A Ki tt de.
Ao Ao.
Tewéraki,
wiǧišųgižą
éja
hakijaže.
"Hohó
Unexpectedly,
a yellow catfish*
there
they saw each other.
"Oh oh
*literally, "a dog-catfish".

Ai roAo Ki tti.
w no ni niKi
s ni doAo no n.
mo so s.
hisųkiji,
wanúninįk
ranišųnųną.
Morora
brother,
nothing is unknown to you
you are.
The bank

A no ni n.
Ao Ki s Kese
A tti tt
Ae se Ki di.
hanųnįną,
hogirakere
hačįja
heregíži,"
I do not know,
tell it to me
where
it is,"

p. 80 —
e de.
Ae Ae.
Ai ni xitti.
Ai Ke se deKe.
A K
éže.
"Hehe,
hinixjį,
hįkerešge
hąka
he said.
"Alas,
brother,
no, never
never

mo so
wiy ttAe ttini A tte n.
e de.
de Ko de.
di Ke
moro
wiyačejinįhajeną,"
éže.
žegų́že.
Žigé
bank
I have not come near it,"
he said.
Thus it was.
Again

to w se de.
ow Ai K tt
te we s Ki.
n Aoyi d.
e tt
towareže.
'Úwahigają,
tewéraki,
nąhųyižą
éja
on he went.
As he was going along,
unexpectedly,
[a sturgeon]
there

p. 81 —
Ai Ki lA tti nK deAe
Ao Ao.
Ai rAo Ko niKi A xitti
higipajinąkše.
"Hohó
hisųkonįkhaxjį,
he suddenly met with [him].
"Oh oh
brother mine,

w ni lA K nK doAo no n.
mo so s.
A no ni n.
Ao Ki s Kese.
wanipakąnąkšųnųną.
Morora
hanųnįną,
hogirakere."
you are always clever.
The bank
I am lost to,
tell it to me."

Ae Ae.
Ai ni A xitti
A Ke s deKe.
A K
"Hehe,
hinihaxjį,
hąkerašge*
hąka
"Alas,
brother,
no, never
never
*for hankerešge?

p. 82 —
mo so.
wiy tteAe ttini A tte n.
e de.
Ao
Ao w tteAe Ai s.
moro
wiyačejinįhajeną,"
éže.
Ho
howačehira
bank
I have not come near it,"
he said.
Fishes
of all species

tt n K Ki di.
A n ttAi
w tt de
ay se n.
A ntt
janągagiži,
hanačį,
wajaže,
aíreną.
Haną́č
everyone of them,
all of them,
he saw,
they have said.
Of all

w wi Ki wx deAe.
wi ttoKo s.
Ao K Ki s.
K ni s.
wawigiwąxše:
Wijúgara,
hokagira,
kąnįra,
he inquired from:
[the catfish,]*
the [garfish,]
the buffalo fish,
*wajúk is the word for the domestic cat.

p. 83 —
Ao al doAo tts.
Ao dtt Ks.
Ao wi se Ke s.
Ao mi miKi Ke s.
hoápšúčara
hošjákara
howiregera,
homįmįkera
the red-finned fish,*
[the sucker fish,]
[?],
[butterfly fish,]†
*this is the horsefish (Dorsey).
†this is a literal translation from the Hočąk, where mįmį́ke means "butterfly".

diAi ttK Ks.
Ao lA Ko s.
wi s s.
ttA doAo tteKe s.
šįjakara,
hopákora,
wirára,
čašų́čgera,
[?]*
[sheephead fish,]†
[the bass,]
[bluegill ?, sunfish ?],‡
*the name seems to mean, "the lively fat one".
†literally, "the hump-backed fish". Dorsey calls it "the ship head fish."
‡the name means, "the red-deer". Dorsey says that čašųškera means "sunfish," but Miner gives us for čašų́čge, "bluegill (speakers not too certain to which fish it refers)." Marino supports "bluegill" as its meaning.

Ao w K s.
ttAo ri Ks.
Ao
Ao w ttAe A s.
tt n K Ki di.
howakąra,
čosikara.
Ho
howačehara,
janągagiži,
the eel,
the bullhead.
Fishes
of all species,
everyone of them,

p. 84 —
A ntt.
w Ki tt de.
K tt K.
de e.
Ao x rA Ks.
hanač
wakijaže.
Gająga,
žee
hoxasgara
all
he met (them).
Finally,
this one
the white [fish]

e tt
te we s Ki.
Ao ni Ae
xeAe te
Ao we
éja
tewéraki,
honihé
xete
howe
there
to his surprise,
a school
[large]
[going about]

owK deAe.
Ao Ao.
Ai rAo Ki tti wi s.
w no ni niKi
’uwąkše.
"Hohó
hisųkijiwira,
wanúninįk
there were.
"Oh oh,
my younger brothers,
nothing is unknown to you

p. 85 —
s ni wi do no n.*
mo so s.
A ttAi tt
Ae se Ki di.
raniwišųnųną.
Morora
hačįja
heregíži,
you are.
The bank
where
it is it be [sic],
*the spelling is a bit eccentric — more properly, it should be "s ni wi doAo no n."

Ao Ki sK wi se.
A no ni n.
Ko te.
Ai ni A xitti.
Ai Ko
hogirakwire,
hanųnįną."
"Koté,
hinihaxjį,
higų
tell it to me,
I do not know."
"Say,
my older brother,
right here

te e
mo so s
Ae se n.
w o A AK wi se.
Ai Ky se de.
tee
morora
hereną.
Wa’ųhahągwire,"
higaíreže.
[this]
the bank
it is.
It is just where we are,"
they said to him.

p. 86 —
e tt.
Ao o n K e tt
Ai K tt.
e tt
mo so s.
Éja
ho'ųnąkeja,
higáją,
éja,
morora
There
where they were,
when he got
there,
the bank

A xele deAe.
Ao Ao.
Ai rAo Ki tti wi s.
wi so Kowe rKe n.
haxebše.
"Hohó,
hisųkijiwira,
wirugwesgeną."
he emerged.
"Oh oh
my younger brothers,
it is thankful [sic]."

e tt.
te tt
Ai tteAe tte tt.
Ao we
owK deAe.
Éja
teją
hičéjéja
howe
'uwąkše.
There
ocean
the edge
going along
he was.

p. 87 —
to Ke we Ai de.
Ai Ko Ae
e tt.
se xi d
Ki Koo de.
Tokéwehiže.
Hikųhé
éja
rexižą
kik'ųže,
He was hungry.
Hurriedly
there
a pail
he made for himself,

se xoAo so se xi d.
de Ko
Aiy n K.
di Ke
te
rexururexižą.
Žegų
hiánągà
žigé
te
a clay pail.
Thus
he did, then
again
the sea

Ai ttAe tts.
Ao w se de.
w Ks.
w so Ko de
Ao s.
hičéjara
howareže.
Wąkra
warugųže.
Hora
the edge
he went along.
The man
he coveted.*
The fish
*the word "coveted" is written over an erased word that cannot be read.

p. 88* —
Ai d
tee Ai
so Ko xitti de.
Ai d
ni Ke
hižą
t'ehi
rogųxjįže.
Hižą
nįge
one
to kill
he wanted very much.
One
[perhaps]
*at the upper right of the MS page at a 30 degree angle, the word "nųgiwąre" is written. This means, "they swam", or more generally, "they ran". See directly below.

no Ki w K
tti se Ai
K deKe.
too s nK Ai se ra de.
nųgíwąk,
jirehi,
gašge
t'ųranąkhires'aže.
they should run,
he would start after it,
but
they would get away from him.

di Ke.
e tt
Ai d
a deKe xitti
niKi no wK deAe.
Žigé
éja
hižą
aškexjį
nįginuwąkše.
Again
there
one
very near
it ran.

e tt.
xA lee Ai Kiy n K.
Ao no w K.
e tt xitti ni s.*
Éja
xap’ehigiyanąga
honųwąk
éjaxjįnira,
There
hurriedly he did, [and]
it started from
at that very place,
*what appears to be a period occurs after /e tt/, but this must be an artefact of the microfilm or the MS.

p. 89 —
Ai nidi Ai se Ai de.
de Ko
Aiy n K.
Ao Ao.
te e di.
hinišhirehiže.
Žegų
hiánągà
"Hohó,
teeži
he dipped the water.
Thus
he did, [and]
"Oh oh,
this one

ni lA n.
A Ki Koo Kette n.
a n K.
lAe tto too de.
e tt.
nipana
hakik'ųkjeną,"
ánąga.
Pečot'ųže.
Éja
the soup
I will make it for myself,"
he said.
A fire he built.
There

p. 90 —
ni tte K
Ao A de
xeAe se Aiy n K.
e Ki
K s ttK de.
nįjega
hohą́že.
Xerehiyanąga
égi
káračgąže.
the water
he boiled.
He had boiled it and
[then]
he drank it his.

Ao Ao.
A K w d.
ni lA n
liAi d.
Ao so s.
"Hohó,
hakawažą
nipana
pįžą,
horora
"Oh oh,
such
soup
a fine one,
the meat

w d
ar
Ae Kitti
Ki di.
wažą
as
hekjį,"
giži.
[something]
delicious
it must be very (much so) it will be
[."]

e tt
di Ke
to we
o se Ke se.
Ao s.
Éja
žigé
towe
'ųregere.
Hora
There
again
on he went
he did.
Fish

Ai d
ni Ke
no w K.
e tt.
Ai ni d n K.
hižą
nįge
nųwąk
éja
hinišanąga
one
where
it started from
there
he would dip the water [and]

p. 91 —
ni lA n.
Ki Koo ra de.
ow Koo
w i n ttiAi Ki de.
nipana
kik'ųs'aže.
'Ųwąk'ų,
wa’įnačįkįže.
the soup
he would make for himself.
Thus doing,
he filled himself.

mi.
ni xA xA s Ki de.
e Ki.
e tt.
Ao al doAo tti d.
Mi
nixaxarakįže.
Égi
éja
hoápšúčižą
Stomach
shining he made himself.
And
there
a red-finned fish (horsefish)

Ai sy xA nK deAe.
Ao Ao.
Ai roAoKo A s.
hiraixanąkše.
"Hohó
hisųkhara,
it had drifted to the bank.
"Oh oh,
my younger brother,

p. 92 —
ni Ay tteAle loKo ni.
e Ki
ta n Kese.
a n K.
ni Ke
nihaičepgųnį.
Égi
t'anakere,"
ánąga.
"Nįge
breathing must be gone.
Here
dead he is,"
he had said.
"Somewhere

liAiy K s too li Ktte n.
leAe de.
liAi
pįakarat'ųbikjeną.
Peže
pį
good I shall lay him away.
Who will
good

Ai Ki too li Kette de.
a n K.
so r n K.
mo so s.
hikįt'ųbikježe?"
ánąga.
Rusanąga
morora
he will lay him [out] for me?"
said he.
Took him he did [and]
to the land

p. 93 —
A ni Ao w se de.
e tt.
wo xAe Ka n K.
e tt
hanihuwareže.
Éja
woxek'anąga
éja
with it he went.
There
a grave he dug [and]
there

xeAe de.
e Ki.
de Ko Ai
xeže.
Égi
žegųhi.
he buried it.
And
thus he did.

English Translation
Source:

John Baptiste (trs.), "Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 71-93.