Hocąk Syllabic Text — Trickster’s Buffalo Hunt

Told by an elder of the tribe in 1912

Transcribed by Sam Blowsnake

Translation based on the interlinear of John Baptiste

   
John Baptiste, Translator   Winnebago V, #7: 27

For a description of this manuscript, its source, style, transcription, and interlinear translation, see the syllabic text to Trickster's Warpath.

English Translation

 

p. 27 —
e tt K tt Ki. i ne Ki Le de. e lA. tt n K.
Éja gajągi inekireže. Epa janąga
There that time on he went alone. Thence everyone

 

 

w d m Le Ki. A dow Ki. Ki nolo Ki K Ltt deAe.
wažą́ mąrégi hažuwagi "kinųp´" kikarájše.
everything in the world it is on "brother" he called it.

 

 

Ai roAoKo w Ai w Ki K Ltt deAe. w wo Ki tee de.
Hisųkwahí wakikarajše. Wawogit’eže.
His "younger brethren" he called them. He addressed them.

 

 

p. 28 —
A ntt w n Ki xoKo de. Ai tee L.
Haną́c wanągixgųže. Hit’era
All he had mutual understanding with them. Their language

 

 

wi Ki rKe de. e Ki. ow Ai K tt
wagisgeže. Égi ’úwahigają,
he was the same with them. And as he went along,

 

 

te we L Ki. Ao doo Ki d. A xele Le K tt. te we L Ki.
tewéraki, hoš’ógižą haxeberegają, tewéraki,
to his wonder, a knoll as he was in sight of, to his surprise,

 

 

tteAe to Ki d. e Ki o tte de. Ao Ao
ce tokižą égi ’ųjéže. "Hohó,"
buffalo an old, large one there it was. "Oh oh,"

 

 

p. 29 —
e de m L. A Ke A too t ni Ki di. de tt n
éže. "Mąra hąké hat’ųtanįgiži, žejaną
he said. "The arrow not if I had not thrown it away, now

 

 

te e tee A n K. w Att n. e de. e Ki.
tee t’ehanąga wahajaną," éže. Égi
this one I would have killed [and] I would have eaten," he said. And

 

 

w o de. m Ai L. A K L ni. w ow Ki. xA wi
wa’ųže: mahira hagarani wa’ųwagi xąwį́
he did thus: the knife he had with him hay

 

 

lA tt n K. w KidiKi ni rKe. w Aiy n K.
pajanąga wąkšik nisge wahianąga
he cut [and] person like he made them [and]

 

 

p. 30 —
Ao Ki Kixi Ai tte tte Ai de. e tt ni Ke Ko Ke Ke Le de.
hogįgį́x hijejéhíže. Éja nįgé gokekereže.
in a circle he had placed them. There a place he left open.

 

 

m A xitti Ki e tt. e Ki. Ai tt
Mąhaxjįgi éja. Égi hija
A very muddy place [it was] there at. And there

 

 

Ao w Le de. ttAe tte K e tt. Ao Ao. Ai roAoKo A L.
howareže, céjega éja. "Hohó, hisųkhara,
he went to, the buffalo there. "Oh ho, my younger brother,

 

 

e Ki o tte de tte L. Ai roAo Ki tti w Lo ttL. L doKo ni o Le.
égi ’ųježejera hisųgijį warujara rašgųnį’ųre.
here he is my younger brother eating without worrying.

 

 

p. 31 —
A Ke n tteKe wo ttAi ni Le. w ni Ki leAe riAi wi miy n Ki Kette n.
Hąké nąjge wocinįre, wanikipesįwį mįyąnągikjeną,"
Nothing heart do not let it bother, I am watching them for you [I will sit,"]*

* the last two phrases are translated as, "I will keep a watch for you of them".

 

 

e de. e rKe ttAe tte K. w K n L. o xitti de.
éže. Ésge, céjega wakanara ’ųxjįže.
he said. Therefore, the buffalo feeding very much it did.

 

 

K tt. we de. Ai roAo Ki tti. w Kidi KL.
Gają wéže, "Hisųgijį, wąkšikra
When he said, "My younger brother, people

 

 

p. 32 —
Ao Ki Kixi Lo K n n. te Ki dA n. Ko Ke n.
hogįgįx´ rokananą. Tégi šana gokeną."
surrounding there are many. Here only there is an opening."

 

 

e Ki. Ki ritti Ki Li tte K tt. te we L Ki. Ao Ki Kixi
Égi gisįc´ kirijégają, tewéraki, hogįgįx´
[And]* it raised up† as it did, to his surprise, surrounding them

* the translation has "when".
† the translation adds, "its head".

 

 

w Kidi KL. Lo K n de. w Ke K. e tt dA n
wąkšikra rokánaže. Wagéga éja šana
people there were very many. Whereof he spoke there only

 

 

p. 33 —
Ko Ke de. e rKe eyo Ki nK deAe. K tt
gokeže. Ésge eyoginąkše. Gają
there was an opening. So it ran that way. When

 

 

m A. Ki riAi Li de. e tt. m Ai L Ai Koow n K. tee Ai de.
mąha kisiriže, éja mahira hik’ųwanąga t’ehiže.
he was mired, there the knife he used it [and] he killed it.

 

 

e Ki. e tt. no ttAo mi n Ki. e tt. A ni Aiy n K.
Égi éja nocominąki. Éja hanihianąga
And there wooded growth it was. There he took it, then

 

 

Ao w ro de. a Aoyi doAo Lo L Ai ow n K* w o tte Ki di.
howazųže. A hoišororahi ’ųwanąga wa’ųjegiži,
he began to skin it. Arm with the right one he did it [and] [as] he was doing [it]

* in the MS an /A/ has been erased and overprinted with an /ow/ .

 

 

p. 34 —
a Aoyi L tteKe L w o de. a rA niKi
a hoirájkera wa’ųže, a sanįk
arm the left one it did it, arm the other one

 

 

A ni tti nK deAe. tteAe L. Ao K Ly Koo L. ne A ni n.
hanįjínąkše, céra. "Hokaraík’ųra, ne haniną,"
it grabbed the buffalo. "Give it back to me, mine it is,"

 

 

a n K w o de. Lo dtt ne. m AiyK KeLe y ow n K.
ánąga wa’ųže. "Rušją́ne. mąhįyakere ya’ųwanąga
he said as it did it. "Stop it. This knife I will use and

 

 

p. 35 —
m ni Ko no Ko no Ki Ktt ne n e de. Ki Lo dtt Le Ai de.
manikunukunukikjaneną," éže. Kirušjarehiže.
I will cut you to pieces," said he. Let go it did.

 

 

di Ke o de. o riye tt A ni tti nK deAe. di Ke
Žigé ’ųže. ozieja hanįjínąkše. Žigé
Again it did it. On the wrist he took hold of. Again

 

 

Ao w ro Le K tt. o tti Le de. e xitti a w ni L.
howazųregają, ’ųjireže. Exjį awanira
as he started to skin it, it repeatedly did thus. His own his arms

 

 

Ki Ki tK w Ki Ki. w o tte de. o tt o* a L.
kikitakwagigi wa’ųježe. ’Ųja’ų ára
he made to quarrel he was doing. While doing thus, the arms

* the final /o/ is inserted above the line with a caret.

 

 

p. 36 —
Ki Ki r w Ki Ki de. a Ao Ly tteKe L. m Ko no Ko noKo deAe.
kikizawagigiže. A horaijkera makunukunukše.
fighting he made them. Arm the left one he cut all up.

 

 

Ao Ao. e de. tt Ko o di Ke te e
"Hohó," éže, "jagú’ų žigé tee
"Oh! Oh!" he said, "why [again] this

 

 

w o Ko ni. xoAo riKi xitti A Ki. e de. a L.
wa’ųgųnį? Xusgixjįhagi," éže. ára
did I do? I have made myself suffer so," he said. Arm

 

 

p. 37 —
w ni L Lo K n tte de. e Ki. e tt K tt K.
wanira rokanaježe. Égi éja gająga
blood there was very much. And there then

 

 

ttAe L. Ai K L Ki deAe Le de. Lo dtt Ki di di Ke
céra hikaragišereže. rušjągiži, žigé
the buffalo he dressed it. When he got through, again

 

 

to w Le de. e tt. w Ky Le ra de. w niKi niKi
towareže. Éja wagaires’aže. Wanįk nįk
away he went. There they would say it. Birds little

 

 

wy Le ra de. Ko te. Ko diAi Ki w Ktt K K.
waires’aže, "Koté! gušígi Wakjąkaga,"
they would say, "Say, over there Trickster,"

 

 

p. 38 —
ay L n K. Kiyr nK Ai Le ra de. Aow. Ai Loyi Le
airánąga, giasanąk hires’aže. "Howá! hiroire.
they would say, [and] to flee they would do it. "Ay! [they are] naughty.

 

 

w niKi diAi diAiKi niKi w n KeLe.
Wanįk šišik nįk wanakere
Birds [bad] little [that were speaking]

 

 

tt xitti ay Le. w n Ki. e de. de Ko de.
jáxjį aire wanagi?" éže. Žegų́že.
what they are saying I wonder?" he said. It was so.

 

 

Ai Ko tt Ko L. Ai d A tt K. de rKe Ai Ky Le ra de.
Higųjagura hižą haják, žesge higaires’aže.
Whatsoever one he would see, that they would call him.

 

 

p. 39 —
Ko te. w Ktt K K. e Ki owK dA n. Ai Ky Le ra de.
"Koté! Wakjąkaga égi ’uwąkšaną," higaires’aže.
"Say, Trickster here he is going," they would say.

 

Source:

"Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 27-39.