Hočąk Syllabic Text — Trickster's Tail

translated by Oliver LaMère

English Translation

p. 349 —
de e
A Ko se d.
e tt.
ni tteAe tte tt.
te we s Ki.
Žee
hagoréžą,
éja
nįčejeja,
tewéraki,
Then
one day,
there
at the edge of the water,
unexpectedly,

Ae Ke K.
Ao we o tte de.
w d
teeKe
Ao ni
Hegega
howe'ųježe.
Wažą
t'ek
honi
[Buzzard]*
he was going about.
Something
dead & decaying
to look for
*the translation has "Hawk", but as the story makes clear later on, this is Buzzard, the same individual that had fooled Trickster before, and upon whom Trickster is anxious to avenge himself. This same word is elsewhere always translated as "buzzard", and is nowhere translated as "hawk".

w o tte de.
Ai soyi se diAi diAi Kitti
w doo s tte K.
w d
wa'ųježe.
"Hiroirešišikjį
waš'urajega,
wažą
he was.
"The homely fellow
that you are,*
something
*the translation has "that he is that you are" with "he is" lined out.

p. 350 —
Ai s dK s.
Ai deKe
ni Ki o Ktt
y se d s
e de.
hiraškara.
hišgé
nįgi’ųkja,
yarežara,"
éže.
you did to me.
Also
I would do something back to you,
I thought,"
he said.

e tt
ni Ai tteAe tte tt.
ni wy dA dA Ki leAy tt.
Éja
nihičejeja
niwaišašagipehaija
There
on the edge of the water
where the waves come up to

miKi deAe.
ttA xeAe teyi.
tee
w owK deAe.
Ke ni
mįkše.
Čaxeteį
t'e
wa'ųwąkše.
keni
he laid.
As a buck deer
dead
he was.
But not

p. 351 —
teeKe Ktti ni de.
w A s
deKe.
Ai tt
o n Ki ni de.
t'ekjįnįže.
Wahara
ške
hija
'ųnąkįnįže,
he was not decayed.
The crows
[also]
there
already they were,

no ni Ke
A so Kere n Kede.
A Ke
ni Ke
Ao so s.
nunige
harugesnąkeže.
Hąké
nįge
horora
but
he only longed for it.
Not
anywhere
the flesh

sotto
so xoAo soKo ni nK deAe.
xoAo s.
ruč
ruxorukonįnąkše.
xúra
to eat*
[they could not open it up.]†
The hide
*before the word "eat", the word "get" has been crossed out.
†the translation reads, "could they eat and of the flesh".

dtt Ke.
Ke ni
tee Kini Ke.
e tt.
Ae Ke K.
šjąge,
keni
t'ekįnįge.
Éja
Hegega
it was tough,
not
it had not yet decayed.
There
[Buzzard]

p. 352 —
Ao we
ow Ki di
Ki wy se de.
w A nK Kese.
howe
'ųwagiži,
giwaíreže,
wahanąkere.
going about
(as) he was,
they shouted at him,
these crows.

Ki w wi se
ay se Ke.
e dA n
m Ai
lA Ai
"Giwawire,"
aírege,
"éšaną
mąhi
pahí
"Call him,"
because they said,
"he alone
knife
sharp

A ni doAo no n.
ay se Ke.
wy se de.
A Ko sey d
hanišųnųną,"
aírege.
Waireže.
Hagorežą,
he usually has,"
they said.
They called him.
Finally,

p. 353 —
tti de.
A Ke
w di
so K n
Ai ni de.
jiže.
Hąké
wažį
rokana
hinįže.
He came.
[Not]
[anything]
[much]
[he did not do.]*
*translated as, "very active he was".

Ai Ko
de Ko
Aoyi ri ritti deAe.
o tt o
w o de.
Higų
žegų
hoisįsįjše.
'Ûja'ų,
wa'ųže.
[Still]
[then]
he went all around looking at it.
Finally,
[he did it.]

diAi tte tt
Ai de.
o di s.
Ai Ki deAe se de.
Šįjeja
hiže.
Užira
higišereže.
To the hind end
he got around to it.
Rectum
he worked at it.

w Ktt K K.
Ki riKi se Ki di.
ttAo we no
wK n ra de.
Wakjąkaga
gisgįregiži,
čoweno
wakanas'aže.
Trickster
when they hurt him by pecking,
nearly
he would jump.

p. 354 —
o tt o
lA s.
Ai se Ai de.
e tt
ni Ke s
'Ûja'ų,
para
hirehiže.
Éja
nįgera
Finally,
his head
he got it in.
[There]
piece

Ko li Kette Ke
w o de.
lA s
Ai se Ai Ki di.
e tt.
gupikjege
wa'ųže.
Para
hirehigiži,
éja
he might bite off*
[he did].
His head
when he got it in,
there
*the translation adds, "from the inside".

o di A s.
liiri Ai de.
n di de.
A A a.
Ae Ke s.
užihara
p'įshiže.
nąžįže.
"Hąhą-ą
Hegera,
his rectum
he closed tight on him.
He got up.
"Ah yes
[Buzzard,]*
*translated as, "you hawk".

p. 355 —
w d
Ai sy dK s.
Ai deKe
A Ko se d.
w d
wažą
hiraišakara.
hišgé
hagoréžą
wažą
[something]
you harmed me.
Also
some day
something

Ki o
liAi s ni doKo ni de
y se d s.
a n K.
ki'ų
pįraniškuniže.
yarežara,"
anąga.
to do
[I might do well]
I thought,"
he said.

de Ko
to w se de.*
Ai tt.
Ki diAili
n i ni Ae de.
Žegų
towareže.
Hija
gišip
na'įniheže,
[Then]
on he went.
There
to get free
he tried,
*the /t/ is written over what appears to be an erased /A/.

356 —
no ni Ke.
tt Ko Kette.
Ki diAi ls
so daK deAe.
nunige
jagukje.
Gišipra
ruš'akše.
but
it was of no avail.
To get free,
he could not (do it).

ttAe Ke tt.
a Ao s.*
xoKo ni Ae Ki di.
de tt K.
čegéja
ahura
xuknihegiži,
žejąga
At the start
his wings
they were flapping, but
now
*the /a/ is written over an erased /A/.

A Ky s dA n.
a Ao s.
Ki w tti Ke se ra de.
ow Koo.
hagairašąną
ahura
giwajikeres'aže.
'Ųwąk'ų,
only once in awhile
his wings
they would flap.
As thus he did,

p. 357 —
te we s Ki.
e tt.
Ao tti d
A Ki tti de.
we de.
tewéraki,
éja
hųjižą
hagijiže.
Wéže,
unexpectedly,
there
a bear
he came upon.
It said,

Ao Ao.
Ko no
A K w d
riAi tts
Ai s ni Ki s Ki d
"Hohó
Kunu,
hagáwažą
sįčra
hiranikiragižą,"
"Oh my!
Cunu,*
how
the tail
it becomes you,"
*actually written "cu nu" in parallel with the syllabic spelling. The name Kunu is given to the first born male.

e de.
A Ke
deKe
xA lini de.
Ai Ko
éže.
Hąké
ške
xapinįže.
Higų
he said.
Not
[also]
he did not say anything.*
Still
*the translation adds, "to the remark".

owK deAe.
di Ki Ko
e de.
Ko no
A K w d
'ųwąkše.
Žigigų
éže,
"Kunu,
hagáwažą
he kept on.
Again
he said,
"Cunu,
how

p. 358 —
rAi tts
Ai s ni Ki s Ki d.
e ny xitti
dey rKe
dey di
sįčra
hiranikiragižą.
Enaįxjį
žeisge,
žeiži,"
the tail
it becomes you.
[I were ?]*
that way,
I wish,"
*this whole quotation is rendered as, "If I only were that way".

e de.
Ai tto l A s
we de.
Ko no
A K w d
éže.
Hijobą́hąrá
wéže,
"Kunu,
hagáwažą
he said.
The [fourth] time
he said,
"Cunu,
how

riAi tts
Ai s ni Ki s Ki d.
e ny xitti
w do o
liAi Ki di.
sįčra
hiranikiragižą.
Enaįxjį
waš'ų
pigiži
the tail
it becomes you.
[I were ?]
[to do this]
if it were possible,*
*more literally, it would be, "if it were good".

p. 359 —
dey rKe
dey di
e de.
Ko s.
Ai Ko
žeisge,
žeiži,"
éže.
"Korá,
higų
that way,
I wish,"
he said.
"Say!
[still]

de ni rKe doAo no n.
Ao
Ai tt
tt Ko
wo ttAe xiAi de.
ženisgešųnųną.
Ho,
hija
jagu
wočexiže.
you are always thus.
[Ho,]
[there]
what
difficulty it is.*
*this sentence is translated as, "What difficulty is there in having one".

Ai dtt Ke
de rKe
Ki liAi s ni n.
te e
deKe.
Hišjąge,
žesge
gipiraniną.
Tee
ške,
[Well then,]
[that kind]
[I liked it.]*
[This]
[also,]
*this sentence is inexplicably translated as, "Why don't you make one for yourself?".

de rKe
w ttA s.
w Ki liAi s.
de rKe
Ai Ki Ki se n.
žesge
wačara,
wagipira.
Žesge
hįgigireną.
that way
I saw some,
I liked it.
[This kind]
they made for me.

p. 360 —
so Ko s.
o liAi n.
e de.
Ao tt
Ko no
Rogųra,
'ųpiną,"
éže.
"Hojá
Kunu,
If one wished it,
he can do it,"
he said.
"All right
Cunu,

de rKi deAe Ki di.
Ai s Ki doo n
y se Ke
žesgišegiži,
hįragiš'ųną,
yarége
if you say thus,
you might make me one,
I thought

w Ae n
e de.
A Ao.
e Ki.
ni Ki o Kette n.
wahéną,"
éže.
"Hąhó,
égi
nįgi'ųkjeną,"
it is why I said it,"
he said.
"All right,
then,
I will do it for you,"

p. 361 —
e de.
Ao so xo ttese.
Ai d
A K
ni Ki liAi Ki di.
éže.
"Horuǧujere.
Hižą
haka
nįgipigiži,
he said.
"Look at it.
One
whenever
if he likes it,*
*the translation has, "likes it for you".

te de rKe s Kette n.
Ai Ke de.
A ni Ko de.
A Ao.
težesgerakjeną,"
higeže.
Hanikuže.
"Hąhó,
thus you can do it,"
he said to him.
He brought it forth.
"Now then!

riAi tts
di Ki d
so Ko Ai se n.
Ai d
A Ko s se
sįčra
žigižą
rogųhireną.
Hižą
hagorare,"
tail
another one
it is wished for.*
One
go after,"
*the word "is" is written above "they" which has been crossed out. This exemplifies the indefinite third person plural which acts like the passive voice.

p. 362 —
Ai K n K.
Ki so dtt se Ai de.
lA n s.
n roAo s.*
higanąga
girušją́ rehíže.
Panara.
nąsúra
he said to it and
he turned it loose.
It stunk.
The head
*the /r/ is written over an erasure.

A ntt
de lese de.
Ae Ke K.*
to w Ke se de.
e Ki
haną́č
žepereže.
Hegega
towagereže.
Égi
all
it came off.
[Buzzard]
he went on home.
Then
*an /e/ at the end of this word has been erased.

Ao tte K
w Ke de.
Ai Kow n
Ai tt
ni Ki o A tte Kette n.
hųjega
wageže,
"Higųwąną
hija
nįgi'ųhajekjeną,
the bear
he said,
"Even now
[there]
let me fix it for you,*
*before the word "let", the words "I can" have been crossed out. The translation reads, "let me be fixing it for you".

p. 363 —
e
Ai Kow n Ki si Ki di.
Ai tt
ni Ki Ke se Kette n
e
higųwąnąkirigiži,
hija
nįgikerekjeną,"
he
when he comes back,
[there]
I can place it in for you,"

Ai Ke de.
m Ai s.
Ko so r n K.
o di s.
higeže.
Mahira
kurusanąga
užira
he said to him.
His knife
he took and
its rectum

m doAo sotto deAe.
diAi ls.
so xoKo Ki
tee de.
mąšoručše.
Šipra
ruxoki,
t'eže.
he cut it out.
Intestines
[when] he pulled out of him,
he died.

e tt
leAe tto tow n K.
A t dA s Ai de.
A A.
Éja
pejotųwanąga
hatašarahįže.
"Hąhą́,
There
he built a fire and
singed it.
"Now then,

p. 364 —
A K m ni Ae s.
w sotto
tt Ko
Ay liAi s
de rKe.
hakamanihera.
warúč
jagu
haipira,
žesge
it's been so long.
The food
which
I like best,
[that kind]

A Ki Koo xitti Kette
e de.
hakik'ųxjįkje,"
éže.
I will get my fill of,"
he said.
Source:

Oliver LaMère (trs.), "Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 349-364.