Hocąk Syllabic Text — Trickster's Tail
Told by an elder of the tribe in 1912
Transcribed by Sam Blowsnake
Translation based on the interlinear of Oliver LaMère
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Oliver LaMère, Translator | Winnebago V, #7: 349 |
For a description of this manuscript, its source, style, transcription, and interlinear translation, see the syllabic text to Trickster's Warpath.
de e | A Ko Le d. | e tt. | ni tteAe tte tt. | te we L Ki. |
Žee | hagoréžą, | éja | nįcejeja, | 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 Loyi Le diAi diAi Kitti | w doo L tte K. | w d |
wa’ųježe. | "Hiroirešišikjį | waš’urajega, | wažą |
he was. | "The homely fellow | that you are,* | something |
p. 350 —
Ai L dK L. | Ai deKe | ni Ki o Ktt | y Le d L | 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 | nihicejeja | 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. | Caxeteį | t’e | wa’ųwąkše. | keni |
he laid. | As a buck deer | dead | he was. | But not |
p. 351 —
teeKe Ktti ni de. | w A L | 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 Lo Kere n Kede. | A Ke | ni Ke | Ao Lo L. |
nųnįgé | harugesnąkeže. | Hąké | nįgé | horora |
but | he only longed for it. | Not | anywhere | the flesh |
Lotto | Lo xoAo LoKo ni nK deAe. | xoAo L. |
ruc | ruxorukonįnąkše. | xúra |
to eat* | [they could not open it up.]† | The hide |
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 Le de. | w A nK KeLe. |
howe | ’ųwagiži, | giwaíreže, | wahanąkere. |
going about | (as) he was, | they shouted at him, | these crows. |
Ki w wi Le | ay Le 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 Le Ke. | wy Le de. | A Ko Ley d |
hanišųnųną," | aírege. | Waireže. | Hagorežą, |
he usually has," | they said. | They called him. | Finally, |
p. 353 —
tti de. | A Ke | w di | Lo K n | Ai ni de. |
jiže. | Hąké | wažį | rokana | hinįže. |
He came. | [Not] | [anything] | [much] | [he did not do.]* |
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 L. | Ai Ki deAe Le 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 Le Ki di. | ttAo we no | wK n ra de. |
Wakjąkaga | gisgįregiži, | coweno | wakanas’aže. |
Trickster | when they hurt him by pecking, | nearly | he would jump. |
p. 354 —
o tt o | lA L. | Ai Le Ai de. | e tt | ni Ke L |
’Ûja’ų, | pára | hirehiže. | Éja | nįgera |
Finally, | his head | he got it in. | [There] | piece |
Ko li Kette Ke | w o de. | lA L | Ai Le Ai Ki di. | e tt. |
gupikjege | wa’ųže. | Pára | hirehigiži, | éja |
he might bite off* | [he did]. | His head | when he got it in, | there |
o di A L. | liiri Ai de. | n di de. | A A a. | Ae Ke L. |
užihara | p’įshiže. | nąžįže. | "Hąhą-ą | Hegera, |
his rectum | he closed tight on him. | He got up. | "Ah yes | [Buzzard,]* |
p. 355 —
w d | Ai Ly dK L. | Ai deKe | A Ko Le d. | w d |
wažą | hiraišakara. | hišgé | hagoréžą | wažą |
[something] | you harmed me. | Also | some day | something |
Ki o | liAi L ni doKo ni de | y Le d L. | a n K. |
ki’ų | pįraniškuniže. | yarežara," | anąga. |
to do | [I might do well] | I thought," | he said. |
de Ko | to w Le de.* | Ai tt. | Ki diAili | n i ni Ae de. |
Žegų | towareže. | Hija | gišip | ną’įniheže, |
[Then] | on he went. | There | to get free | he tried, |
p. 356 —
no ni Ke. | tt Ko Kette. | Ki diAi lL | Lo daK deAe. |
nųnįgé | jagukje. | Gišipra | ruš’akše. |
but | it was of no avail. | To get free, | he could not (do it). |
ttAe Ke tt. | a Ao L.* | xoKo ni Ae Ki di. | de tt K. |
cegéja | ahura | xuknihegiži, | žejąga |
At the start | his wings | they were flapping, but | now |
A Ky L dA n. | a Ao L. | Ki w tti Ke Le 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 L 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 ttL | Ai L ni Ki L Ki d |
"Hohó | Kunu, | hagáwažą | sįcra | 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 |
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 ttL | Ai L ni Ki L Ki d. | e ny xitti | dey rKe | dey di |
sįcra | hiranikiragižą. | Enaįxjį | žeisge, | žeiži," |
the tail | it becomes you. | [I were ?]* | that way, | I wish," |
e de. | Ai tto l A L | we de. | Ko no | A K w d |
éže. | Hijobą́hąrá | wéže, | "Kunu, | hagáwažą |
he said. | The [fourth] time | he said, | "Cunu, | how |
riAi ttL | Ai L ni Ki L Ki d. | e ny xitti | w do o | liAi Ki di. |
sįcra | hiranikiragižą. | Enaįxjį | waš’ų | pigiži |
the tail | it becomes you. | [I were ?] | [to do this] | if it were possible,* |
p. 359 —
dey rKe | dey di | e de. | Ko L. | 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 | jagú | wocexiže. |
you are always thus. | [Ho,] | [there] | what | difficulty it is.* |
Ai dtt Ke | de rKe | Ki liAi L 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 L. | w Ki liAi L. | de rKe | Ai Ki Ki Le n. |
žesge | wacara, | wagipira. | Žesge | hįgigireną. |
that way | I saw some, | I liked it. | [This kind] | they made for me. |
p. 360 —
Lo Ko L. | 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 L Ki doo n | y Le 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 Lo xo tteLe. | Ai d | A K | ni Ki liAi Ki di. |
éže. | "Horuǧujere. | Hižą | haga | nįgipigiži, |
he said. | "Look at it. | One | whenever | if he likes it,* |
te de rKe L 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 ttL | di Ki d | Lo Ko Ai Le n. | Ai d | A Ko L Le |
sįcra | 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 Lo dtt Le Ai de. | lA n L. | n roAo L.* |
higanąga | girušją́ rehíže. | Panara. | nąsúra |
he said to it and | he turned it loose. | It stunk. | The head |
A ntt | de leLe de. | Ae Ke K.* | to w Ke Le de. | e Ki |
haną́c | žepereže. | Hegega | towagereže. | Égi |
all | it came off. | [Buzzard] | he went on home. | Then |
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 Li Ki di. | Ai tt | ni Ki Ke Le Kette n |
e | higųwąnąkirigiži, | hija | nįgikerekjeną," |
he | when he comes back, | [there] | I can place it in for you," |
Ai Ke de. | m Ai L. | Ko Lo r n K. | o di L. |
higeže. | Mahira | kurusanąga | užira |
he said to him. | His knife | he took and | its rectum |
m doAo Lotto deAe. | diAi lL. | Lo xoKo Ki | tee de. |
mąšorucše. | 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 L 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 L. | w Lotto | tt Ko | Ay liAi L | de rKe. |
hakamanihera. | warúc | jagú | 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. |
Oliver LaMère (trs.), "Wakjukaga," in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, ca. 1912) Winnebago V, #7: 349-364.