Hocąk Text — The Bow and Arrow

Collected by Amelia Susman

English Translation

Original Text — | 39 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 47 | 49 |

Stylistic Features

  hapaxlegomena: hokikjắ, "enemies".

Book 1:39*      
hoč‘ύ̨k|αną́k|arε uaksίko’į eaní|re|ra č‘ek‘ (h)o|huéča mą:nάgαrε égi
Hocų̆́kăną́karĕ uaksíko’į eanírera c’ek hohuéca mą̄nắrĕ égi
These Winnebagoes life their own first at the beginning this earth here

* at the top of the page is written: May 30   The Life of the Winnebagoes

 

jijé|re|gi ᵪ hąk‘έ waíni ų́į|ra|nì|žε aíre|ną ᵪ ną|rók‘a*
jijéregi . Hąkĕ́ waíni ų́įranìžĕ aíreną . Nąróka
more than one stood there . Not clothes they do not wear they said. . Naked

* an /r/ is written above an original w.

 

waų́nąk|šα aíreną ᵪ mą:rá mač‘kúra* wa|k‘ár|a|nįną́k.šε, aíreną nąpέja ᵪ
waų́nąkšă aíreną . Mą̄rá mackúra wakáranįną́kšĕ, aíreną, nąpĕ́ja .
they are, they say . The arrow bow they had their own, they say, there in hand .

* the original mąškúra has č‘kú written above the letters škú.

41*              
mąč‘gú† (h)ani|ną́k‘a wažį́ (hi)rok‘ų|íre|kjo|néra‡ hip‘έrεz|iré|ną ᵪ warúč|irὲ|kjαné|ną ᵪ
Mąčgú haniną́ka wažį́ hirokųírekjonéra hipĕ́rĕziréną . Warúcirĕ̀kjănéną .
Bow they had it something they were going to use they knew . They will eat .

* at the upper left corner of this page is written at as 45° angle, "shift from —aireną —".
† č‘gú is written above an original škura.
‡ the final syllable has an /r/ written above /n/.

 

mąrá mač‘kúra* hižα wa|k‘ùrus|ą̂́ną̂ ᵪ égi hąk‘έ harí|owara|ní|ną ᵪ έja†
Mąrá mackúra hižă wakùrusą̂́ną̂ . Égi hąkĕ́ haríowaraníną . Ĕ́ja
The arrow the bow somebody he took them . Then not they don't go very far . There

* the original mąškúra has č‘kú written above the letters škú.
† /ε/ is written above an original /e/.

 

č’ážᾳ t’ehíną ᵪ mą:ra mąčkúra hi|ų|ánαga ᵪ έskε hotcų́gαra
č’ážą̆ t’ehíną . Mą̄ra mąckúra hiųánăga , ĕ́skĕ Hocų́găra
one deer they killed . The arrow the bow he used, and , so the Winnebago

 

43              
mą:rá mąčkúra wak‘ą:|čą̂́k‘ wa|k‘àra|g|íre|ną* ᵪ uąksík wi’į:réną ᵪ
mą̄rá mąckúra waką̄cą̂́k wakaragíreną . Uąksík wi’į̄réną .
the arrow bow holy [they made for themselves] . Life they gave us .

* an original /k/ has a /g/ written above it.

 

égi žig(έ h)águréžą(ha)gi hok‘ik‘jά hok‘izá|č‘ukì ᵪ éja žιgέ
Égi žigáguréžągi,* hokikjắ hokizácukì . Éja žĭgĕ́
Then again in the beginning, enemies they had to fight . There again

* < žigắ háguréžą hagi.

 

wi|ną:žį|́reną* uaksíkwi’į́reną ᵪ mą́:ra mačkúra ᵪ égi mą́čku
winą̄žį́reną. Uaksíkwi’į́reną , mą̄́ra mackúra . Égi mą́cku
[they helped them very much].† They keep life , arrow bow . Then bow

* the syllable wi has wa hi written below it.
† the translation has, "we depend on them."

 

ų́įrekjanégi ᵪ (.) ną:rą́* hiži ų́įrekjαnégi ᵪ ną́čεga† hač‘į́ča|čègi
ų́įrekjanégi , ną̄rą́ hižių́įrekjănégi , nájĕga hacį́cacègi
if they will make , the trees if they were going to use one , the tree where they are

* rą́ is written above an original gi.
† this word has a /j/ which may have been intended to have been overwritten by a /č/.

        45        
έja (ha)hiránαga ᵪ? kik’árač|ira|ną́ną* mą’ų́ra ᵪ ną:čą́re jagú ḫirok’ų́įrekčαnèra
ĕ́jahiránăga , kikáraciraną́ną Mą’ų́ra . Ną̄cą́re jagú hirok’ų́įrekcănèra
there they got it, [and]   they must pray to Earthmaker . The trees which they were going to use

* written above "č|" is "(čh)".

hòmą:ščą́ra kitairanąną ᵪ égi rúziraṇą́ną ᵪ (tε‘έ* mą:ṇį|́rẹgi† (hε)reną́ną ᵪ
hòmą̄šcą́ra kitairanąną . Égi rúziraṇą́ną . Tĕ’ĕ́ mą̄ṇį́regi hĕreną́ną .
the power they asked for . Then they took it . This in the winter it had to happen .

* a parenthesis is begun here but never closed, although there is a closed parenthesis at the very end two pages on.
† this is followed above the line by "(aire)".

 

č‘aí|k‘i|ruȟewi eje(hε)reną́ną* έji(hi)p‘ánᾳga égi žigὲ wak‘é|k‘irúȟε|wiéja ᵪ
Caíkiruxewi ejereną́ną, ĕ́jip’áną̆ga égi žigĕ́ Wakékirúxĕwiéja ,
The Deer Breeding Moon there it was, from there and then again Coon Breeding Month ,

* an original eja has an /e/ written above the letter /a/.

 

že* čaíȟči(hi)p‘ak‘íra ną:rá mačku’ų́ p‘ínąkšαnα ᵪ e:gi wínųpą̀hą
že caíxcip‘akíra ną̄rá macku’ų́ p‘ínąkšănă . Ēgi wínųpą̀hą
that only that long the wood to make a bow it is good . Then for two months

* prior to this word, at a 45° angle, is written "Direct Instruction".

              47    
rat’ų́panᾳga ᵪ nigέ:šgε* tánihą čopą́hą ᵪ tawύsčiánαga ųgí έ|p‘į̀ȟčįną́ ᵪ
rat’ų́paną̆ga , nigĕ́šgĕ tánihą copą́hą . Tawŭ́sčiánăga ųgí ĕ́p’į̀xcįną́ .
put it away, and , or three four . Very dry, and if done it is a really good one .

* with respect to the first letter /e/, it may have been overwritten with an epsilon (ε), as the colon (:) would indicate a long vowel, whereas Greek letters indicate a short vowels.

 

égi mą:čkúra ràk‘i|k’ų́|kčané|giži ᵪ hinų́k k‘aną:k‘ą nįkέkiži* nįk‘čą́kαnįk
Égi mą̄ckúra ràkik’ų́kcanégiži . Hinų́k kaną̄ką nįkĕ́kiži nįkcą́kănįk
Then the bow you are going to make for yourself . Woman married if you are, child

* following nį, nanąga has kεkiži written above it.

 

č‘ų́(w)įžą|ṇį̀|re|gi ᵪ e:gí mąčkúra ràk‘ik‘’ų́gi hàzo:híȟčį ’ųánαga* p‘į́:ȟčį
c‘ų́įžąṇį̀regi , ēgi mąckúra ràkik’ų́gi, hàzōhíxcį ’ųánăga p’į̄́xcį
if you are the one who has , then the bow if you make yourself, deliberately to make, and very good

* ’ų is written above an original hi(w).

 

k‘ara|kíačε ᵪ hikíčkačká|nαga časkέȟčį’(hi)ų|raip‘įną|ki ε:skέȟčį*
karakíacĕ . Hikíckackánăga jaskĕ́xcį’ųraipįnąki ĕskĕ́xcį
make your own . You try this out, and how very much you like using it, then just so

* the original has /h/ in place of /ȟ/. Again, with respect to the first letter /e/, it may have been overwritten with an epsilon (ε), as the colon (:) would indicate a long vowel, whereas Greek letters indicate a short vowels.

 

k‘ara|ki|áje ᵪ e:gí ε(hi)š’ųánαga nįkčák‘(α) na|rá|k‘aràkčanè|ną ᵪ έ:skε
karakiáje . Ēgí ĕš’ųánăga nįkcák narákaràkcanèną . Ĕ́skĕ
make it for yourself . Then you use that, and child you hunt game . So

 

49          
wažą́ tε p‘įȟčį wára|k‘ára|gi|kče žεské|ną)* ᵪ
wažą́ tĕ p’įxcį wárakáragikce žĕskéną .
something this very good you are going to make it for yourself. [Thus it is]† .

* for the possible starting parenthesis, see above.
† the translation has, "so use.)".

Source:

Amelia Susman Schulz, "Life of the Winnebago," Susman's Winnebago Notebooks (American Philosophical Society Library, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 30, 1938) Accession Number, X 5.2. Book I: 39-49.