Monday, March 3, 2014

Washington Matthews, from The Mountain Chant: A Navajo Ceremony

198. FIRST SONG OF THE FIRST DANCERS.
Qaniè qaò yaè, qaniè qaò yaè
Qaniè iè oayè oayè.
1. Qadjinäìa qaò yaè,
2. Kaç dsil ¢ilhyíli qaò yaè,
3. ‘Çaltsoï tsèë qaò yaè,
4. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.
Náhi ìni èhi oayè, náhi ini èhi oöhè.
  9. Qadjinäìa qaò yaè,
10. Kaç dsil litsòï qaò yaè,
11. Bitselitsòï qaò yaè,
12. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.
Náhi ìni, etc.
5. Niqoyastcàdje qaò yaè,
6. Kaç dsil çolíji qaò yaè,
7. Kini bitsèë qaò yaè,
8. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.
Náhi ìni, etc.
13. Niqoyastcàdje qaò yaè,
14. Kaç dsil lakàie qaò yaè,
15. A‘a‘i tsèe qaò yaè,
16. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.
Náhi ìni, etc.
199. Translation.—1, 9. Qadjinàï, “Place-where-they-came-up,” a locality in the San Juan Mountains where, according to their mythology, the Navajo emerged from the lower world to this. 5, 13. Niqoyastcàdje, another name for Qadjinàï. 2, 6, 10, 14. Kaç, now; dsil, mountain; ¢ilhyíli, black; çolíji, blue; litsòï, yellow; lakàie, white. These verses refer to four mountains surrounding Qadjinàï, which are designated by colors only to indicate their topographical positions. 3, 7, 11, 15. ‘Çaltsoï = aça litsòï, “yellow wing,” a large bird of prey; kini, hen hawk; bitselitsòï, “yellow tail,” a bird of undetermined species; a‘a‘i, magpie; tse, a tail; bitse, its tail. 4, 8, 12, 16. Cija, my treasure; cigèl, my desideratum, my ultimatum, the only thing I  will accept. When supposed to be said by a god, as in this song, it means the particular sacrifice which is appropriate to him. In this case probably the feathers spoken of are “cigèl” and the mountains “cija.” The refrain “qaò yaè” is a poetic modification of qaa‘, it looms up, or sticks up, said of some lofty object visible in the distance, whose base cannot be seen.
200. Free translation.
Place-whence-they-came-up looms up,
Now the black mountain looms up,
The tail of the “yellow wing” looms up,
My treasure, my sacrifice, loom up.
Land-where-they-moved-out looms up,
Now the blue mountain looms up,
The tail of the hen-hawk looms up,
My treasure, my sacrifice, loom up.
Place-whence-they-came-up looms up,
Now the yellow mountain looms up,
The tail that is yellow looms up,
My treasure, my sacrifice, loom up.
Land-where-they-moved-out looms up,
Now the white mountain looms up,
The tail of the magpie looms up,
My treasure, my sacrifice, loom up.
201. FIRST SONG OF THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP.
1. Yìki ¢asizìni,
2. Kaç Tsilkè-¢igìni,
3. Kaç kátso-yisçàni,
4. Tsí¢a baälìli,
5. Bíja-ye¢igíngo.
  6. Kaç Tcikè ¢igìni,
  7. Kátsoye yisçàni,
  8. Yìki ¢asizìni,
  9. Tsí¢a baälìli,
10. Bíja-ye¢igíngo.
202. Translation.—1, 8. Yìki, upon it; ¢asizin, he stands on high. 2, 6. Kaç, now; tsilkè, young man; tcikè, young woman; ¢igìni, holy. 3. Kátso-yisçàn, the great plumed arrow; kátsoye yisçàn, with the great plumed arrow. 4, 9. Tsí¢a, truly, verily; baälìli, an alili, a show, a rite, or implement used in a dance for him. 5, 10. Bíja, his treasure, his special property, his peculiar belonging; ye, with, a prefix forming nouns which denote the means; ¢igíngo, positively holy or supernatural. Bíja-ye¢igíngo might be translated “charm” or “talisman.”
203. Free translation.
He stands high upon it;
Now the Holy Young Man [Young Woman, in second stanza],
With the great plumed arrow,
Verily his own sacred implement,
His treasure, by virtue of which he is truly holy.
204. A reference to the myth, and the description of the ceremonies will probably be sufficient to give the reader an understanding of this song. This set of songs, it is said, was first sung by the black sheep which stood on the rock as a sign to the Navajo fugitive; hence the name. (See paragraphs 35, 47, 4854.)
205. SIXTH SONG OF THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP.
Binaçoöláe [four times] oäyèhe oöhè.
1. Kaç Tsilkè-¢igìni,
2. Ca‘bitlòli yèë,
3. Tsí¢a bialìli,
4. Bíja ye¢igíngo,
5. Binaçoöláe oäyèhe oöhè.
  6. Kaç Tcikè-¢igìni,
  7. Natsilíçi yèë,
  8. Tsí¢a bialìli,
  9. Bíja ye¢igíngo,
10. Binaçoöláe oäyèhe oöhè.
206. Translation.—1, 6. Kaç, now; tsilkè, young man; tcikè, young woman; ¢igìni holy one, god or goddess. 2. Ca‘bitlòl, sunbeam, sunbeams; ye, with. 3, 8. Tsi¢a, verily; bialìli (paragraph 3), his dance or sacred implement. 4, 9. Bíja, his special property, his treasure; ye¢igíngo, that by means of which he is ¢igín, i.e., holy or supernatural. 5, 10. Binaçòla, it is encircled. 7. Natsiliç, the rainbow.
207. Free translation.
Now the Holy Young Man,
With the sunbeam,
Verily his own sacred implement,
His treasure which makes him holy,
Is encircled.
Now the Holy Young Woman,
With the rainbow,
Verily her own sacred implement,
Her treasure which makes her holy,
Is encircled.
208. Which is to say that the great plumed arrows which they bear are adorned with sunbeams and rainbows. They “shine in glory.” (See references in paragraph 204)
209. TWELFTH SONG OF THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP.
1. Nayunáni tcènia,
2. Kaç biçèïltsos tcènia,
3. Biqolçègo, tcènia.
4. Nayunáni tcènia,
5. Kaç biçènackòji tcènia,
6. Biqolçègo, tcènia.
210. Translation.—1, 4. Nayunáni, again on the other side, i.e., across two valleys. 2. Biçè, his horns; iltsos, slender; biçèïltsos, slender horns, i.e., the deer, by metonomy. 3, 6. Biqolçègo, it is becoming to him. 5. Biçè, his horns; nackòj, turgid, filled out, stuffed; biçènackòji, turgid horns—metonymically, the mountain sheep, Ovis montana. The refrain, tcènia, he appears, he comes in sight.
211. Free translation.
Far beyond he appears;
Now “Slender Horn” appears.
His antlers are becoming. He appears.
Far beyond he appears;
Now “Turgid Horn” appears.
His horns are becoming. He appears.
212. This song, it is said, refers to the time when the prophet saw the vision of the black sheep on the rock. (Paragraph 35.) The reason for introducing the deer into the song is not obvious.
* * * * *
236. ONE OF THE AWL SONGS.
Òwe òwe òwe yàni yàï owàn na a [repeat three times],
Òwe òwe ìni áhe oöhè.
1. ‘Ke-cac-natlèhi natcagàhi,
2. Kaç dsil ¢ilhyíli bakàgi natcagàhi,
3. Kaç ni‘ inzàç inçì çoholnì¢a òna,
4. Kaç ni‘ inzàç inçì çoniò¢a òna.
5. Tcikè-¢igìni natcagàhi,
6. Dsil çolíji bakàgi natcagàhi,
7. Kaç ni‘ inzàç inçì, çoholnì¢a òna,
8. Kaç ni‘ inzàç inçì, çoniò¢a òna.
237. Translation.—1. Ke, an abbreviation of tcikè; Tcikè-cac-natlèhi, maiden who becomes a bear; natcagà‘, she travels far, she walks or wanders far around. 2. Kaç, now; dsil ¢ilhyíl, black mountain; bakàgi, on top of. 3, 4, 7, 8. Ni‘, earth, land; inzàç, distant; inçì, it lies, it stretches; çoholnì¢a, seems not to be; çoniò¢a, not obscure or dim like a faint distance. 6. Dsil çolíji bakàgi, on top of the blue mountains.
238. Free translation.
The Maid Who Becomes a Bear walks far around
On the black mountains, she walks far around.
Far spreads the land. It seems not far [to her].
Far spreads the land. It seems not dim [to her].
The Holy Young Woman walks far around
On the blue mountains, she walks far around.
Far spreads the land. It seems not far [to her].
Far spreads the land. It seems not dim [to her].
239. FIRST SONG OF THE EXPLODING STICK.
Aïena.
Aïeyà āīa aïeya iè eè ieèe [three times] ië lan.
1. ‘Ke-cac-nátlèhi dsilyi‘ ¢i¢ílkon ië nan,
2. Dsilyi‘ ¢olkòlkon; dsil bekonnìçe ië nan,
Ië nan yahà hāīà ië nan aï.
3. Çabasçìni ço‘yi‘ ¢i¢ílkon ië nan,
4. Ço‘yi ¢olkòlkon; ço‘bekonnìçe ië nan,
Ië nan yahà hāīà ië nan aï.
240. Translation.—1, 3. ‘Ke-cac-natlèhi = Tcikè-cac-nátlehi, Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear; Çabasçin, the Otter; ¢i¢ílkon, he or she set on fire in many places. 2, 4. Dsil, mountains; dsilyi‘, in the mountains; ço‘, water, waters; ço‘yi‘, in the waters; ¢olkolkon, he set on fire as he went along; bekonnìçe, its fires in a line, its string of fires.
241. Free translation.
Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear set fire in the mountains
In many places; as she journeyed on
There was a line of burning mountains.
The Otter set fire in the waters
In many places; as he journeyed on
There was a line of burning waters.
242. It is related that in the ancient days, during a year of great drought, these holy ones, on their way to a council of the gods, set fire to the mountains and the waters. The smoke arose in great clouds, from which rain descended on the parched land. The song alludes to this legend.
243. LAST SONG OF THE EXPLODING STICK.
Hiè ieeè naāīà āīà i a ai an an [twice] ie.
1. Tcikè-cac-nátlehië ¢igìni qayikàlgo; bàniya āīè.
2. Dsil aga ¢azàgië ¢igìni qayikàlgo; bàniya āīè.
3. Tsí¢a ci cigèliye ¢igìni qayikàlgo; bàniya āīè.
4. Yàne ¢oölànegoö ¢isitsaàye.
Hiè ieeè naāīà, etc.
5. Kaç Tcikè-¢igìni ¢igìni qayikàlgo; bàniya āīè.
6. Kos aga ¢azàgië ¢igìni qayikàlgo; bàniya āīè.
7. Tsí¢a ci cigèliye ¢igìni qayikàlgo; bàniya āīè.
8. Yàne ¢oölànegoö ¢isitsaàye.
Hiè ieeè naāīà, etc.
244. Translation.—1, 5. Tcikè-cac-nátlehi, Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear; Tcikè- ¢igìni, Holy Young Woman, or young woman goddess; ¢igìni qayikàl, she journeyed seeking the gods; bàniya, she found them, she met them. 2, 6. Dsil, mountains; kos, clouds; aga, peak, summit; ¢azà‘, many pointing upwards; (dsil aga ¢azàgi, on many mountain peaks). 3, 7. Tsí¢a, truly or true; cigèl, my desideratum, my special sacrifice. 4, 8. ¢oölàne = ¢oölà¢a, some one does not believe it; ¢isitsà, I have heard; yàne and other vocables are meaningless.
245. Free translation.
Maid Who Becomes a Bear sought the gods and found them;
On the high mountain peaks she sought the gods and found them;
Truly with my sacrifice she sought the gods and found them.
Somebody doubts it, so I have heard.
Holy Young Woman sought the gods and found them;
On the summits of the clouds she sought the gods and found them;
Truly with my sacrifice she sought the gods and found them.
Somebody doubts it, so I have heard.
246. These songs are accompanied, in beating the drum, with a peculiar sharp strike like a sudden outburst or explosion. Hence, they say, the name, Tsin¢ilçòï Bigin.
* * * * *
254. SONG OF THE PROPHET TO THE SAN JUAN RIVER.
Aïena.
1. Nagāī çonilínië, nagāī çonilínië,
2. Biçhyísgo cinì‘ ¢eyà‘
Haïniyèa, haïniyèa, āīèe niò haïne-yàhe, oöhè.
3. Nagāī çointyèlië, nagāī çonilínië,
4. Biçhyísgo cinì‘ ¢eyà‘ Haïniyèa, etc.

5. Nagāī san biçòië, nagāī çonilínië,
6. Biçhyísgo cinì‘ ¢eyà‘
Haïniyèa, etc.
255. Translation.—1. Nagāī that; çonilíni, flowing water, a river. 2, 4, 6. Biçhyísgo, across it; cinì‘, my mind; ¢eyà‘, it goes, or, it comes, it wanders to or from. 3. Çointyèli, broad water. 5. San biço, water of old age.
256. For origin and free translation of this song, see paragraph 22.
[Free Translation by Edgar Garcia]
Aïena.
Now I see the Nile flow,
Now I see the Nile,
Bearing in its broad water my thoughts.
How it wanders, how it wanders.

Now I see the water is old with age; now I see it is the Nile,
Bearing in its broad water my thoughts.
How it wanders, how it wanders.

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