Syllabary Texts 111: Black-Face on the War-Path

pimutat
pimutat
(1)âw, kotak kisêyiniw ômisi kî-isiyîhkâsôw: kaskitêhkwêwiyiniw kî-isiyîhkâsôw, nimosôm. mâcika nitopayiwak. mâskôc mitâtahto-mitanaw ihtasiwak ê-nitopayicik. tâpwê kaskihtâwak. nîsitanaw kîsikâw nôcihtâwak itê k-âyâcik ayahciyiniwak.
(1)Another old man had this name: Black-Face he was called, my grandfather. I shall tell of once when they went on the war-path. Perhaps a hundred of them went on the war-path. They succeeded. They stayed twenty days where the Blackfoot were.
(2)ômisi itwêw nimosôm: «âw, oskinîkîtik, âsay kitakosininânaw ayahciyinîw-âskîhk.1 kîkisêpâ nêo ta-sipwêpahtâwak ta-nitawâhtâcik.2 êwakonik piko ta-sipwêhtêwak. kotakak pêyakwanohk kit-âpiwak. kêkâc âpihtâ-kîsikâki, êkota ka-wâpamâwâwak ôki oskinîkiwak kâ-kî-nitawâhtâcik, ta-pê-nâ-nawakipahtâcik, ta-pêtwêwîtahkik.3 êkosi ôta ka-wîhkwêkâpawinâwâw. niya niya nika-nikamon. ômisi nik-êtwân: `âw, oskinîkîtik, ayâkwâmisik!' kakwâhyakêyatiwak ayahciyiniwak. wâpahki wî-misâw nôtinitôwin. ayâkwâmisik. êkâ wiya kakwê-mawimohkêk. kakwê-naskwâhkêk. mistahi ka-wî-nôtinikânâwâw. wî-sâkôcihikawiyahko, wâtihkêhkêk. êkosi kika-pimâtisinâwâw.4 mêyâkwâm!»
(2)My grandfather said: «Now, young men, now we have arrived in the country of the Blackfoot. In the morning four men are to run off and reconnoitre. Only they are to go from here. The rest are to stay right here. Just before noon you will see these youths who will have been off scouting return, crouching as they run, and calling as they come. Then you will take position here in a circle. As for me, I shall sing. I shall say, «Now, young men, be on your guard!» The Blackfoot are very many. Tomorrow the fight will be a great one. Be on your guard. Try not to complain. Try to fight vigorously. You will fight much. If they seem about to overcome us, dig a trench. In this way you will save your lives. Do not forget!»
(3)êkosi itwêw nimosôm. tâpwê wiyâpahk nîso oskinîkiwak ispahtâwak. ê-pimisihkik, wâpamêwak ê-pê-nâ-nawakipahtâyit. nêo wâpamêwak.
(3)Thus spoke my grandfather. Really, the next morning two young men ran there. From where they lay, they saw them come, stooping as they ran. They saw four of them.
(4)«êwakonik!» itwêwak.
(4)«Here they are!» they said.
(5)tâpiskôc mahîhkanak ê-pê-itwêyit pêhtawêwak. kîwêpahtâwak. takopahtâwak.
(5)They heard them calling like wolves as they came. They were running back. They arrived on the run.
(6)«âw, niwâpamânânak nêo mahîhkanak,» itwêwak.
(6)«Ho, we see four wolves,» they said.
(7)«êwakonik!» itwêw nimosôm; «wîhkwêkâpawik!»
(7)«It is they!» said my grandfather; «Take your positions in a circle!»
(8)tâpwê wîhkwêkâpawiwak. êkota pîhtêyas nîpawiw nimosôm, ê-nikamot.5
(8)They stood in a circle. At the center stood my grandfather and sang.
(9)«êwakonik!» itwêw nimosôm.
(9)«It is they!» said my grandfather.
(10)âsay pê-sâkêwêpahtâwak tâpiskôc mahîhkanak piyê-itwêcik.6
(10)By this time they came running into full view, calling like wolves.
(11)«pêyâhtak âcimok ê-itâpisiniyêk!» itwêw nimosôm.
(11)«Carefully recount what you have seen!» said my grandfather.
(12)«âw, niwâpahtênân mîkiwâhpa. kakwâhakêyatinwa mîkiwâhpa,» itâcimôwak ôki oskinîkiwak.
(12)«We saw the tents. Terribly many were the tents,» was the story the young men told.
(13)«âw, kê-tipiskâk kik-êtohtânânaw,» itwêw awa kisêyiniw.
(13)«Well, tonight we shall go there,» said that old man.
(14)tâpwê cîhkêyihtamwak ôki kotakak iyiniwak ê-nôhtê-nôtinikêcik. tâpwê ê-tipiskâk sipwêhtêwak. osâm mâka wâhyaw kâ-wîkicik.7 kisiwâk kî-itwêwak, êkâ ê-kiskêyihtahkik, sôhki ê-pimipahtâcik.8 kêkâc ê-wâpaniyik takohtêwak.9 sêmâk kiskêyihtamwak «ôki ayahciyiniwak ê-otihtikocik nêhiyawa.10 âsay kîsi-wawêyîwak. sôskwâc aswahikêwak. tâpwê ê-itohtêcik sêmâk pâskisokwak. tâpwê nôtinitôwak. piyisk kahkiyaw ayahciyiniwak kîsi.11
(14)Truly, the other men were glad, for they were eager to fight. So, at dark, they set out. But it was far to the camp. They had said it was near, for they had not realized how fast they were running. It was almost dawn when they got there. The Blackfoot knew at once that the Cree had come upon them. They had already armed themselves. They were at once on the lookout. So, as soon as they got there, the others fired at them. So they fought. Soon all the Blackfoot joined in the battle.
(15)«tânêhki k-ô-ma-matwêwêk?» itwêwak.
(15)«What is the firing?» they asked.
(16)pêhtamwak ê-sâ-sâkôwêwiht. môskîscikêwak.
(16)They heard their tribesmen whooping. They ran up.
(17)«kakwâhakêyatiwak êcik-âni ôki ayahciyiniwak!» itwêw nimosôm; «âw, oskinîkîtik, wâtihkêk! kakwêciyahok ci-wâtihkêyêk!» itwêw nimosôm; «êkâ wiya pita nôtinikêk. iyâyaw wâtihkêk. êkosi piko kê-isi-pimâtisiyêk. êkota kik-ô-naskwânâwâw,» itwêw nimosôm.
(17)«It turns out that there are frightfully many of these Blackfoot!» said my grandfather; «Now then, youths, dig a trench! Hurry and dig!» said my grandfather; «For the present, do not fight. Turn all your energy to digging. That is your only chance to live. From the trench you will fight back,» said my grandfather.
(18)tâpwê wâtihkêwak môhkomâna ohci. kîsihtâwak wîpac wâtihkâna.
(18)So they dug with their knives. Quickly they finished the pits.
(19)«âw, âhkamêyimok ci-naskwêyêk! sôhki nôtinikêk êkwa!» itwêw nimosôm.
(19)«Now, fight back with zeal! Now fight for all you are worth!» said my grandfather.
(20)tâpwê mistahi nôtinitôwak.
(20)Really, they fought much.
(21)kîtahtawê tâwahwâw awa nimosôm oskiwanihk acosis ohci. sêmâk nipahâw. êkosi pêyak kîsikâw mîna âpihtaw kî-nipahâw awa nimosôm.
(21)Presently my grandfather was wounded in the nose with an arrow. At once he fell as though dead. Thus for a day and a half my grandfather lay dead.
(22)kîtahtawê wâpahtam ê-misi-kwâhkotêyik. kostam. kîtahtawê kâ-kwâhkowêpinikot awiya, kâ-pêhtahk ê-mâtôwiht.12 tôhkâpiw. wâpamêw ostêsa êh-apiyit.13 kitâpamik.14 ê-tôhkâpit wî-tapasîhik ôhi ostêsa. kîtahtawê kaskihtâw ê-pîkiskwêt.15
(22)Presently he saw a great blazing fire. He was afraid of it. Then someone threw him into the fire, and he heard weeping. He opened his eyes. He saw his elder brother sitting there. His brother looked at him. When he opened his eyes his brother started to run away from him. Then he was able to speak.
(23)«nistêsê, nipimâtisin!» itwêw.
(23)«Brother, I live!» he said.
(24)ocêmik ostêsa.
(24)His brother kissed him.
(25)êkosi pimâtisiw nimosôm.
(25)So my grandfather returned to life.
Footnotes
  1. He read: ayahciyinîhâhk.
  2. He read: ta-sipwêhtêwak; ta-ntawâhtâwak.
  3. He read: kâ-ntawâhtâcik, and omitted the next two words.
  4. He read: êkotah kik-ôh-pimâtisinâwâw.
  5. This word omitted in reading.
  6. He read: êh-pêy-itwêcik.
  7. These two words written: o-sa-ka-ma.
  8. He read: kîh-itêyihtamwak: “they had thought it so”.
  9. He read: êh-wâpahk.
  10. He read: kiskêyimikwak: “the others knew of them.”
  11. He read: kâsiskotâtôwak; so translated.
  12. He read: kwâhkawêpinik.
  13. The last two words were read: wâpamêw êh-tôhkâpit.
  14. He read: kitâpamêw.
  15. In reading he added êh-tôhkâpit.