Harry Achenam | Harry Achenam |
(1)kayâs pêyakwâw nê-mitanaw nêosâp askiy kî-nâ-nipahâhkatosonâniwiw.1 mitoni kî-âyiman, êkâ ê-ihtâcik paskwâwi-mostoswak. mihcêcis kî-nipahâhkatosôwak ayîsiyiniwak. piko kîkway kî-mâcîwak, ê-kakwê-pimâtisicik; mâka nama kîkway kî-ihtakon pisiskiwak. piko atâwêwikamikohk ê-â-itâmocik, êkota âtiht kâ-kî-pimâtisicik. atimwa kî-kitamwêwak, ê-kâ-kimotamâtocik, mîna misatimwa. |
(1)A long time, forty-four years, ago, there was a continued famine. It was very bad; there were no buffalo. Quite a few people died of hunger. They hunted any kind of thing, to keep alive; but there was no game of any kind. All that was left was to take refuge at the trading-posts, where they did indeed succeed in staying alive. They ate the dogs, stealing them from one another, and the horses. |
(2)ahpô âta kîkway kâ-nipahtâcik, namoya kîwêhtatâwak, ê-mîcicik nikwatis, ê-mâkohikocik mîciwin. pêyak opwâsîmôw mitoni ê-nâpêhkâsot, ahpô ê-nôtinitohk, ê-otihtinât, ê-tâ-tahkamât, tâni-tahtwâw êkosi ê-tôtahk, «mitoni nama kîkway nakîstam,» itêyimâw. êkota kî-wîcihiwêw kâ-nipahâhkatosohk awa opwâsîmôw kâ-nâpêhkâsot. nawac kî-kisêyiniwiw. tâsipwâ kî-nîsiyiwa okosisa, ê-wîwiyit, mîna pêskis ê-wîkiyit. êkosi nistiniyiwa wîkiwâwa. |
(2)Even when they did kill anything, they did not take it home, but ate it off there alone, so desperately put to it were they for food. There was a certain Assiniboine who was a very brave warrior, who in battle would take hold of his man and stab him, and had done so any number of times, so that, «He hesitates at nothing at all,» was the thought concerning him. This Assiniboine brave was among those who went through the famine. By this time he was more advanced in years. In fact, he had two married sons who lived in separate tipis. So there were three dwellings. |
(3)kîtahtawê awa kisêyiniw nipahêw otêma, ê-môwât. êkosi namoya kiskêyihtamohêw otawâsimisa, otêma ê-môwât. êkosi wiya piko mîcisôw; otawâsisa nama kîkway mîciyiwa. |
(3)Presently the old man killed his horse and ate it. He did not let his children know that he ate his horse. So he alone ate; his children had nothing to eat. |
(4)opwâsîmôwak wiyawâw ê-itwêcik, «tahto kîkway mîciwin ê-âyimahk, ahpô onâpêhkâsôw-iyiniw kî-sôhkihik mîciwin,» kîspin opwâsîmôw ê-asamiht, sêmâk kiskisiw ôhi kisêyiniwa. |
(4)The Assiniboine have a saying, «When food is hard to get, even a brave needs food to strengthen him,» and when an Assiniboine is given food, at once he recalls this old man. |
(5)êwak-ôhci kîspin awiya ê-otihtokocik, sêmâk wîhkomêwak. mitoni asahkêskiwak opwâsîmôwak. tahki mâna êwako âyimôtamwak kisêyiniwak opwâsîmôwak. mitoni miyohtwâwak mîciwin ohci. |
(5)That is why, if anyone comes to them, at once they invite him to eat. The Assiniboine are very hospitable with food. And the old Assiniboine men always speak of this. They are very generous in the matter of food. |
(6)ôhi k-âtotamân êwako kisêyiniw kâ-kî-acimak, êwako otâcimôwin. êkoyikohk ninôhtêsinin niya âcênam. |
(6)These things I am telling are the tales of that old man of whom I have spoken. I, Achenam, have no more to tell now. |