Buffalo-Bow | Buffalo-Bow |
(1)nik-âcimon nimosôm êkwah. |
(1)I shall tell of my grandfather now. |
(2)nahaw, êh-awâsisiwiyân, _ itwêw nimosôm, _ niwêpinikawin matokâhpihk. nimiskâkawin; opwâsîmôwak nimiskâkon; opwâsîmôw êsa niki-owôhtâwin. êkosi êw-oskinîkiyân niwâpahtên êh-nôtinitohk, kisiskâciwan âstamitakâm êh-kîh-nipâkwêsimohk, êh-poyohk, êkot êh-môskîstâkêcik ayahciyiniwak. mê-mîhcêtokamikisiw wîsta ayahciyiniw; osâmêyatiw, tâpiskôc wîst êh-pâpicit. kîkisêpâ ôhci nôtinitonâniwiw, mê-mîskoc ê-sâkohitohk, kpê-kîsik êh-nipahitohk. kîtahtawê nipakocêhokawin. nôtinikwak niwîcêwâkanak. nêtê sakâhk, itêh êh-ayâcik ayîsiyiniwak, êkotê nipakitinikawin, mîna kotakak êh-misohcik iyiniwak êkot êtohtahihcik. êh-tipiskâk poyonâniwiw; êh, iskwâhitonâniwiw. êh-wâpahk niwîh-nipin. nipiy êh-minihkwêyân, wayawîciwan ôtê; maskihkiy êh-minihkwêyân, wayawawîciwan ôtê. mitoni nitawahokwak ôtêh. |
(2)Well then, when I was a child, _ said my grandfather, _ I was abandoned on a camp-site. I was found; some Assiniboine found me; so I had an Assiniboine for my father. Then, when I was a young man, I saw fighting, when they were having a Sun-Dance this side of the Saskatchewan, after it was over, some Blackfoot made an attack. The Blackfoot, too, were in a band of many tents; they were very numerous, for they, too, were on the trek hither. From early morning we fought, getting the better by turns, killing each other through the day. Presently I was shot in the stomach. My comrades picked me up. Off yonder to the woods, where the people were staying, thither I was taken and laid down, where the other men, too, who had been wounded were taken. At nightfall they stopped fighting; oh, there had been terrible slaughter on both sides. By daybreak I was at the point of death. When I drank water, it ran out at this place; when I drank medicine, it ran out at this place. They had shot a bad hole into me here. |
(3)kîtahtawê, «haw, ôtah itohtahik; mostos kayâsk wâyahcaw itohtahik.» |
(3)Presently, «Now, take me over here; take me to the old buffalo-wallow.» |
(4)êkwah nitôhtahikawin. misiwê ntâpatoniskinikawin. mostoswayân ntakwanahon. npimisinin. êkwah mostoswayân ômisi nimoyâpitasêkon. |
(4)Then I was taken there. I was smeared all over my body with white clay. I wrapped myself in a buffalo-robe. I lay on the ground. Then I turned out the fur side of the buffalo-robe, like this. |
(5)«haw, nakasik.» |
(5)«Now, leave me.» |
(6)ninakatikawin. |
(6)I was left alone. |
(7)«haw, êkotê kitâpamik.» |
(7)«Now, from there, watch me.» |
(8)nikitâpamikawin. nikamôwak iyiniwak. nitêpihtên êh-nikamocik. nikâh-kwêskisinin. nipasikon. nkitâpamikwak iyiniwak. |
(8)I was watched. The men sang. I could hear them singing. I rolled over as I lay. I rose to my feet. The men looked at me. |
(9)«mostos!» itwêwak, êh-nîpawiyân. |
(9)«A buffalo!» they cried, as I stood there. |
(10)mînah ninahapin. mînah nikâh-kwêskisinin. mîna nipasikon. |
(10)Again I sat down. Again I rolled over on the ground. Again I rose to my feet. |
(11)«mostos!» itwêwak iyiniwak. |
(11)«A buffalo!» cried the men. |
(12)nêwâw nipasikôn. |
(12)Four times I rose to my feet. |
(13)«mostos!» itwêwak iskwêwak mîna. |
(13)«A buffalo!» cried the women too. |
(14)mihcêt niwâpamikwak. nipasikôn. ntitohtân it êh-ayâcik iyiniwak. mitoni miywêyihtamwak niwâhkomâkanak, «nipahâw,» êh-isicik. mâk êkosi êh-pimâtisiyân. êyoko nîkân ê-kîh-tôtamân. |
(14)Many people saw me. I rose to my feet. I went to where the people were. My kinsmen were very glad, for, «He is killed,» they had said of me. But in this wise I remained alive. That was the first thing I did. |
(15)kîhtwâm nimâhiskên; ôtêh nimâhiskên, êh-takwâk. sâsay apisîs nitokimâwin. êkotê nimâhiskên. nêo nâpêwak nisipwêhtisahwâwak, cistêmâwa êh-nâtâcik. nakiskawêwak ayahciyiniwa ês ê-mâhiskamiyit, êh-osâmêyatiyit. aywêpiyiwa, misatimo-mêyah êkotowahk ospwâkanihk êh-pîhtwâcik. |
(15)At another time I was going down the river to trade; I was going down-river here, in the fall. By this time I was, in a small way, something of a chief. NO GLOSS I sent off four men to fetch tobacco. They met some Blackfoot who, it appeared, had been trading at the post, a great number of them. They were halting on the way, and then our men were given the dung of horses to smoke. |
(16)êkosi, «hâh, kiwîh-nipahikonawak ôki, kâ-tôtâkoyahkok!» itwêwak ntôskinîkîmak; «kêkâc ôma ci-kîh-pê-sâkêwêpicit kôkimâminaw,» itwêwak ntôskinîkîmak. |
(16)Then, «Oh, these people mean to kill us; that is why they have treated us so!» said my men; «Now it is almost time for our chief to come into sight with his camp,» said my men. |
(17)sêkisiwak êh-tôtâkocik ôh âyahciyiniwah. êkoyikohk nisâkêwêpicin êkwah. ohpimê êy-osêhcâk ohpimê nôsamêyatin, nîstah êh-mâhiskamân. êkwah pêy-itohtêwak nitoskinîkîmak. |
(17)They were frightened about what the Blackfoot had done to them. Then I came into sight with the camp. At the other side of a hill I was, in great number, going to trade, I too, at the fort. Then my men came. |
(18)«hâ, kêkât ninipahikawinân. misatimo-mêyah nipîhtwâhikawinân.» |
(18)«Oh, we have nearly been killed. We were given the dung of horses to smoke.» |
(19)hâ nikisiwâsin âsay, êh-tôtâhcik nitôskinîkîmak. npê-natomik iyahciyiniw. |
(19)Oh, at once I grew angry at what had been done to my men. The Blackfoot sent for me. |
(20)«aw, okimâw niwîh-wîci-pîhtwâmâw, êh-okimâwit nêhiyaw,» itwêw aw âyahciyiniw. |
(20)«Now, I want to smoke with the chief, with the Cree chief,» said the Blackfoot. |
(21)nama wiya niwîh-itohtân. hâsa mîna nipê-ntomik; nama wiya niwîh-itohtân. âsay mîna npê-ntomik. «êha!; nk-êtohtân!» |
(21)I did not want to go there. Again he sent for me; I did not want to go there. Again he sent for me. «Very well; I shall go!» |
(22)kîskihcakos pâskisikan môsasiniy ntasiwatân. |
(22)I put a bullet into a short gun. |
(23)«hâw, ntêm nâtihk.» |
(23)«Come, fetch my horse.» |
(24)hâ, ntêm nâtâw. |
(24)My horse was brought. |
(25)«haw, aswêyihtamok,» ntitâwak ntôskinîkîmak; nêhpêminamok nîmâskwêwina. niwî-tohtân awa kâ-ntomit, awa k-ôkimâwit ayahciyiniw.» |
(25)«Now then, watch out,» I told my men; «Have your weapons ready to hand. I am going to him who invites me, to the Blackfoot chief.» |
(26)ntêhtapin. wâhyaw ômis îtapiwak. ntêhtapin. pê-nôkosiw êyak ôkimâw. pâskisikan ôtêh ntastân.1 misâyiw ôtah êh-piskwâhpitwât okimâw iyahciyiniw. mihcêt ôtah êy-apicik ôtah, pê-pasikôw aw okimâw êw-atamiskawit. nipâskiswâw ôtah.2 êkos îsi nôtinitonâniwiw. kahkiyaw k-âtâwêcik, kahkiyaw otinikâtêw. maskamâwak. |
(26)I mounted. They were sitting far off, like this. I mounted. The chief came forth. I put my gun here. The Blackfoot chief wore a big forelock. There, where all of them were sitting, the Blackfoot chief arose and came to greet me. I shot him right here. So then the fight began. Everything they had bought, everything was taken. They were plundered. |
(27)êkosi êkwah nkîh-tôtên. âsay êkotah nimistahih-okimâwin. êkwah mîna âsay niwîwin; iskwêw âsay ntayâwâw. _ êyakw âna nikâwiy okâwiyah êkoni. _ êkwah pîhtokahân nôsihtân; nikîsihtân pîhtokahân. mostoswah wâhyaw êh-ayâcik, nôtinâw misatim ê-mîhkawikit. ntispayin; nôtihtâwak mostoswak. |
(27)That was what I did. So now I became a big chief. And I took another wife; I had already one wife, _ she was my mother's mother. _ Then I built a buffalo-pound; I completed the buffalo-pound. As the buffalo were far away, I took a swift horse. I rode thither; I came to where the buffalo were. |
(28)«hê hêy hêy hêy!» |
(28)«Hey hey hey hey!» |
(29)nêwâw ntêpwâtâwak mostoswak. nkitâpamikwak. nisipwêpayin. cîki npê-pimitisahokwak. nipîhtokêpahâwak. misâw pîhtokahân. mitoni sâkaskinêwak. kâ-kitimâkisit iyiniw kisêyiniw miywêyihtam, kisiwâk êh-ohtinahk omîciwin. êkosi nkîh-pêy-itatoskân, _ itwêw nimosôm. _ êwako kâ-kîh-ohc-sâkihicik wêmistikôsiwak; êkotah mina kâh-kîh-kihcih-okimâwiyân. êyakw anima atoskêwin ê-kih-pê-tôtamân, êh-nîsik ntatoskêwin kâ-kîh-ohci-okimâwiyân. êkosi miywâsin êyako mina okimâwiwin. kisiwâk ê-kîh-ohc-âsamakik ayîsiyiniwak, êyok ohci misiwê nikîh-sâkihikok; êyok ohci ôtênaw êh-misâk nkîh-tipêyihtên. êyak ohci kîh-kisêwâtisiyân, ê-kiy-ohtinamawak êh-kitimâkisit ayîsiyiniw êkâ kîkwah êh-kaskîhtwâsot. êyokô ohci pikw îtê kâ-kîh-wîhikawiyân. êkosi mâka awahik, ntawâsimisitik; ksêwâtisik, _ kîh-itêw otawâsimisah. |
(29)Four times I whooped at the buffalo. They looked at me. I rode away. They came following close upon me. I ran them into the enclosure. It was a large buffalo-pound. They filled it completely. The poor folk, the old folk, were glad to get their food from close by. Thus I continued to do in the course of time, _ said my grandfather. _ That was why the white men loved me; and that was why I became a great chief. This was the work that I had done, these two exploits, on account of which I became a chief. And it is a good thing, too, this being a chief. Because I fed the people from close by, that is why they all love me; that was why I became master of a big band. That was the reason, because I was kind, because I obtained things for the poor folk who could not get anything for themselves. That is why my name was spoken everywhere. So therefore now take courage, my children, and try hard; be kind, _ he told his children. |
(30)êyakw awa kisêyiniw awa nimosôm misiwê pîhtokahânah kâ-kîh-osîhtât. anohc k-âtotamân nimosôm otayîhtiwin, êyako mîna tâpwê ê-kîh-ayihtit nimosôm. êkosi iyikohk iyâcimostawak nimosôma otayihtiwiniyiw awa kâ-wîtapimak misi-pisiw. hâh, êkosi. cimâskos kîh-itâw; nikâwiy ôhtâwiyah.3 |
(30)It was this grandfather of mine who everywhere built buffalo-pounds. These experiences of my grandfather which now I tell, they are really what my grandfather did. And so this much of my grandfather's deeds I have told to this man who sits here with me, to Great-Lynx. Well, that is all. Short-Stick he was called; my mother's father. |