Buffalo-Bow | Buffalo-Bow |
(1)oma nîkân êy-ihtahtopiponwêyân ka-wîhtamâtin, ê-wîh-âcimostâtân, êh-pê-miskawiyan ohci, wâhyaw ohci êh-pê-miskawiyan, nitâcimôwin êh-kiskêyihtamân.1 êkosi manitôw ohci k-ô-miskâtoyahk. êkosi nama wya kiyâskiwin kâ-wîh-âcimostâtân, pêyak oma ntayihtiwin. |
(1)I shall tell you something of my early youth, for I wish to tell you a tale, since you have come and sought me out, come and sought me out from afar, _ a story of my own experience. It is owing to God that we have met each other. And so it is no falsehood which I shall tell you, this experience of mine. |
(2)êh-pipohk ê-ntopayiyân, kapê-pipon nntopayin, ê-natonawakik ayahciyiniwak. âskaw niyânan kîsikâw nama wiya niwâpahtên iskotêw. apisîs kônah ômisi ntisiwêpiskawâw; êkotah nkawisimon. nama kêkway iskotêw, âskaw mitâtaht kîsikâw. niwâpahtên sakâw, êh-kisinâk, ê-pimohtêyân. pêyak tipiskâw piko ninipân, tahk êkosi êh-ki-sipwêhtêyân, êkosi mistahi êh-kisinâk. mitâtaht kîsikâw nama nimîcison, nipiy piko êh-minihkwêyân, êkosp-isi kêh-pimohtêyân. mitoni nikawâhkatison. kêkâc nikawacin, kont êh-nipâyân, êh-kisinâk. tâpiskôc oma yôtin: «hm hm hm hm!» tâpiskôc êkosi. kônah mistahi misiwê ôtah.2 maskosiy apisîs anâskân tâpiskôc, mâka mistahi kônah misiwê. ha ha ha ha, kêkâc nikawacin. mihcêt nâpêwak niwîcêwâwak. kêkâc kahkiyaw kawaciwak wîstawâ. niyânan-mitanaw kîsikâw pêyak wâpos nimowâw, kâ-misikitit wâpos, nîsitanaw nâpêwak niyânan. êkwah kahkiyaw mîcisôw apisîs. kotak mîcisôw apisîs kâkwah. êkosi niyânano-mitanaw kîsikâw, êkosi nîswâw nimîcison. êkosi nipê-kîwân. nama wiya nimiskawâw ayahciyiniw. nitakosinin. ê-takosiniyân, iskotêw êh-miyâhtamân, êkos êh-pîhtokêyân, kêkâc êh-nipahâhkatosoyân tâpiskôc kêkâc, wiyâs êh-pakâhtêk êyakwô êh-miyâhtamân, kêkâc nnipin âhci, osâm kinwês êkâ êh-mîcisoyân. êko pêyak pipon êh-wîh-kakwê-okimâwiyân, kêkâc k-ôh-nipahâhkatosoyân. |
(2)As I went on the winter war-path, all winter I stayed on the war-path, seeking the Blackfoot. Sometimes for five days I did not have sight of a fire. A little snow I thus pushed aside with my foot; there I lay down to sleep. I had no fire, sometimes for ten days. As I tramped along in the cold, I came in sight of a wood. There I slept only one night, always at once then continuing on my way, in the bitter cold. For ten days I had nothing to eat, but only drank water, on the march of that time. I was very weak with hunger. I almost froze to death, sleeping anywhere, in the cold. Like this went the wind, «Hoo hoo hoo!» like this. The snow lay deep as this everywhere. There was a little grass to lie on, instead of bedding, but deep snow everywhere. Oho, I nearly froze to death. I had many men with me. They too, all of them, froze nearly to death. In fifty days I ate only one rabbit, a big rabbit, for twenty-five men. Everyone ate a little. Another man got a small porcupine to eat. So for fifty days, only twice I had a meal. So then I came back home. I had not found any Blackfoot. I arrived. When I arrived, as I smelled the fire when I entered the tipi, being very nearly dead with hunger, and as I got the scent of meat in the kettle, I almost died, getting only the worse, since for too long a time I had been without food. Because that one winter I wanted to become a chief, was why I almost starved to death. |
(3)âsay mîna nisipwêhtân. nintopayin, mikisiw-pîsim êh-akocihk. kêyâpic mistahi kônah apiw, kêyâpic êh-ntonawakik ayahciyiniwak. sîpiy niwâpahtên; kônak misiw âkohcin. âhci piko nipâhkopân, êh-yâhtânamân.3 êhci piko nisipwêhtân; âsay mîna kotak sîpiy nôtihtên. mîn êyoko niyâhyânên. âhci piko nisipwêhtân. mîna kotak sîpiy nôtintên. sâsay mîn êyako niyâhyânên. |
(3)Again I set out. I went on the war-path in February. There was still much snow on the ground, as again I went to seek the Blackfoot. I came in sight of a river; snow was drifting all over the water. I waded in, none the less, and swam it. I continued on the way; I came to another river. This too I swam. Again I went on. I came to still another river. This too I crossed by swimming. |
(4)nimiskawâw êkwah ayahciyiniw êkotah, ê-wîh-kimotamawak otêma. nipâskisok.4 kahkiyaw niwîcêwâkanak tapasîwak, niya pikoh nama wiya. pâtos nitapasîn. ê-tipiskâk, wâhyaw ntatimâwak niwîcêwâkanak. osâm mistahi sêkisiwak. mistah êh-tapasîcik, nâh-nâway wêpinitôwak, êh-nayawapicik. êkosp-îs kahkiyaw ntêpwâtâwak, kahkiyaw ci-mâmawêyatiyâhk. niwîhtamawâwak: «ka-mêscihikonaw ayahciyiniw, osâm nâ-nâway ayâyahkoh.» |
(4)There, then, I found some Blackfoot, and meant to steal their horses. They fired at me. All my companions fled, only not I. I did not flee till afterward. At night, a long ways off, I overtook my companions. They were too frightened. Fleeing desperately, they left each other behind at intervals, as they tired out. So then I hailed them all, so that we might all be together. I told them, «The Blackfoot will kill us all, if we straggle one behind the other.» |
(5)êkos kahkiyaw nimawacihâwak êkotah. êkosi êkwah wâpan. kpê-tipisk êh-pimipahtâyân tahkih ntâpasâpin, êw-âsawâpamakik ayahciyiniwak ci-pê-mâkohicik. kêkâc âpihtaw-kîsikâw; sîpi nôtihtên. sâsay kisiwâk pâpayiwak ayahciyiniwak. êkosi ntapasîn. sîpiy nipakastawêyâmon. kahkiyaw isi kahkiyaw ntayôwinisah, omayikohk ntiskopân.5 kâwi niwayônâmon. âsa kisiwâk mîna; âsay mîna npakastawêyâmon. omayikohk ntiskopân.6 sakâw ê-wâpahtamân, nôtihtên, apisîs ministik. êkotah wâtihkêwak ê-asiwasocik niwîcêwâkanak. âsay kisiwâk ayahciyiniwak saskâhamwak, ê-pasisâwêcik. kotakah owîcêwâkaniwâwa tâpiskôc ê-ntomâcik, mihcêt pê-sipwêhtêwak. nipiy otihtamwak. aspin êkotah êy-ây-atiskêyahk wâpahtamwak. natonikêwak; wâ-wâyaw ispayiwak. ôtah nkitâpamânânak. nama wiya wîh-pêyitohtêwak ôtah, osâm mistahi nipiy. êkotah ntayânân. kîwêwak êkosi. |
(5)So then I got them all together there. Then day broke. All night long I had kept looking back as I ran, watching for the Blackfoot to come and harrass us. It was almost noon; I came to a river. By this time the Blackfoot were riding close behind us. I fled. I went right into the river in flight. All my clothes, _ I was up to here in the water. I turned about and ran back. But now they were nearer still; again I fled into the water. I was immersed up to here. I saw a clump of trees, and reached it, a little island. Here my companions dug a trench and got inside. Now the Blackfoot close by set fire to the grass, to make a prairie fire. It seemed as if they had summoned their comrades, for many were coming. They reached the water. They saw that our tracks ended here. They searched; they rode far in either direction. From where we were, we observed them. They did not care to come where we were, on account of the high water. There we stayed. So then they went home. |
(6)tipiskâw kêkâc. «hâw, wâh, sipwêhtêtân! tapasîtân êkwah!» |
(6)It was almost night. «Well, now let us be off! Let us flee!» |
(7)êkwah mistikwah nôtinênân; pîsâkanâpiy êkwah ntâhkopitênân. pitikonikan ntisiyihkâtên. ntayâna êkota ntastân. âsay mîna tipiskâw. nikêh-kêcîn. êkosi êkwah nisto nâpêwak pîmâkamêskamwak pîsâkanâpiy, êh-yâhyânahkik. mihcêt êkotah micimîwak, êh-yâhyânahkik. kîtahtawê nôtihtên nipiy ê-sôhkêkotêk. ôma kwêtipâhotêw nitayâninân tah k-âstikih; kâ-micimîcik êkotah iyiniwak kahkiyaw kôkîwak. êkosi kahkiyaw nanânis êh-yâhyânamihk, om êkotah mistik êh-kisisiniyên, êh-yâhyânamân sakâhk.7 osâm mistahi nipiy êh-yâhyânamân, mistik omis tâpiskôc nipîhk. êkotah ntêhtapin omisi. mistik itâhokôw, ômisi. âsay tipiskâw. kisinâw. |
(7)Then we took some sticks; we tied them together with a rawhide thong. I call it a round-raft. We put our belongings on it. Night had come. I took off my clothes. Then three men took the rawhide thong over their arms and swam. Many held fast to the thing, swimming thus. Soon I came to where the water flowed in a powerful swift current. There the thing on which were our belongings tipped over in the current; all the men who were holding fast to it went under. Then, as all were swimming in different directions, right here I got jabbed by a stick, as I swam in that wooded place. As I swam there in the too powerful current, there was a tree-trunk like this in the water. I straddled it, like this. The tree was borne along by the stream, like this. By now it was dark. It was cold. |
(8)«tantêh?» kotak awa nâpêw.8 |
(8)«Where are you?» called one man. |
(9)«ôtê!» niya. |
(9)«Here!» I cried. |
(10)«tân-tahto kipimâtisinâwâw?» |
(10)«How many of you are alive?» |
(11)«ôtah nêwo nipîhk ôki nîpawiwak tâwakâm, mistikwah êh-micimîcik. nîsta nitêhtapin mistik. mâskôc mihcêt nistâpâwêwak. êkosi kiya tân-tahto pêhkohoyêk?» ntitâw. |
(11)«Four are standing in the middle of the water here, holding fast to trees. I am sitting on a tree-trunk. No doubt many are drowned. How many of you have saved yourselves,» I asked him. |
(12)«nisto. nisîm nama wya nihtâh-yâhyânam. tâniwâ?» |
(12)«Three. My younger brother cannot swim. Where is he?» |
(13)«tâniwâtokê!» ntitâw; «aspin ôtê êh-ati-kâh-kôkiyâhokocik maht êkotê ntonaw. ati-tâh-têpwê!» |
(13)«I don't know where he is!» I answered him; «Try look for him over where they were dragged under by the current. Keep whooping as you go!» |
(14)«êsâ!» haw, «nisîm!» |
(14)«Here!» then, «Brother!» |
(15)pêyis wâhyaw. aw, êh-kôkiyâhokot mistikwah oma itâmipêk pisckawêw. êkosi kîhcêkosiw êkwah. piyis môskîw. êkosi êkwah êkotah tâpiskôc wacistwan akosîw. |
(15)At last from far off. When he was drawn under by the current, he had bumped into a tree under water. He had climbed up on it then. At last he had got above the surface. So there he was up in the tree, as though in a nest. |
(16)«nisîm, tântêh êyâyan?» |
(16)«Brother, where are you?» |
(17)«ôtêh!» |
(17)«Here!» |
(18)pahkopêw awa; yâhyânam, osîma êh-nâtahwât. akosiyiwa. |
(18)This man dove in; he swam to fetch his brother over the water. His brother was up in the tree. |
(19)«pê-nîhtakosî!» |
(19)«Come climb down!» |
(20)nîhtakosiyiwa ôsîma. êkwah mistik tâpiskôc ôtah astâwêw osîma.9 pîsâkanâpiy ôtah tahkopitam. |
(20)His brother climbed down. Then he placed a tree-trunk like this for his brother. He tied a thong to it here. |
(21)«ômisi tôtah,» itêw osîmah.10 |
(21)«Do like this,» he told his brother. |
(22)êkwah pîsâkanâpiy; yâhyânam. nêtêh takosinwak. âsay mistahi tipiskâw. kêyâpic nitakosîn niya nipîhk ôtah. |
(22)Then, holding the thong, he swam. They arrived yonder. By now it was quite dark. I was still perched on the trunk here in the water. |
(23)«nimiskawâw nisîm. nêwo nipihkohonân.» |
(23)«I have found my brother. Four of us are safe.» |
(24)«ôtah niya kâ-mostoswahcâpêw; pê-nâtahon!» |
(24)«Here am I, Buffalo-Bow; come fetch me!» |
(25)«nama wiya ka-kîh-nâtahotin.» |
(25)«I cannot fetch you across the water.» |
(26)«pê-nâtahon!» |
(26)«Come fetch me!» |
(27)«nama wiya ka-kîh-nâtahotin.» |
(27)«I cannot get to you through the water.» |
(28)«âstam-itê pêy-itohtê! ôtah k-âkosiyân kakwê-takosinih.» |
(28)«Come nearer here! Try to come here where I am on my tree.» |
(29)pê-misaskênikwan; êkotah nikîh-pê-itohtân. pê-sipwêhtêw. omayikohk iskopêw.11 npêw-otihtik. nitêhtapin awa mistik. pê-kîhcêkosîw. wista têhtapiw. ninîsinân êkwah. |
(29)There was a shallow spot in the stream; I had managed to get to it. He started to come to me. He was up to here in the water. He reached me. I was riding that tree-trunk. He came and climbed onto it. He too straddled it. Now there were two of us. |
(30)«ôtah pê-kapâk!» |
(30)«Come here to shore!» |
(31)«hâ haw, kiya nîkân!» ntitâw. |
(31)«Well, you first!» I said to him. |
(32)nîhtakosîw. nipiy: sakâhk pikw êh-nawatinak mistik; kîspin patinakih, nka-yâwaskênên. ntakosinin. nêwo nâpêwak kawaciwak; êkwah niyân nîso. nkotwâsik nipihkohonân oma sîpiy. kisinâw êh-tipiskâk. kahkiyaw nimosêskatânân. haw, maskosiy nôtinênân. êkwah êyokoh pêyak môhkomân ostikwânihk êh-tahkopitahk awa kâ-yâhyânahk, êko piko nama wiya niwanihtânân. êkwah mistikwah kîskataham tâpiskôc matotisân, maskosiyah tâpiskôc macêkin, maskosiyah ôhi tahkohc. nkotwâsik nâpêwak npîhtokânân. tâpiskôc ômisi kahkiyaw nkawacinân.12 âpihtâ-tipiskâw. matwê-nikamôw nipîhk êh-ayât. nisto nipîhk êh-ayâcik, êkonik kâ-matwê-nikamocik, êkw ê-wîh-kawâtâpâwêcik. êkoyikohk oma k-âpiyân sâsay mîna nipiy nôtihtikon. niwayawiyâmon. nêtê kisinâw. maskosiy, kônah pisisik. npapâmohtân. nama kêkway ntakwanahon. piyisk nkawisimon; niwîh-kawacin. |
(32)He climbed down. Nothing but water: all I could do was to hold fast to the trees of the grove; if I missed my hold, I was left in water with no ground underfoot. I got there. Four men were shivering there; and now we two besides. Six of us had got across this river. It was a cold night. All of us were naked. We pulled up grass. A knife which one of the men who swam had fastened in his hair, that was the only thing we had not lost. Now he cut some sticks for a thing much like a sweat-lodge, and grass took the place of a hide, grass laid on top of the sticks. We six men went inside. Like this, we all crouched in the cold. It was midnight. We heard them sing who were in the water. There were three men in the water, and it was they whom we heard sing, as they were dying in the icy water. And now the water had come up to this place where I was. I fled out. It was cold out there. On the grass, snow everywhere. I walked about. I had no covering. At last I lay down; I was ready to freeze to death. |
(33)matwê-têpwêw kotak niwîcêwâkan: «êkâ wiya sipwêhtêk! niwîh-âsowâhênân!» |
(33)I heard one of my comrades call: «Do not go away! We shall get across!» |
(34)niya nitêpwân: «kiyipa pêh-âsowahamok! niwîh-kawacinân.» |
(34)I called back: «Come over here quickly! We shall be dying of cold.» |
(35)tapasîwak âsay êsah. ê-wâpahk, êkwah misi-mispon. |
(35)Then they got away. With daylight came a great snow. |
(36)«êkosi kahkiyaw ka-kawacinânaw,» ntitwânân. |
(36)«So now we shall all freeze to death,» we said. |
(37)ôtêh nôkwan sakâw. |
(37)Here a grove of trees was in sight. |
(38)«haw, itohtêtân!» |
(38)«Let us go there!» |
(39)ntitohtânân. npimipahtânân. kônah wiya mistahi pahkisin. êkos êh-mosêskatêyâhk, nitâsiyâninân piko nikikiskawânânân. nôtihtênân. âsay mîn âwa mistikwah kîskataham. nawac misâw êkwah matotisân tâpiskôc. êkwah niyân maskosiyah ntastânân tahkohc ôtah. mistahi mispon. kwayask nipîhtokânân. nikipahênân itah k-ôh-pîhtokêyâhk maskosiyah ohci. pîhcâyihk ntastânân ana maskosiyah. kwayask ômisi nôtênân, tâpiskôc êh-akwanahoyâhk, maskosiyah. kêkâc âpihtaw-kîsikâw. êkoyikohk tâpiskôc nama wiya yôtin. pêyak mahtih oma nîkinân tâpiskôc ômisi âpisis yôhtênam, ta-paspêpit. |
(39)We went there. We ran. A great deal of snow was falling. We were naked, with nothing but our breech-clouts. We reached the place. Again that one cut some sticks. This time the structure, like a sweat-lodge, was larger than before. We others placed grass over it here. It was snowing hard. We went right in. The opening through which we had gone in, we closed up with grass. We put grass inside the place. We did like this, as though we were wrapping ourselves in blankets, with the grass. It was almost noon. Then at last it seemed as if there were no more wind. One opened this house of ours a bit, like this, to see, looking out through the crack. |
(40)«miyo-kîsikâw! kipimâtisinânaw! kîsopwêyâw!» |
(40)«It is fair weather! We shall live! It is warm!» |
(41)êkosi sêmâk kônah nama kêkwah; kîsopwêyâw. miywâsin kîsikâw. |
(41)So now soon there was no more snow; it was warm weather. It was a fine day. |
(42)«hâw, wayawîtân! kîsopwêyâw!» |
(42)«Come, let us go out! It is warm weather!» |
(43)nwayawînân. hâ, miywâsin kîsikâw. |
(43)We went out. Oh, it was a fine day. |
(44)«haw, kîwêtân êkwah!» |
(44)«Come, let us go home now!» |
(45)êkwah nikîwânân. npmohtânân. hâ, acimo-mêyisak mihcêtiwak.13 mitoni nipîkocininân; nama nikîh-pimohtânân. mistahi nikwatakihtânân. piyisk ôtah mihkôwiwa nisitinâna.14 mitoni kisiwâk ntakosininân, ê-wîsakêyihtamâhk nisitinâna. piyisk ntakosininân âta wiyah nîkinâhk. â, mamâhtâkosiwak; nanâskomôwak niwâhkomâkaninânak, êh-âcimoyâhk iyikohk êh-kwatakihtâyâhk, êh-âcimostawâyâhkok niwâhkomâkaninânak. |
(45)Then we went home. We tramped along. There were many dog-spines. They pricked our feet badly; we could scarcely walk. We suffered greatly. Soon our feet were bleeding here. We covered very short distances, what with the way our feet hurt. At last, nevertheless, we arrived at our home. Oh, they were glad; our relatives gave thanks, when we told how we had suffered, when we told our tale to our kinsfolk. |
(46)êkosi kâ-isi-kwatakihtâyân êkonih nîso nitatoskêwinah, ê-wîh-kakwê-okimâwiyân, k-âcimostawak awa; mâka kêyâpic mistahih astêw nitâcimôwin. êkosi tâpwêwin k-âcimostawak. |
(46)That is what I went through on those two expeditions of mine, when I was trying to become a chief, of which I have now told this man; but I have still many other stories. And what I have told him is the truth. |