Hocąk Text — The Buffalo's Walk

Hocąk Text — The Buffalo's Walk

narrated by Sam Blowsnake

English Translation

p. 4 —

’é·ki waȟop‘íni wi·cáca wacápirerà žecą́įȟcį

Égi waxopíni wicáca wacápirerá žecaį́xjį

And the spirits crier their own [thus far]

p. 5 —

ruhá k‘erekc‘ánaháwiną x ’é·ki wiaǧép‘hu·réki siníwakúreki

ruhá k’erekjánaháwiną. Égi wiaǧéphurégi siníwagúregi

to move* [let us go back home.] And from the east to the north

*Susman adds, "put in another place[;] next[;] ruhá·ną[,] movement[.]

hoc‘awéra ha·rí wa’ų́nąkšąną x éske wi·cácarà

hocawéra harí wa’ų́nąkšąną. Ésge, wicácará

the place quite a way it was. So the crier

hinųpéca hicek‘cánaháre waruc‘á·ra wi·cácara te’é

hinųpéja hijekjánaháre. Warucára wicácará teé

in the second place he is going to be.* Assistant† the crier [this one]

*hije actually means "to step" (Miner) or "to stand" (Marino, et alia).
†Susman has a number of comments on this term. "like usher, head water[,] master of ceremony assistant[.] This is the waiter (every spirit has an assistant)[.]"

p. 6 —

reže aíreną x c‘e·tóžera herá ta·žážaȟcį

reže, aíreną. Cetóžera herá tažážaxjį†

[he went,]* [it is said.] The buffalo bull his horn shiny

*this is translated as "of the drum" (as if it were rex), which doesn‘t seem to make sense. Her loose translation omits this and the succeeding word.
†a hapaxlegomenon, but cf. Hé-atažąžąk’a, "Shining Horns," a Waterspirit Clan personal name; and tažážapcį́, "well done."

c‘o·wéra hocicékcanéną x mą·nį́ cik‘erekì mąrá

cowéra hocicékjanéną. Mąnį́ cik’eregí, mąrá

in front he is going to stand. To walk if he starts, the earth

mą·há howéki‘ųžé aíreną wó·kšųkšuéca hip‘á

mąhá howéki‘ųžé, aíreną. Wókšųkšuéja hip’á,

mud to go, he did, [it is said.] To his joint as far,

hirušórocšé aíreną mą·nį́ cik‘ereki x mą́įtacéhira

hirušórocšé, aíreną. Mąnį́ cik’eregí, maį́tacéhira

he pulled out, [it is said.] To walk when he starts, the wind†

*the phrase mą·nį́ cik‘ereki is repeated on the next page, presumeably by mistake.
†she translates mą́įtacéhira k‘ó·ȟ‘ as "mud", but has "(wind-whistling, he walked ?)". In her loose translation, she has, "the mud whistled it is".

p. 7 —

k‘ó·ȟ‘ mą·nį́že aíreną p‘e·ȟsósoȟ·ną́k·re wąisoǧikcanaháwirè

kóx mąnį́že, aíreną. Pexsósoxną́kre wąisoǧikjanaháwiré

whistled he walked, [it is said.] This rattle we will rattle

himąšcá že’é ’e· wá·ki‘ų́kcąnąháwiną x

himąšcą́ žeé, e wáki’ų́kjąnąháwiną.

power that, for that reason we will do it.

mą́įtacéhira k‘ó·ȟ‘ mą·nį́ki mą́įtacéhira sa·nįk‘ ́

Maį́tacéhira kóx mąnį́gi, maį́tacéhira sanįk ́

The wind sound when he walks, the wind side

p. 8 —

hereskúnina haną́c wažašíšik·ra hą·te šisikrá

Herešgúnina haną́c wažąšíšigera, hąte šíšigera

[the Devil] all bad things, dreams the bad ones

hatek šíšik·ra po·kóȟše aíreną x že·kų́ki

hatek šíšigera, pokóxše, aíreną. Žegų́gi

aches the bad ones, it blows aside, [it is said.] Then

hą·prá k‘arap‘įéske k‘e mą·ȟíwira nįké

hąprá karap’įésge, k’e mąxíwira nįgé

the day pretty, no clouds anywhere

p. 9 —

mį·ną́k.nįže aíreną x že·kų́ki hąp‘okuréki siníwa·kúreki

mįną́genįže, aíreną. Žegų́gi hąp’okurégi siníwagúregi

there are not, [it is said.] Then the east the north

hoc‘ak‘énąra haną́c wą·kšíkoí k‘inįpíže aíreną x

hocakénąra, haną́c wąkšígoí k‘inįpíže, aíreną.

between them, all life it becomes, [it is said.]

že’é ya’ų́kcanaháwiną x hinihára wi·rúhįc·ra ną·wą́ra

Že’é ya’ų́kjanaháwiną. Hinihára, wirúhįjera nąwą́ra

This we are going to use. [My brothers,] salutary songs

wi·cáca cą·re ’e· wá·ke wahékcanáwiną x

wicáca cąre, e wáge wahékjanáwiną.

crier (drum) [which is public,] [these] [I mean] we will sing them.

mą·rókeca howá cihika mą́ tinąk·rè

Mąrógeja howá, jihiga; mą́ tinągeré

Inside the earth [he went,] when he was sent; earth [those around]

hiȟkąȟągere cihika x

hixgąxgągere, jihiga.

he shook, when he was sent.

Source:

Sam Blowsnake's Account of the Medicine Rite, in Amelia Susman, Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, Jan. 17 - 19, 1939) Book 9, 4-10.