Hocąk Text — The Completion Song
Hocąk Text — The Completion Song Origin
narrated by Jasper Blowsnake
English Translation
p. 135 —
Mąxi
wągerégi
coré
[h]ajaną́gwire,
éja
[Sky]
[up above]
blue
that we see,
[there]
p. 136 —
Wak'aį́cuna
sgaxjįžą*,
š'ak
wanąjojaį́sgera
nąj wojągíži,
[Wood Spirit]
[a very white one,]
[ancestor]
[the poor one]
he pitied,
*the interlinear text indicates the termination in the indefinite article
-žą, which is omitted in the other two copies.
"Wąkšigé,
nąjonijáną.
Wažągų́zera*
hąbirukónaxete†
hįgų́saną.
"Human,
I bless you.
[The Creator]
in charge of much life
he created me.
*just before this word,
mą'úna ("Earthmaker") has been crossed out.
†this is the interlinear version. The copied versions have,
hąb hirk'óna xete.
Hą́bera
nąjirónijáną,
higųk'íni
s'ira
ǧákšaną,
[Light and Life]
I bless you,
inasmuch as
long
you have cried,
iwust'érak'iną.
Wąkšigé
Hąp
janeréšge
tujanáną.
to thirst yourself to death.
[Human,]
[Light and Life]
even
I bless you.
Wąkšígera,
hagaréžą*
hižą́
hąbirok'aragúinanąga
égi
The people
sometimes
[one]
one they wished life for, and
then
*for
hagoréžą.
honihánina
hiš'ųgíšge,
wąkšígo'į
hirorágų
wašegíži,
my [breath]
if you use even,
[life]
you used for it
if you desire,
žesgékjaneną,"
éže,
aírera.
"Honihára
e
[thus it will be,"]
[he said,]
[they say.]
["The breath]
[it]
cąt'į́
wahekjáwira.
Wíruhinc
hi'unánihekjanègi,"
éže,
[it is visible]
[we will sing.]
Life-engendering greetings*
they will forever use it,"
[he said,]
*from the English translation in the Road of Life and Death.
aíreną.
E
cąt'į́
hiyahikjáwira.
(Hiraisųjera)
[they say.]
[It]
[it is visible]
[let us go.]
(Completion Song)
Source:
The original interlinear MS is found in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago III, #1: 103-104; a handwritten phonetic text is found at Winnebago II, #1: 128-129; its typed version is at Winnebago II, #5: 135-136. A loose English translation is found at Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 136-137.