The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony Part 7

205. SIXTH SONG OF THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP.

Binacoolae [four times] oayehe oohe.

1. Kac Tsilke-igni, 2. Ca'bitlli yee, 3. Tsia bialli, 4. Bija yeigingo, 5. Binacoolae oayehe oohe.

6. Kac Tcike-igni, 7. Natsilici yee, 8. Tsia bialli, 9. Bija yeigingo, 10. Binacoolae oayehe oohe.

206. _Translation._--1, 6. Kac, now; tsilke, young man; tcike, young woman; igni holy one, G.o.d or G.o.ddess. 2. Ca'bitll, sunbeam, sunbeams; ye, with. 3, 8. Tsia, verily; bialli (paragraph 3), his dance or sacred implement. 4, 9. Bija, his special property, his treasure; yeigingo, that by means of which he is igin, i.e., holy or supernatural. 5, 10. Binacla, it is encircled. 7. Natsilic, the rainbow.

207. _Free translation._

Now the Holy Young Man, With the sunbeam, Verily his own sacred implement, His treasure which makes him holy, Is encircled.

Now the Holy Young Woman, With the rainbow, Verily her own sacred implement, Her treasure which makes her holy, Is encircled.

208. Which is to say that the great plumed arrows which they bear are adorned with sunbeams and rainbows. They "s.h.i.+ne in glory." (See references in paragraph 204)

209. TWELFTH SONG OF THE MOUNTAIN SHEEP.

1. Nayunani tcenia, 2. Kac biceltsos tcenia, 3. Biqolcego, tcenia.

4. Nayunani tcenia, 5. Kac bicenackji tcenia, 6. Biqolcego, tcenia.

210. _Translation._--1, 4. Nayunani, again on the other side, i.e., across two valleys. 2. Bice, his horns; iltsos, slender; biceltsos, slender horns, i.e., the deer, by metonomy. 3, 6. Biqolcego, it is becoming to him. 5. Bice, his horns; nackj, turgid, filled out, stuffed; bicenackji, turgid horns--metonymically, the mountain sheep, _Ovis montana_. The refrain, tcenia, he appears, he comes in sight.

211. _Free translation._

Far beyond he appears; Now "Slender Horn" appears.

His antlers are becoming. He appears.

Far beyond he appears; Now "Turgid Horn" appears.

His horns are becoming. He appears.

212. This song, it is said, refers to the time when the prophet saw the vision of the black sheep on the rock. (Paragraph 35.) The reason for introducing the deer into the song is not obvious.

213. FIRST SONG OF THE THUNDER.

1. cna! cna! A'aiyehe oohe [repeat], 2. Yucakoo ani'; 3. I'ni'djie ani'; 4. Kos ilhyil biy'dje, 5. Nabizac qolego, 6. cna! cna! A'aiyehe oohe 7. cna! cna! A'aiyehe oohe [repeat], 8. Yuyakoo ani'; 9. Anilcani ani'; 10. Nanise bicqako, 11. Nabizac qolego, 12. cna! cna! A'aiyehe oohe.

214. _Translation._--1, 6, 7, 12. cna, an imitation of the thunder, not a word. 2, 8. Yucako, above; yuyako, below; ani', any sound, the sound of the voice. 3. I'ni'dji pertaining to the thunder. 4. Kos, cloud; ilhyil, black, dark; biy'dje, within, or toward within it. 5, 11.

Nabizac qolego, again and again sounds his moving voice. 9. Anilcani, a general name for large meadow gra.s.shoppers. 10. Nanise, plants in general; bicqako, in among them.

215. _Free translation._

Thonah! Thonah!

There is a voice above, The voice of the thunder.

Within the dark cloud, Again and again it sounds, Thonah! Thonah!

Thonah! Thonah!

There is a voice below, The voice of the gra.s.shopper.

Among the plants, Again and again it sounds, Thonah! Thonah!

216. TWELFTH SONG OF THE THUNDER.

Aena.

Beqojnigo ani'i [four times] oohe.

1. Yucakoo ani'i; 2. I'ni'djie ani'i; 3. Kos ilhyil biy'dje, 4. Nabizac qolego, 5. Beqojnigo ani'i, oohe.

6. Yuyakoo ani'i; 7. Anilcani ani'i; 8. Nanise bicqako, 9. Nabizac qolego, 10. Beqojnigo ani'i, oohe.

217. _Translation._--Aena, a meaningless beginning to many songs, which may be omitted. 1. Yucako, above. 2. I'ni'dji, pertaining to the thunder. 3. Kos, cloud; ilhyil, dark; biy'dje, within it. 4, 9.

Nabizac, his voice again, his voice repeated; qolego, sounds along, sounds moving. 5, 10. (Be, a prefix forming nouns of the cause or instrument; qojni, local or terrestrial beauty; go, a suffix to qualifying words); beqojnigo, productive of terrestrial beauty; ani', a voice, a sound. 6. Yuyako, below. 7. Anilcani, gra.s.shopper. 8. Nanise, plants; bicqako, in among them.

218. _Free translation._

The voice that beautifies the land!

The voice above, The voice of the thunder Within the dark cloud Again and again it sounds, The voice that beautifies the land.

The voice that beautifies the land!

The voice below; The voice of the gra.s.shopper Among the plants Again and again it sounds, The voice that beautifies the land.

219. FIRST SONG OF THE HOLY YOUNG MEN, OR YOUNG MEN G.o.dS.

1. Ooc 'cqa nagaie, 2. Kac Tsilke-igni, 3. Dsil ilhyil biyagi, 4. Biyaji nale.

5. Aie 'cqa nagaie, 6. Kac Tcike-igini, 7. Dsil colij biyagi, 8. Biyaji nale.

220. _Translation._--1, 5. 'cqa = bicqa, amid or among them; nagai, that, there. 2. Kac, now; Tsilke-igni, Holy Young Man; Tcike-igni, Holy Young Woman. 3, 7. Dsil, mountain; ilhyil, black; colij, blue; biyagi, at the foot of, at the base of. 4, 8. Biyaji, his child; nale, he lays down, he leaves.

221. _Free translation._

There amid [the mountains], Now the Holy Young Man, At the foot of the black mountain, Lays down his child.

There amid [the mountains], Now the Holy Young Woman, At the foot of the blue mountain, Lays down her child.

222. The characters of Tsilke-igni and Tcike-igni are in the myth.

The black mountain, pertains to the male, the blue to the female.

Although not told with the rest of the myth, it was subsequently related to the writer that Tsilke-igni said to the prophet, "Whoever learns our songs will thenceforth be our child." The above song, it is said, has some reference to this promise; but a fuller explanation, no doubt, remains to be discovered.

223. SIXTH SONG OF THE HOLY YOUNG MEN.

Aena.

Altsacie igni oohe.

1. Altsacie igni, altsacie igni, altsacie igni oohe.

2. Kac Tsilke-igni, bakagie igni, 3. Dsil ilhyili ea, bakagie igni, 4. Tsintso ilhyili ea bakagie igni, 5. Tsia bialli, bija yeigingo, bakagie igni, oohe.

Altsacie igni oohe.

6. Altsacie igni, altsacie igni, altsacie igni oohe.

7. Kac Tcike-igni, bakagie igni, 8. Dsil coliji ce, bakagie igni, 9. Tsintso coliji, bakagie igni, 10. Tsia bialli, bija yeigingo, bakagie igni, oohe.