The American Indians Part 47

Nia! nin de nah dush Wa.s.sahwud gushuh Aindahnuk ke yaun Ke yau ninemooshai wee Odishquagumee.

Alas! I replied--my native country is far, far away--my sweetheart; my Algonquin.

V.

Kai aubik oween Ain aube aunin Ke we naubee Ne ne mooshai we Odishquagumee.

When I looked back again--where we parted, he was still looking after me, my sweetheart; my Algonquin.

VI.

Apee nay we ne bow Unishe bun Aungwash agushing Ne ne mooshai we Odishquagumee.

He was still standing on a fallen tree--that had fallen into the water, my sweetheart; my Algonquin.

VII.

Nia! indenaindum Nia! in denaindum Ma kow we yuh Nin de nain dum we Odishquagumee.

Alas! when I think of him--when I think of him--It is when I think of him; my Algonquin.

Eloquence on the part of the speakers, is not so much the result of superior force of thought, as of the strong and clear positions of right, in which they have been placed by circ.u.mstances. It is the force of truth, by which we are charmed.

An Indian war song, sung in public, by the a.s.sembled warriors on the outbreak of hostilities, is a declaration of war.

NIAGARA, AN ALLEGORY.

An old grey man on a mountain lived, He had daughters four and one, And a tall bright lodge of the betula bark That glittered in the sun.

He lived on the very highest top, For he was a hunter free, Where he could spy on the clearest day, Gleams of the distant sea.

Come out--come out! cried the youngest one, Let us off to look at the sea, And out they ran in their gayest robes, And skipped and ran with glee.

Come Su,[54] come Mi,[55] come Hu,[56] come Sa,[57]

Cried laughing little Er,[58]

Let us go to yonder broad blue deep, Where the breakers foam and roar.

And on they scampered by valley and wood, By earth and air and sky, Till they came to a steep where the bare rocks stood, In a precipice mountain high.

Inya![59] cried Er, here's a dreadful leap, But we are gone so far, That if we flinch and return in fear, Nos,[60] he will cry ha! ha!

Now each was clad in a vesture light, That floated far behind, With sandals of frozen water drops, And wings of painted wind.

And down they plunged with a merry skip, Like birds that skim the plain; And hey! they cried, let us up and try And down the steep again.

And up and down the daughters skipped, Like girls on a holiday, And laughed outright, at the sport and foam They called Niagara.

If ye would see a sight so rare, Where nature's in her glee, Go, view the spot in the wide wild west, The land of the brave and free.

But mark--their shapes are only seen In fancy's deepest play, But she plainly shews their wings and feet In the dancing sunny spray.

[54] Superior.

[55] Michigan.

[56] Huron.

[57] St. Claro.

[58] Erie.

[59] An exclamation of wonder and surprize.--_Odj. Lan._

[60] My father.--ib.

A PSALM.

OR SUPPLICATION FOR MERCY, AND A CONFESSION OF SIN, ADDRESSED TO THE AUTHOR OF LIFE, IN THE ODJIBWA-ALGONQUIN TONGUE.

BY THE LATE MRS. HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT.

1. Gaitshe minno pimaudizzeyun, Gezha Monedo, gezhigong aibeyun

2. Keen, maumauwaik.u.mig waozhemigoyun.

3. Keen, kah ozhieeyong, keen gaugegaik.u.mig, kai nuhwaunemeyong, aikoobemaudizzeyong.

4. Keen, kainuhwaubaimeyong, geezhig tibbikuk tibishko.

5. Keen, Keozheahn-geezhik-geezis, dibbik-geezis, aunungug gia.

6. Keen, kegeozhetoan tshe kimmewung, gia tshe annimikeeaug, tshe sai sai yung, tshe sogepoog gia.

7. Keen kau ozheiyong tshe unnewegauboweyaung, kakinnuk kau ozheudjig akeeng.

8. Kee, gemishemin odjechaugwug, wekaukaine bosigoog. Kee gemishemin kebauzhigo kegwiss Jesus Christ, tshe oonjenebood neeno-wind.

9. Mozhug issuh nemudjee-inaindumin, kagait mozhug nemudjee-eki-domin; nahwudj neminwaindumin tshe mudjee-dodumaung.