The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony Part 9

4. Yane oolanegoo isitsaaye.

Hie ieee naaia, etc.

5. Kac Tcike-igni igni qayikalgo; baniya aie.

6. Kos aga azagie igni qayikalgo; baniya aie.

7. Tsia ci cigeliye igni qayikalgo; baniya aie.

8. Yane oolanegoo isitsaaye.

Hie ieee naaia, etc.

244. _Translation._--1, 5. Tcike-cac-natlehi, Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear; Tcike- igni, Holy Young Woman, or young woman G.o.ddess; igni qayikal, she journeyed seeking the G.o.ds; baniya, she found them, she met them. 2, 6. Dsil, mountains; kos, clouds; aga, peak, summit; aza', many pointing upwards; (dsil aga azagi, on many mountain peaks). 3, 7.

Tsia, truly or true; cigel, my desideratum, my special sacrifice. 4, 8.

[]oolane = oolaa, some one does not believe it; isitsa, I have heard; yane and other vocables are meaningless.

245. _Free translation._

Maid Who Becomes a Bear sought the G.o.ds and found them; On the high mountain peaks she sought the G.o.ds and found them; Truly with my sacrifice she sought the G.o.ds and found them.

Somebody doubts it, so I have heard.

Holy Young Woman sought the G.o.ds and found them; On the summits of the clouds she sought the G.o.ds and found them; Truly with my sacrifice she sought the G.o.ds and found them.

Somebody doubts it, so I have heard.

246. These songs are accompanied, in beating the drum, with a peculiar sharp strike like a sudden outburst or explosion. Hence, they say, the name, Tsinilc Bigin.

247. FIRST DAYLIGHT SONG.

cahizle, cahizle, ya ahaia lan [four times].

1. Kac Yikai-acike cahizle, ya ahaia lan, 2. Qayolkale cahizle, ya ahaia lan, 3. Bitsidje yolkalgo cahizle, ya ahaia lan, 4. Bikece yolkalgo cahizle, ya ahaia lan.

5. Bitsidje qojgo cahizle, ya ahaia lan, 6. Bikece qojgo cahizle, ya ahaia lan, 7. Bizace qojgo cahizle, ya ahaia lan, cahizle, cahizle, etc.

8. Kac yikai-acec, cahizle, ya ahaia lan, 9. Naqotse cahizile, ya ahaia lan.

[Verses 3 to 7 are here repeated.]

cahizile, cahizile, etc.

248. _Translation._--cahizile = cahizel, it hangs as a curtain or festoon; it hangs supported at both ends, i.e., the white curtain of dawn so hangs. 1. Yikai-acike, the Daylight Boy, the Navajo dawn G.o.d.

2. Qayolkale, from the place of dawn. 3. Bitsidje, before him; yolkalgo, as it dawns, as the night pa.s.ses away. 4. Bikece, from behind him. Qojgo, in a beautiful (earthly) manner. 7. Bizace, from his voice. 8. Yikai-acec, the Daylight Girl--the dawn G.o.ddess.

9. Naqotse, from the land of yellow light (horizontal terrestrial yellow).

249. _Free translation._

The curtain of daybreak is hanging The Daylight Boy (it is hanging), From the land of the day it is hanging; Before him, as it dawns, it is hanging; Behind him, as it dawns, it is hanging.

Before him, in beauty, it is hanging; Behind him, in beauty, it is hanging; From his voice, in beauty, it is hanging.

The Daylight Girl (it is hanging), From the land of yellow light, it is hanging, &c.

(subst.i.tuting her for him and his).

250. LAST DAYLIGHT SONG.

Loleyee, Loleyee. Loleyee, Loleyee.

Loleyee, Loleyee. Yahaiee qanaai.

1. Qayolkago, Loleyee.

2. Kac Yikai-acikee. Loleyee.

Loleyee, Loleyee. Yahaiee, qanaai.

3. Kac aa yiskago. Loleyee.

4. Kac Yikai-acece. Loleyee.

Loleyee, Loleyee. Yahaiee, qanaai.

251. _Translation._--1. Qayolkago, in the place of dawn. 2, 4.

Yikai-acike and Yikai-acec, Daylight Boy and Daylight Girl (see paragraph 248). 3. Aa yiskago, it is day all around. Refrain, loleye, lullaby, a meaningless expression to indicate sleepiness.

252. _Free translation._

Lullaby, lullaby.

It is daybreak. Lullaby.

Now comes the Daylight Boy. Lullaby.

Now it is day. Lullaby.

Now comes the Daylight Girl. Lullaby.

253. As the daylight songs are sung just at dawn, in the corral, before the dance ceases, their significance is apparent.

OTHER SONGS AND EXTRACTS.

254. SONG OF THE PROPHET TO THE SAN JUAN RIVER.

Aena.

1. Nagai conilinie, nagai conilinie, 2. Bichyisgo cin' eya'

Haniyea, haniyea, aiee ni hane-yahe, oohe.

3. Nagai cointyelie, nagai conilinie, 4. Bichyisgo cin' eya' Haniyea, etc.

5. Nagai san bicie, nagai conilinie, 6. Bichyisgo cin' eya'

Haniyea, etc.

255. _Translation._--1. Nagai that; conilini, flowing water, a river.

2, 4, 6. Bichyisgo, across it; cin', my mind; eya', it goes, or, it comes, it wanders to or from. 3. cointyeli, broad water. 5. San bico, water of old age.

256. For origin and free translation of this song, see paragraph 22.

257. SONG OF THE BUILDING OF THE DARK CIRCLE.

Oea oea, ea ea, he he; Oea oea, ea eea, he he, ee nan a.

1. Dsilyi' Neyani, cayoleli cayoleli; 2. Tcoyaj ilhyili, cayoleli cayoleli; 3. Tsica alli, cayoleli cayoleli; 4. Bija igingo, cayoleli cayoleli.

5. Tcike-igni, cayoleli cayoleli; 6. Tcoyaj coliji, cayoleli cayoleli; 7. Tsia alli, cayoleli cayoleli; 8. Bija igingo, cayoleli cayoleli.

258. _Translation._--1. Dsilyi' Neyani, Reared Within the Mountains, the prophet who inst.i.tuted these ceremonies; cayoleli, he carries [something long and flexible, as a branch or sapling] for me. 2, 6. Tcoyaj, a spruce sapling, diminutive of tco, spruce; ilhyil, black; colij, blue. 3, 7. Tsia alli (usually tsia bialli), truly a dance implement. 4, 8. Bija igingo (usually bija-yeigingo), a holy treasure, a magic wand.

259. _Free translation._