The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony: Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-84, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1887, pages 379-468Matthews, Washington
Religion
The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony: Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-84, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1887, pages 379-468
Matthews, Washington
Mountainway (Navajo rite); Navajo Indians -- Rites and ceremonies
210. _Translation._--1, 4. Nayunáni, again on the other side, i.e.,
across two valleys. 2. Biçè, his horns; iltsos, slender; biçèïltsos,
slender horns, i.e., the deer, by metonomy. 3, 6. Biqolçègo, it is
becoming to him. 5. Biçè, his horns; nackòj, turgid, filled out,
stuffed; biçènackòji, turgid horns--metonymically, the mountain sheep,
_Ovis montana_. The refrain, tcènia, 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. Çòna! Çòna! A‘āīyèhe oöhè [repeat],
2. Yùçakoö ani‘;
3. I‘¢ni‘djië ani‘;
4. Kos ¢ilhyíl biyì‘dje,
5. Nabizàç qolègo,
6. Çòna! Çòna! A‘āīyèhe oöhè
7. Çòna! Çòna! A‘āīyèhe oöhè [repeat],
8. Yùyakoö ani‘;
9. Anilçàni ani‘;
10. Nánise bicqàko,
11. Nabizaç qolègo,
12. Çòna! Çòna! A‘āīyèhe oöhè.
214. _Translation._--1, 6, 7, 12. Çòna, an imitation of the thunder, not
a word. 2, 8. Yùçako, above; yùyako, below; ani‘, any sound, the sound
of the voice. 3. I‘¢ni‘dji pertaining to the thunder. 4. Kos, cloud;
¢ilhyíl, black, dark; biyì‘dje, within, or toward within it. 5, 11.
Nabizaç qolègo, again and again sounds his moving voice. 9. Anilçàni,
a general name for large meadow grasshoppers. 10. Nánise, plants in
general; biçqàko, 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 grasshopper.
Among the plants,
Again and again it sounds,
Thonah! Thonah!
216. TWELFTH SONG OF THE THUNDER.
Aïena.
Beqojònigo ani‘i [four times] oöhè.
1. Yùçakoö ani‘i;
2. I‘¢ni‘djië ani‘i;
3. Kos ¢ilhyíl biyì‘dje,
4. Nàbizaç qolègo,
5. Beqojònigo ani‘i, oöhè.
6. Yùyakoö ani‘i;
7. Anilçàni ani‘i;
8. Nánise biçqàko,
9. Nàbizaç qolègo,
10. Beqojònigo ani‘i, oöhè.
217. _Translation._--Aïena, a meaningless beginning to many songs, which
may be omitted. 1. Yùçako, above. 2. I‘¢ni‘dji, pertaining to the
thunder. 3. Kos, cloud; ¢ilhyíl, dark; biyì‘dje, within it. 4, 9.
Nàbizaç, his voice again, his voice repeated; qolègo, sounds along,
sounds moving. 5, 10. (Be, a prefix forming nouns of the cause or
instrument; qojòni, local or terrestrial beauty; go, a suffix to
qualifying words); beqojònigo, productive of terrestrial beauty; ani‘,
a voice, a sound. 6. Yùyako, below. 7. Anilçani, grasshopper. 8. Nánise,
plants; biçqàko, in among them.
218. _Free translation._
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