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
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.
(substituting her for him and his).
250. LAST DAYLIGHT SONG.
Loleyèe, Loleyèe. Loleyèe, Loleyèe.
Loleyèe, Loleyèe. Yahāièe qanaāī.
1. Qayolkàgo, Loleyèe.
2. Kaç Yikāī-acikèe. Loleyèe.
Loleyèe, Loleyèe. Yahāīee, qanaāī.
3. Kaç a¢a yiskàgo. Loleyèe.
4. Kaç Yikāī-açèçe. Loleyèe.
Loleyèe, Loleyèe. Yahāīee, qanaāī.
251. _Translation._--1. Qayolkàgo, in the place of dawn. 2, 4.
Yikāī-acikè and Yikāī-açèç, Daylight Boy and Daylight Girl (see
paragraph 248). 3. A¢a yiskàgo, it is day all around. Refrain, loleyè,
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.
Aïena.
1. Nagāī çonilínië, nagāī çonilínië,
2. Biçhyísgo cinì‘ ¢eyà‘
Haïniyèa, haïniyèa, āīèe niò haïne-yàhe, oöhè.
3. Nagāī çointyèlië, nagāī çonilínië,
4. Biçhyísgo cinì‘ ¢eyà‘ Haïniyèa, etc.
5. Nagāī saⁿ biçòië, nagāī çonilínië,
6. Biçhyísgo cinì‘ ¢eyà‘
Haïniyèa, etc.
255. _Translation._--1. Nagāī that; çonilíni, flowing water, a river.
2, 4, 6. Biçhyísgo, across it; cinì‘, my mind; ¢eyà‘, it goes, or, it
comes, it wanders to or from. 3. Çointyèli, broad water. 5. Saⁿ biço,
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.
Oeà oeà, eà eà, he he;
Oeà oeà, eà eeà, he he, ee naⁿ a.
1. Dsilyi‘ Neyáni, cayolèli cayolèli;
2. Tcoyaj ¢ilhyíli, cayolèli cayolèli;
3. Tsíca alìli, cayolèli cayolèli;
4. Bija ¢igíngo, cayolèli cayolèli.
5. Tcikè-¢igìni, cayolèli cayolèli;
6. Tcoyaj çolíji, cayolèli cayolèli;
7. Tsí¢a alìli, cayolèli cayolèli;
8. Bíja ¢igíngo, cayolèli cayolèli.
258. _Translation._--1. Dsilyi‘ Neyáni, Reared Within the Mountains, the
prophet who instituted these ceremonies; cayolèli, he carries [something
long and flexible, as a branch or sapling] for me. 2, 6. Tcoyaj,
a spruce sapling, diminutive of tco, spruce; ¢ilhyíl, black; çolíj,
blue. 3, 7. Tsí¢a alìli (usually tsí¢a bialìli), truly a dance
implement. 4, 8. Bíja ¢igíngo (usually bíja-ye¢igíngo), a holy treasure,
a magic wand.
259. _Free translation._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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