The Pima Indians/Linguistics/Songs/Hunting songs

LINGUISTICS

Songs

HUNTING SONGS

KâtՈtâpĭ NyՈĭ, Datura Song^[1]

[By Virsak Vâĭ-ĭ]

I

Tâhaiva
White siyalĭ
morning kᴜkĭm,
stand, *
tâhaiva
white siyalĭ
morning kᴜkĭm;
stand; kᴜta
in nyi
I worsanyûk
arose hi-ĭm.
go. (Repeat
from
*)

Tcᴜtâñgĭ
Blue yondany
evening kᴜñgᴜsĭm,
falls, *
tcᴜtâñgĭ
blue yondany
evening kᴜñgᴜsĭn;
falls; kᴜta
in nyi
I worsanyûk
arose hi-ĭm.
go. (Repeat
from
*)

Translation

At the time of the White Dawn;
At the time of the White Dawn.
I arose and went away,
At Blue Nightfall I went away.

II

Kâtᴜndami^[2]
Thornapple ya-ahañgᴜ,
leaves, *
kâtᴜndami
thornapple ya-ahañgᴜ;
leaves; konyitcoma
I that hoñgiyâk
eat nânʇahangᴜ
dizzy rsakalĭ
stagger mᴜmᴜlihimᴜ.
run. (Repeat
all;
then
repeat
from
*)

Kâtᴜndami
Thornapple yâsĭngᴜ,
flowers, *
kâtᴜndami
thornapple yâsĭñgᴜ;
flowers; tcoma
that hiyâkᴜ
drink navahamo
drunk rsakalĭ
stagger mᴜmᴜlihimᴜ.
run. (Repeat
from
*)

III

Kakatâ
Bows kᴜviholi
great yânamᴜ
remaining man nyâĭta-a,
following, *
hiyavâ
here nyiahᴜ
overtook vatâny,
he me, mᴜmoak
killed inyi,
me, wopa
left hitany
this yahañga
my horns hikomiaka
cut off rsolĭñga-a.
throw away. (Repeat
from
*)

Vapakâ
Reeds kᴜviholi
great yânamᴜ
remaining man nyâĭta-a,
following, *
hiyavâ
here nyiahᴜ
overtook vatâny,
he me, mᴜmoak
killed inyi
me, wopa
left hitany
this nânhavia
my feet hikomiaka
cut off rsoliñga-a.
throw away. (Repeat
from
*)

IV

Momovali
Fly nâtakimᴜ,
crazy, *
momovali
fly nâtakimᴜ,
crazy, kaʇoho
there miawaka
drop hamâ
there yanaki
flap. taimhᴜ-ᴜ.
(Repeat
from
*)

*Yâkimalĭ
Butterfly navakâhi,
drunk, yâkimalĭ
Butterfly navakâhi,
drunk, kaʇoho
there miawaka
drop hamâ
there tapai
open kimᴜ-ᴜ.
and shut wings. (Repeat
from
*)

Translation

I ate the thornapple leaves
And the leaves made me dizzy.
I drank thornapple flowers
And the drink made me stagger.

The hunter, Bow-remaining,
He overtook and killed me,
Cut and threw my horns away.
The hunter, Reed-remaining,
He overtook and killed me,
Cut and threw my feet away.

Now the flies become crazy
And they drop with flapping wings.
The drunken butterflies sit
With opening and shutting wings.

PihoꞀ NyՈĭ, Pihol Song

[By Virsak Vâĭ-ĭ]

I

Yali
Younger tcovᴜ
hare makai
magician tcokak
blackness ᴜt
in mᴜʇᴜtatc
running yoai
black-tailed
deer tcokak
meat yoapa,
bring, sialĭm
morning antâ
I will yoapa,
bring, sialĭm
morning antâ
I will yoapa-a.
bring. Yali
Younger kaʌᴜ
badger makai
magician tcokak
blackness ᴜt
in mᴜʇᴜtatc
running yoai
black-tailed
deer tata
feet yoapa,
bring, sialĭm
morning antâ
I will yoaka,
bring, sialĭm
morning antâ
I will yoapa-a.
bring. (Repeat
four
times)

II

Nany
Had I pia
no hyᴜwᴜlĭk,
wind, nany
had I pia
no yᴜwᴜlĭk,
wind, nany
had I pia
no hayᴜwᴜli-ika-a.
wind. Nany
Had I pia
no hatcᴜʌakĭk,
clouds, nany
had I pia
no tcᴜvakĭk,
clouds, nany
had I hatcᴜva ki-ika-a.
no clouds. Kahova
Distant siyalĭ
east wᴜtca
under sâhama
yellow Ikoɭ
(?) kᴜkatc
standing yamhâ
there nyᴜ
me vaita,
calling, nany
had I pia
no yᴜwᴜlĭk,
wind, nany
had I pia
no hayᴜwᴜli-ika-a.
wind. Kamhova
There hondony
west wᴜtca
under sâhama
yellow Ikoɭ
(?) kukatc
standing yamhâ
there nyᴜ
me vaita,
calling, nany
had I pia
no yᴜwᴜlĭk,
wind, nany
had I pia
no hayᴜwᴜli-ika-a.
wind. Kamhova
There hondony
west wᴜtcâ
under sâhama
yellow Ikoɭ
(?) kᴜkatc
standing yamhâ
there nyᴜ
me vaita,
calling, nany
had I pai
no tcᴜwᴜkĭk,
clouds, nany
had I pia
no hatcᴜwᴜki-ika-a.
clouds.

Translation

Young Hare Magician running
Brings black-tailed deer venison.
And young Badger Magician
Brings the feet of the black-tailed deer.

Had I neither winds or clouds?
In the east the Yellow Ikol,
In the west the Yellow Ikol
Called me. I had no winds or clouds.

↑ This and the Pihol song are sung to bring success when setting out on a deer hunt. This song is principally depended upon in cases of sickness where the characteristic symptoms are vomiting and dizziness.
↑ A native thornapple, Datura meteloides D.C. It is popularly believed that if one eat an undivided root it will render him temporarily insane, but if the root be divided or branching it is innocuous. There is a tradition that a man at Blackwater ate of the root and directed that he be locked in an empty house until the effects should wear off. He was locked in at noon and toward the evening he was seen running through the thickets toward the river a couple of miles distant. He recovered his senses when in the middle of a thorny thicket of mesquites. His limbs were scratched and bruised, yet he had been unconscious of any injury until the moment of recovering his wits.

[1] This and the Pihol song are sung to bring success when setting out on a deer hunt. This song is principally depended upon in cases of sickness where the characteristic symptoms are vomiting and dizziness.

[2] A native thornapple, Datura meteloides D.C. It is popularly believed that if one eat an undivided root it will render him temporarily insane, but if the root be divided or branching it is innocuous. There is a tradition that a man at Blackwater ate of the root and directed that he be locked in an empty house until the effects should wear off. He was locked in at noon and toward the evening he was seen running through the thickets toward the river a couple of miles distant. He recovered his senses when in the middle of a thorny thicket of mesquites. His limbs were scratched and bruised, yet he had been unconscious of any injury until the moment of recovering his wits.

[1]

[2]