University of Virginia Library

previous section Coyote and the Creation, Mescalero Apache Text
next section

[Coyote] has now come to the various ravens, who are those of the class of carrion-eaters that fly.

(5.61)[61]
Ntoͅíyiyáͅshé 'igáał'aashé naat'ashégóńt'isé'át'éí gaa'ye góńt'ishé dá'íłts'é baagóńyáí.
Gaa'ye'ichaͅaͅshchoshyiyáné beegodeeyáná'a.
  • "Gaa'yentsaaí,
  • gołgayágaa'ye,
  • gaa'yezáͅáͅyéí,
  • tseeshóͅóͅ'ye,
  • góńt'ishé.
Haadí hisiií náágodadleeł."
ńziͅná'a.
"Nágo'a 'édiní beenáágodadááł."
Shóͅóͅdé ńziͅná'a.
[Coyote] has now come to the various ravens, who are those of the class of carrion-eaters that fly.
He has started with the ravens.
  • "Raven,
  • white-necked raven,
  • crows,
  • buzzard,
  • [and] all other kinds.
Any that I have missed will also be created."
he thought.
"And those who do not exist will also come by means of him."
Coyote thought.
 
[_]
(5.61) Linguistic Notes

1. The literal translation of the first line of this passage is as follows: "Those who eat bad things / all varieties of them / those who are of those that fly about / ravens / all kinds of them / first / that which he has come to. "

2. ntoͅíyiyáͅshé 'carrion-eaters'. ntoͅ ' it is bad, evil'; yiyáͅ 'they eat it'; -shé 'those of such and such a group'.

3. gaa'ye'itsaͅaͅshchoshyiyáné [this form appears in the text as gaa'ye'ichaͅaͅshchoshyiyáné--MEC] 'the ravens'. gaa'ye 'raven'; 'itsaͅaͅshchosh- 'carrion' [?]; yiyáͅ 'they eat it'.

4. gaa'yentsaaí 'raven'. ntsaa 'it is big'.

gołgayágaa'ye 'white-necked raven'. Literally 'plains raven'.

gaa'yezáͅáͅyéí 'crow'. -záͅáͅyé 'little'.

tseeshóͅóͅ'ye 'buzzard'. tsee- 'tail' -shóͅóͅ'- ye ?.

previous section Coyote and the Creation, Mescalero Apache Text
next section