The Mescaleros' Prophecy, Mescalero Apache Text excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes |
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9. The Mescaleros' Prophecy
as told by Fred Pelman
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 | The Mescaleros' Prophecy, Mescalero Apache Text |  |
9. The Mescaleros' Prophecy as told by Fred Pelman
When the earth had been made, Killer of Enemies put us down right here in the vicinity of White Mountain.
nDii'ágoch'íͅlaadáͅ Naaghéé'neesghánéń 'iͅiͅeenahíńjaaj dziłgais'ání bindádé.
'Ákoo 'iͅiͅee Naaghéé'neesghánéń nahíńjaajná'a.
'Áí 'it'ah naaheͅeͅtáͅáͅ.
'Áńń Yóósń ndii'ágóͅlaań:
Then Killer of Enemies put us down right here.
We are still here.
That God who created the earth:
1. nahíńjaaj 'he put us down'. This was probably misheard for nnahíńjaaj, the 3rd person perf. of ni-ni-...[ni- perf.]-jáásh 'to put down a mass' [act. tr.].
2. dziłgais'ání 'White Mountain'. dził 'mountain'; łigai 'that which is white'; si'ání 'that which lies'.
3. bindádé 'its vicinity, neighborhood'.
Then there were only Indians scattered over the country.
'Áshíͅ dándéná ndiibeedahgoos'áͅná'a.
'Iͅiͅshíͅ hanyaago sháhanát'áyádó shá'ii'áyádó soͅoͅsbinibitł'áhádó 'áíí ndé bindiidení.
'Áíí ha'yáhee 'idaaskagó?
K'adi Mashgaléneí góͅlaaí dábéghahégo Mashgaléne ná'idzii.
'Ákoo 'indááńne ndé bindiidení dábeehadeesbiͅ.
From here down to the east an south and north was then Indian country.
Where have they gone?
Now there remains only a handful of Mescalero.
And the white men have filled up that which was the land of the Indians.
1. ndiibeedahgoos'áͅná'a 'they were scattered over the country'. ndii 'land country'; bee- 'with it'; dah- 'on, upon'; goos'áͅ 'a place lies'. Literally 'the country lay with them upon it'.
2. soͅoͅsbinibitł'áhádó 'the north also'. soͅoͅsbini or soͅoͅsbiͅ 'Big Dipper'; bitł'áhá, bitł'áh 'under it' plus -yá pp.; -dó 'also'.
3. bindiidení 'that which was then their country'. -ndiide, poss. form of ndii 'country'; -n past tense enclitic.
4. The fourth line is literally as follows: "Now / Mescalero people / that which is their land / being just to its measure / Mescalero people / there remains."
5. dábeehadeesbiͅ 'they have filled it up'. dá- emphatic; bee- 'with it'; plus the 3rd person perf. of ha-di-...[si- perf.]-biͅ 'to become full' [act. intr.]. Literally 'it has become absolutely full with [or, of] them.'
Long ago there were no white men.
'Iłk'idáͅ 'indaa'édaadiͅdáͅ.
'Iłk'idáͅnndéne 'ághándi.
'Iͅiͅjiͅ 'indaa doot'íͅdadáͅ.
K'adi 'ághádzaa.
The people of long ago spoke thus.
At that time they had seen no white men here.
Now it has become so.
Then:
'Ákoo:
Dá'ákaa'ádzaa.
It has become just like that.
1. háálínndéná'idziií 'when there are only a few Indians left'. háálí 'only a few' [?]; ndé 'Indians'; ná'idzii 'there remains' [no analysis]; -í relative.
2. ndii'énágodiͅí 'áháánédaał 'the end of the world will be at hand'. ndii 'world, earth'; 'énágodiͅ 'it is destroyed' [place subj. of 'é-ná-...-diͅ 'to be gone, destroyed'. 'é- thematic; ná- ?]. 'áhááné 'it is near'; -daał fut. encl.
These of the past did not speak incorrectly.
'Áíní doołi'haodzída.
'It'ah 'itédandzíínégo, dá'ágháhndá.
K'adi dá'ághát'éndah, dá'ághát'égo 'ánahíͅlaaná'a, Yóósń.
'Áíí dooyáadaahit'íͅdago 'ánahíͅlaaná'a.
'Áíí 'it'ah dá'ághánt'égo hoͅoͅka.
Still poverty-stricken, we live just so.
But then, God has created us that way.
He created us without anything.
We still go on in that way.
1. 'áíní 'those of the past'. 'áí 'those'; -n past tense enclitic; -í relative.
2. doołi'haodzída 'they did not speak incorrectly'. Negative of the 3rd person perf. of ha-|...[hi- perf.]-dzii 'to speak' [act. intr.]. łi'- 'incorrectly' [?].
In spite of that, [the Indians now] go the way of these white men.
Dá'ághát'éndah, díí nndébindáadatł'ijéńne bikék'ehyágo dahnaa'ijish.
K'adi díí ndéne 'áńń ndé bitsii ch'óͅóͅshé.
Bi'édeí díík'eh 'ighe'sijé.
K'adi ndéní doobégóͅziͅda dá'indaaí.
Now Indian men have cut their hair.
They wear only white men's clothing.
Now those who were Indians cannot be distinguished [from] white men.
1. bitsii ch'óͅóͅshé 'they have cut their hair'. bitsii 'their heads'. ch'óͅóͅshé, 3a person perf. of ...[hi- perf.]-ł-zhé 'to cut, shear, mow' [act. tr.].
2. 'ighe'sijé 'they wear'. 'ighe' 'inside it'; sijé 'they lie' [3rd person si- perf. neut. intr.].
3. The last line is literally as follows: "Now / those who were Indians / it is not known of them / those who are just white men."
The Indians of long ago said that we would go the way of the white men.
'Ághát'é 'indaa bikék'ehyágo 'oͅoͅkaí 'iłk'idáͅ, ndéne 'ándíná'a.
Díík'eh dá'ákaago 'ághá'iͅiͅjiͅ doołi'indaahot'íͅdadáͅ.
'Iłk'idáͅ ndéné 'ándíná'a.
Doołi'haodzída.
None of them at that time had seen any white men in this place.
The people spoke thus long ago.
They did not speak incorrectly.
Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer
1. nahíńjaaj 'he put us down'. This was probably misheard for nnahíńjaaj, the 3rd person perf. of ni-ni-...[ni- perf.]-jáásh 'to put down a mass' [act. tr.].
2. dziłgais'ání 'White Mountain'. dził 'mountain'; łigai 'that which is white'; si'ání 'that which lies'.
3. bindádé 'its vicinity, neighborhood'.
1. ndiibeedahgoos'áͅná'a 'they were scattered over the country'. ndii 'land country'; bee- 'with it'; dah- 'on, upon'; goos'áͅ 'a place lies'. Literally 'the country lay with them upon it'.
2. soͅoͅsbinibitł'áhádó 'the north also'. soͅoͅsbini or soͅoͅsbiͅ 'Big Dipper'; bitł'áhá, bitł'áh 'under it' plus -yá pp.; -dó 'also'.
3. bindiidení 'that which was then their country'. -ndiide, poss. form of ndii 'country'; -n past tense enclitic.
4. The fourth line is literally as follows: "Now / Mescalero people / that which is their land / being just to its measure / Mescalero people / there remains."
5. dábeehadeesbiͅ 'they have filled it up'. dá- emphatic; bee- 'with it'; plus the 3rd person perf. of ha-di-...[si- perf.]-biͅ 'to become full' [act. intr.]. Literally 'it has become absolutely full with [or, of] them.'
1. háálínndéná'idziií 'when there are only a few Indians left'. háálí 'only a few' [?]; ndé 'Indians'; ná'idzii 'there remains' [no analysis]; -í relative.
2. ndii'énágodiͅí 'áháánédaał 'the end of the world will be at hand'. ndii 'world, earth'; 'énágodiͅ 'it is destroyed' [place subj. of 'é-ná-...-diͅ 'to be gone, destroyed'. 'é- thematic; ná- ?]. 'áhááné 'it is near'; -daał fut. encl.
1. 'áíní 'those of the past'. 'áí 'those'; -n past tense enclitic; -í relative.
2. doołi'haodzída 'they did not speak incorrectly'. Negative of the 3rd person perf. of ha-|...[hi- perf.]-dzii 'to speak' [act. intr.]. łi'- 'incorrectly' [?].
1. bitsii ch'óͅóͅshé 'they have cut their hair'. bitsii 'their heads'. ch'óͅóͅshé, 3a person perf. of ...[hi- perf.]-ł-zhé 'to cut, shear, mow' [act. tr.].
2. 'ighe'sijé 'they wear'. 'ighe' 'inside it'; sijé 'they lie' [3rd person si- perf. neut. intr.].
3. The last line is literally as follows: "Now / those who were Indians / it is not known of them / those who are just white men."
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