THE POETRY OF PRE-LITERATE PEOPLES
An unpublished anthology gathered by Kenneth Rexroth (ca. 1975)
Part 2: The American Indian
Makah
Haida
Clayoquot
Tsimshian
Kwakiutl
Lkungen
Lenape
Ojibwa (Chippewa)
Seminole
Mandan
Kiowa
Sioux
Ponka
Cheyenne
Pawnee
Zuni
Isleta
Acoma
Santo Domingo Pueblo
Cochiti
Navaho
Pima
Papago
Yuma
Yaqui
Southern Paiute
Makah
[1]
My little son,
You will put a sealing spear in your canoe without
Knowing what use you will make of it
When you are a man.
[2]
I Will Not Cut Off Your Head
The only reason
Why I do not cut off your head
Is that your face would have
A crying expression
When I carried the head.
[3]
Song Composed by a Blind Woman
Keep away. Just a little touch of you is sufficient.
Haida
[4]
Lullaby
Whence have you fallen, have you fallen? Whence have
you fallen, have you fallen? [i.e. How did you come to us?]
Did you fall, fall, fall, from the top of the salmonberry bushes?
[5]
Lullaby
You need not think that the smoke of your house in the
middle of the Skedans will be as great as when you were a woman [in your
previous existence].
You need not think that they will make such a continual noise of singing
in Skedans Creek as they used to when you were a woman [in your previous
existence].
Clayoqout
[6]
Ten Large Quartz Crystals
At a place far away there are ten large quartz
crystals.
This is the news which the thunderbird brings you.
Tsimshian
[7]
Wutsatsiksye
Don’t walk too haughtily, my dear!
You have just seen me.
My thoughts are constantly of you.
Do you think I will be grieved if you throw me off?
You are the one that will jump back to my side.
Why do you howl, large Wolf,
When the little Frog is playing dead
(As frogs do when they are frightened)?
On top of whom have you been lying in the forest?
[8]
Kawmdedaldaw
The raven drum now has come back.
We can hear nothing but its large voice.
It is like a great brightness.
The great voice of the Raven,
The cawing Raven all covered with pearls,
Is ahead of me.
We can hear nothing but its large voice.
[9]
Ludepkwaw
The Grizzly Bears sit looking
Down from the top
At the four corners
Of the graded house of stone.
The Grizzly Bears sit smelling
Down from the top
At the four corners
Of the graded house of stone.
Poor man, who stands
At the four corners
Of the graded house of stone.
I am sorrowful when I stand
At the four corners
Of the graded house of stone.
Kwakiutl
[10]
Ye he he ya! It deprived me of my mind
When the moon went down
At the edge of the waters!
Ye he he ya!
Ye he he ya! It deprived me of my breath
When the mouse-dancer began
To gnaw on the water!
Ye he he ya!
Ye he he ya! It deprived me of my mind
When Modana the uttering he began,
Of the cannibal cry
On the water!
Lkungen
[11]
There Are Plenty of Men
I had a dream last night:
I dreamt my husband took a second wife;
So I took my little basket and I said before I left,
“There are plenty of men.”
Thus I dreamt.
Lenape
[12]
The Walam Olum
After the rushing waters had subsided,
The Lenape of the turtle were close together, in hollow houses.
It freezes where they abode, it snows where they abode,
It storms where they abode, it is cold where they abode.
At this northern place they speak favorably
Of mild, cool lands, with many deer and buffaloes.
As they journeyed, some being strong, some rich,
They separated into house-builders and hunters;
The strongest, the most united, the purest, were the hunters.
The hunters showed themselves at the north, at the east,
At the south, at the west.
In that ancient country, in that northern country, in
That turtle country, the best of the Lenape were the Turtle men.
All the cabin fires of that land were disquieted,
And all said to their priest, “Let us go.”
To the Snake land to the east they went forth,
Going away, earnestly grieving.
Split asunder, weak, trembling, their land burned,
They went, torn and broken, to the Snake Island.
Those from the north being free, without care, went forth
From the land of snow, in different directions.
The fathers of the Bald Eagle and the White Wolf
Remain along the sea, rich in fish and mussels.
Floating up the streams in their canoes, our fathers were rich,
They were in the light, when they were at those islands.
Head Beaver and Big Bird said,
”Let us go to Snake Island,” they said.
All say they will go along to destroy all the land.
Those of the north agreed,
Those of the east agreed.
Over the water, the frozen sea, they went to enjoy it.
On the wonderful, slippery water,
On the stone-hard water all went,
On the great Tidal Sea, the mussel-bearing sea.
Ten thousand at night,
All in one night,
To the Snake Island, to the east, at night,
They walk and walk, all of them.
The men from the north, the east, the south,
The Eagle clan, the Beaver clan, the Wolf clan,
The best men, the rich men, the head men,
Those with wives, those with daughters, those with dogs,
They all come, they tarry at the land of the spruce pines;
Those from the west come with hesitation,
Esteeming highly their old home at the Turtle land.
[The Walum Olum is the long tribal and cosmological origin myth of the Lenape. It is famous for the mnemonic pictographs which accompany it.]
Ojibwa (Chippewa)
[13]
Lullaby
It is hanging
In the edge of the sunshine.
It is a pig, I see,
With its cloven hoofs;
It is a very fat pig.
The people who live in a hollow tree
Are fighting.
They are fighting bloodily.
He is rich.
He will carry a pack toward the great water.
Rabbit speaks:
At the end of the point of land,
I eat the bark off the tree;
I see the track of a lynx.
I don’t care; I can get away from him.
It is a jumping trail —
Sep!
[14]
Song of the Crows
The first to come
I am called among the birds.
I bring the rain.
Crow is my name.
[15]
To the Buffalo
Strike now our land with your curved horns.
[16]
The Warrior’s Vow
The feast is spread;
The leader is now telling his men
Where they will go,
What enemy tribe they will attack.
Seated round their leader,
Hear them respond, “Ho, ah ho, ho, ho!”
The feast is done;
The warriors stand around making their vow
Not to retreat from where they will see
A lance in the ground
There they must fight or fall.
Hear them respond, “Ho, ah ho, ho, ho!”
In distant lands
The warriors brave enter the fray;
Thick fly the arrows, while overhead
Shineth the lance,
But at its foot how many
Warriors lie — dead beside the lance.
[17]
SONGS OF THE CHIPPEWA
Healing Song
They are in close consultation
with their heads together
Wenabojo
and his grandmother.
Love-charm
What are you saying to me?
I am arrayed like the roses
and beautiful as they.
I Am Walking
Toward calm and shady places
I am walking
on the earth.
They Think Me Unworthy
They think me unworthy
my Mide brethren
but look and see
the length of my wigwam.
The Sound Is Fading Away
The sound is fading away.
It is of five sounds.
Freedom.
The sound is fading away.
It is of five sounds.
Doctor’s Song
I am singing and dreaming in my poor way
over the earth
I who will disembark
upon earth.
Song of the Trees
The wind
only
I am afraid of.
Song of the Thunders
Sometimes
I go about pitying
myself
while I am carried by the wind
across the sky.
The Approach of the Storm
From the half
of the sky
that which lives there
is coming, and makes a noise.
I Am Afraid of the Owl
Very much
also
I
of the owl
am afraid
whenever I am sitting alone
in the wigwam.
I Am as Brave as Other Men
Men who are brave and heroic
as you esteem them to be
Like them
I also
consider myself to be.
My Music Reaches to the Sky
My music
reaches
to the sky.
Farewell to the Warriors
Come
it is time for you to depart
We are going on a long journey.
Song of the Man Who Was to Be Hung
The thunders will take me home
whenever I mind to go home,
my friends,
and the wind
it will take me home, too.
Friendly Song
Over there
in the sky
they have taken pity on me.
The sky
loves to hear me.
Gaming Song
I will go home
if I am beaten
after more articles
to wager.
War Songs
At Co’goben’s
village
they are weaping
the men.
At Co’goben’s
village
they are wailing
the women.
I feel no fear
when the Great River man
death
speaks of.
The Man Who Stayed Home
Although
Jinwabe
considers himself
a man
his wife
certainly
takes all his attention.
Rexroth general note: Most Chippewa songs are thought of as having "power." They are like Christian Sacraments, channels of the supernatural, a different concept than "magic," and greatly resemble the mantras of Hinduism and Buddhism. Many are songs of the Midewiwin, the religious secret society of the Chippewa, and were sung by individuals as they rose and danced around the circle of the Mide lodge. At one time it was fairly easy for caucasians to be initiated into the Mide lodge, but this is a thing of the past. (I, Kenneth Rexroth, have been in my youth. The initiate is usually given a pebble of white quartz or a small shell. I kept my pebble for many years.)
Seminole
[18]
Song of a Medicine Woman
The dog has no death,
The sick baby is drink from the dog that has no death.
[19]
Song for the Dying
Come back.
Before you get to the king tree, come back,
Before you get to the peach tree, come back,
Before you get to the line of fence, come back,
Before you get to the bushes, come back,
Before you get to the fork of the road, come back,
Before you get to the yard, come back,
Before you get to the door, come back,
Before you get to the fire, come back,
Before you get to the middle of the ladder, come back.
Mandan
[20]
She Walks Alone
A certain maiden
to the garden
goes,
lonely
she walks
[21]
I Am Alone
that man
you refused
that man
is it he?
he is lost
I am alone
the [undecipherable word: day? way?]
to see,
for a long time
I will be alone,
him
I cannot see
[22]
Young Wolves
young wolves
do your best
you are men
[23]
Song to the Raven
raven
I am going to die
fly away
[24]
Lullaby
Baby swimming down the river:
Little driftwood legs,
Little rabbit legs.
Sioux
[25]
Song of a Medicine-Man
At night may I roam;
against the winds may I roam;
when the owl is hooting may I roam.
[26]
Love Song
No love, where are you leading me?
No love, where are you leading me?
My own husband loves me,
He whom I left.
Leave me, for he loves me,
Leave me, let me go.
Oh leave me!
[27]
Love Song
Up the creek I stand and wave.
See, all alone I wave.
Come here,
Come here,
Hurry to me.
[28]
We Must Part
Many are the young men.
You alone are pleasing to me;
You, O chief, I love.
But we must part
And long will be the time!
[29]
Love Song
Know the reason of our parting:
I have watched you well, faithless one.
He-ye, he-ye,
Clasp my hand and part.
[30]
Song of the White Buffalo Maiden
With visible breath
I am walking
this nation (the Buffalo nation)
I walk toward
and
my voice is heard
I am walking
with visible breath
I am walking
this scarlet relic
(for it) I am walking
[31]
Opening Prayer of the Sun Dance
Grandfather!
A voice I am going to send,
Hear me!
All over the universe
A voice I am going to send,
Hear me,
Grandfather!
I will live!
I have said it.
[32]
Owls Hooting
Owls
(were) hooting
in the passing of the night
owls (were) hooting
[33]
Song of the Crow and Owl
at night
may I roam
against the winds
may I roam
at night
(may) I roam
(when) the owl
(is) hooting
may I roam
at dawn
may I roam
against the winds
may I roam
at dawn
(may) I roam
(when) the crow
(is) calling
may I roam
[34]
In a Sacred Manner I Live
in a sacred manner
I live
to the heavens
I gazed
in a sacred manner
I live
my horses
are many
[35]
Northward They Are Walking
northward
they are walking
a sacred stone
they touch
they are walking
[36]
The Many Lands You Fear
friends
the many lands
you fear
in them without fear I have walked
the black face-paint
I seek
[37]
When a Horse Neighs
daybreak
appears
when
a horse
neighs
[38]
A Wolf I Considered Myself
a wolf
I considered myself
but
I have eaten nothing
therefore
from standing
I am tired out
a wolf
I considered myself
but
the owls
are hooting
and
the night I fear
[39]
At the Wind Center I Stand
at the center of the earth
I stand
behold me
at the wind center (where the winds blow toward me from every side)
I stand
behold me
a root of herb (medicine)
therefore
I stand
at the wind center
I stand
[40]
I Look for Him in Vain
as the young men go by
I was looking for him
it surprises me anew
that he has gone
something
to which I cannot be reconciled
[41]
A Prairie Fire
a prairie fire
I started
when
you were intent on women and hindered by them
did you see it?
well
it was I
who did it
[42]
Owls Hoot at Me
owls
hoot at me
owls
hoot at me
that is what
I hear in my life
wolves
howl at me
wolves
howl at me
that is what
I hear in my life
Ponka
[43]
She:
When I think of you, I am weeping as I go!
When I go to the bluffs, I am weeping as I move.
He:
O Niagiwathe, do you say that to me?
My grandmother you are; so I feel and am annoyed!
Cheyenne
[44]
Song of Turtle, the Medicine-Man
The thunder gave me black paint;
He took pity on me.
He gave me black paint;
He gave me protection from harm.
The thunder makes a noise high up in the air.
The thunder gave me red paint;
He took pity on me.
He gave me the ability to go through life.
I know this, for I have had a long life.
[45]
Old War Song
The stones are all that last long.
Pawnee
[46]
How Near Is the Morning?
Go out and see how the stars stand.
Tell us how near is the morning.
It is almost morning.
Wake up, men,
It is almost morning.
Go out and see how the stars stand.
Tell us how near is the morning.
The morning star is coming up.
Change the song.
The morning star is rising.
[47]
The White Fox
Yonder it comes.
The expanse of earth is wide,
My brother the fox spoke and said,
”Behold and see the wideness of the earth,
The white foxes know the earth is wide.”
[48]
The Yellow Star
The yellow star has noticed me.
Furthermore,
It gave me a standing yellow feather,
That yellow star.
[49]
The Heavens Are Speaking
I stood here, I stood there,
The clouds are speaking.
I say, “You are the ruling power,
I do not understand, I only know
What I am told,
You are the ruling power, you are now speaking,
This power is yours, O heavens.”
[50]
Unreal the Buffalo Is Standing
He said, unreal the buffalo is standing.
These are his sayings.
Unreal the buffalo is standing,
Unreal he stands in the open space,
Unreal he is standing.
Zuni
[51]
At the Rainbow Spring
At the rainbow spring
The dragon-flies start
And fly over the rain priests’ houses
To bring rain to the Indian village.
There are blue, red, yellow, white, black and spotted dragon-flies.
[52]
Lullaby
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
In the trail the beetles
Carry each other on their back.
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Isleta
[53]
The Coming of the Sun
Early this morning the coming of the sun,
For what purpose is it coming?
Perhaps for the cornmeal it is coming.
Yonder in the west at Shiawibat
All Isleta maidens, what do you think?
What do you say? Shall we sit and sing?
Early this morning the coming of the sun.
For what purpose is it coming?
Perhaps for the yellow pollen it is coming.
Yonder in the west at Shiawibat,
People of Shiawibat, what do you think?
What do you say? Shall we sit and sing?
Early this morning the coming of the sun.
For what purpose is it coming?
Perhaps for sons and daughters of the people it is coming.
Yonder in the west,
People, what do you think?
What do you say? Shall we sit and sing?
Acoma
[54]
Hunting Song
Deer-youth, the one who is four times ahead,
That is the one of whom I am thinking.
It is the kind of robe and the kind of face,
The whole body and the kind of health he has,
That is the one I am thinking about.
Antelope-youth, the one who is four times ahead,
That is the one of whom I am thinking.
It is the kind of robe and the kind of face,
The whole body and the kind of health he has,
That is the one I am thinking about.
Somewhere along the edge, under a pine tree,
There you are looking for me, you are waiting for me,
Now I shall follow where you have gone.
Somewhere out on the plain, somewhere among the sages,
There you are looking for me, you are waiting for me,
Now I shall follow you where you have gone.
[55]
Mother’s Song to a Baby
First, the little baby through the medicine man’s
prayers
Has been given life.
Here and there, with the medicine man’s song.
For the baby the songs have been sung.
Next, the baby’s mother,
With the songs of the rains gods
She has cared for the little baby.
Here and there the mother with the cloud cradle,
The little baby was cared for.
It was nice that the clouds came up like foam,
As if it was among those soft little clouds,
With this the baby was cared for.
[56]
A Little Golden Eagle
There in the eastern turquoise chamber
There this morning a baby golden eagle was born.
[57]
Butterfly Song
Butterfly, butterfly, butterfly, butterfly,
Oh look, see it hovering among the flowers.
It is like a baby trying to walk and not knowing how to go.
The clouds sprinkle down the rain.
[58]
The Butterfly You Painted Has Flown Away
Is it not you, young man, is it not you, young man?
That sort of yellow butterfly you painted,
That flies in among the corn plants.
Is it not you, young man, is it not you, young man,
That sort of blue butterfly you painted,
That flies in among the corn plants.
Butterfly, butterfly, that yellow butterfly,
That beautiful butterfly,
I can see it fly away in its sacred way.
Is it not you, young man, is it not you, young man?
That kind of yellow butterfly, yellow butterfly you have painted.
So then it is pretty, to alight in the field.
Is it not you, young man, is it not you, young man?
That kind of blue butterfly, blue butterfly you have painted,
So then it is pretty, to alight in the field.
Butterfly, butterfly, that blue butterfly,
That beautiful butterfly,
I can see it fly away in its sacred way.
Butterfly, butterfly, yellow, blue butterfly,
Beautiful, beautifully it flies to the country.
Beautiful, beautifully it has flown among the flowers.
[59]
Look there, somewhere beneath the home of the raingod,
There underneath their home the raingods are painting themselves,
With their shoes of clouds and their ceremonial sashes,
With these they look handsome, and now they will return.
This way from the north, from the north path whence I came,
There the old-time prayer-sticks are repainting themselves in the same
manner.
Santo Domingo Pueblo
[60]
Song Concerning Laguna Lake
There was once on the west side of Laguna,
On the lower west side,
A bowl like that in which the medicine man mixes herbs and water,
It used nicely to produce cattails, plants and pollen,
It used nicely to draw the raingods to paint it with
Sprinkling rain, making a picture of the rain.
Now here above us, from the north direction,
The duck raingods fly.
They are looking for the medicine bowl west of Laguna.
Alas! A sad calamity has happened,
Pitiful it is.
Now here about us from the south direction
The winter wrens come.
The birds are white and in their flight
They look like clouds.
They are looking for the medicine bowl west of Laguna.
Alas! A sad calamity has happened,
Pitiful it is!
Cochiti
[61]
Hunting Song
The deer, the deer, here he went,
Here are his tracks over mother earth, mother earth,
Tramping, tramping through the deep forest,
With none to disturb him from above or below.
[62]
Ouwe Dance Song
They go on, on, on, on,
In the early morning, speaking, singing,
There they come by the sacred spring with the rain-boy,
While the rain spirits sing.
We hear this while we listen and it makes our hearts happy,
And out in the great open the people and crops rejoice,
For it is for our sakes they have come, and it makes us sing.
Early this morning the happy rain-boy came forth
To meet the chief of the warriors,
To beckon him to this happy gathering,
While the young maidens join them,
Happily dancing as other members look on.
The the rain-spirits also come and form themselves above,
And the earth-sign appears in the skies and comes down to alight.
Navaho
[63]
First Owl’s Song
Oh, I wish not the end
Of all nights!
Oh, I wish not the end
Of all the nights!
May the last night
Of all time endure forever!
[64]
Antelope’s Song
Lo, I am the light brown one!
Truly in the distant glade,
Below, through the opening
In the far green trees
The Antelope wanders.
[65]
Ground Squirrel Song
Slender and striped,
Slender and striped,
Look at him standing up there!
He stands up there
So slender in his stripes —
The Squirrel in his little white shirt!
[66]
Magpie’s Song
Listen now to the Magpie!
Listen now to the Magpie!
Here, below, within,
In the white of his wings
Lie the footsteps of the morning!
In his trail is the morning light.
It dawns! It dawns!
[67]
The Dreamer’s Song
I am walking on the tops of the mountains.
The Gods are before me.
The Gods are before me.
I am walking in the midst of the Gods.
[68]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#1)
I am planting the blue corn seed.
So, I am planting it.
It will grow quickly in one night.
It will grow and flourish.
In great beauty it will increase
In the garden of the Home God.
[69]
Dawn Boy and Rainbow Girl’s Song (#1)
With the water of the dark cloud
See the blue corn grow!
With the water of the dark mist
See the white corn grow!
With this it grows.
With this it is beautiful!
[70]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#2)
The great bean plant
Grows with the corn.
Its rootlets now
Grow with the corn.
Its blossoms now
Are with the corn.
Its pollen now
Is with the corn.
And now its seed
Is with the corn.
The great bean plants
Grows with the corn.
[71]
Dawn Boy and Rainbow Girl’s Song (#2)
Shall we pick the fruit
Of the great squash vine?
Shall we pick it?
Shall you pick it?
Shall we break off the fruit
Of the great squash vine?
Shall we pick it up?
Shall I?
Shall you?
[72]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#3)
Truly in the east
The great bean
And the blue corn
Are tied with the white lightning.
Listen!
The rain comes!
The voice of the bluebird is heard!
Truly in the west
The blue bean
And the great squash
Are tied with the rainbow.
Listen!
The rain comes!
The voice of the bluebird is heard!
[73]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#4)
From the top of the great corn
The water splashes,
Down, down.
I hear it.
Around the roots of the great corn
The water foams,
Around, around.
I see it.
[74]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#5)
The corn grows up.
The rain falls down.
The waters of the dark clouds
Drop, drop!
The corn grows up.
The rain falls down.
The water of the dark mist
Drips, drips!
Someone is beating
Against the sky.
I hear it!
Fall, rain, fall!
Grow, corn, grow!
[75]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#6)
Thonah! Thonah!
There is a voice above,
The voice of the thunder.
Within the dark cloud
Again and again it sounds.
Thonah! Thonah!
Aiena! Aiena!
There is a voice below,
The voice of the grasshopper.
Among the plants
Again and again it sounds.
Aiena! Aiena!
[76]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#7)
Oh, beautiful upon the earth,
All things are growing.
I hear the voice
That quickens now the earth.
So, happily may we return
To our waiting home!
All things are growing!
[77]
Hostyehogan, the Home God’s Song (#8)
Lulla-lay, lulla-lay,
Go to sleep, go to sleep!
May all your dreams be happy!
In the place of the night
Soon the dawn-light will come.
The curtains of daylight
Will hang over our home.
Now sleep, little Dawn Boy,
And little Rainbow Girl.
Lulla-lay, lulla-lay!
Pima
[78]
I ran into the swamp confused,
There I heard the tadpoles singing.
I ran into the swamp confused,
Where the bark-clothed tadpoles sang.
In the west the dragonfly wanders,
Skimming the surfaces of the pools,
Touching only with his tail. He skims
With flapping and rustling wings.
Thence I ran as the darkness gathers,
Wearing cactus flowers in my hair.
Thence I ran as the darkness gathers,
In fluttering darkness to the singing-place.
[79]
At the time of the white dawning,
At the time of the white dawning,
I arose and went away,
At Blue Nightfall I went away.
[80]
The evening glow still lingers,
The evening flow still lingers:
And I sit with my gourd rattle
Engaged in the sacred chant.
As I wave the eagle feathers
We hear the magic sounding.
The strong night is shaking me,
Just as once before he did
When in spirit I was taken
To the great magician’s house.
[81]
Pitiable harlot though I am,
My heart glows with the singing
While the evening is yet young.
My heart glows with the singing.
[82]
Now the swallow begins his singing;
Now the swallow begins his singing;
And the women who are with me,
The poor women commence to sing.
The swallows met in the standing cliff;
The swallows met in the standing cliff;
And the rainbows arched above me,
There the blue rainbos-arches met.
[83]
Down from the houses of magic,
Down from the houses of magic,
Blow the winds, and from my antlers
And my ears, they stronger gather.
Over there I ran trembling,
Over there I ran trembling,
For bows and arrows pursued me,
Many bows were on my trail.
[84]
In the reddish glow of the nightfall,
In the reddish flow of the nightfall,
I return to my burrow
About which the flowers bloom.
With the four eagle feathers,
With the four eagle feathers,
I stir the air. When I turn
My magic power is crossed.
[85]
The Land Is Parched and Burning
The land is parched and burning,
The land is parched and burning;
Going and looking about me
A narrow strip of green I see.
Still I don’t know,
Still I don’t know:
The harlot is here among us —
I go away toward the west.
The shadow of crooked mountain,
The curved and pointed shadow,
It was there I heard the singing,
Heard the songs that harmed my heart. [typo for “charmed”?]
The light glow of the evening,
The light glow of the evening
Comes, as the quails fly slowly,
And it settles on the young.
[86]
The Bright Dawn Appears in the Heavens
The bright dawn appears in the heavens,
The bright dawn appears in the heavens;
And the paling pleiades grow dim,
The moon is lost in the rising sun.
With the women bluebird came running,
With the women bluebird came running.
All came carrying clouds on their heads
And these were seen shaking as they danced.
See there the gray spider magician,
See there the gray spider magician,
Who ties the sun while the moon rolls on.
Turn back, the green staff raising higher.
Papago
[87]
A poor man takes the songs in his hand and drops them
Near the place where the sun sets.
See, Coweka, run to them and take them in your hand
And place them under the sunset.
[88]
In the great night my heart will go out.
Toward me the darkness comes rattling,
In the great night my heart will go out.
[89]
Song of the Watchers
The eagle is flying above in a round circle
And makes a shadow on the ground.
I am walking around under that shadow.
The blue hawk flies in a straight line
And makes a straight shadow.
Under that line I am running.
[90]
A White Wind from the West
From the west a white wind is coming.
Stand there and look, it is not near.
It is beside the ocean, there you will see it.
By the reflected light of the sun you will see it.
[91]
White Feathers Along the Edge of the World
Downy white feathers
are moving beneath the sunset
and along the edge of the world.
[92]
In the Medicine Man’s House
To the medicine man’s house they have led me,
To the medicine man’s house they have led me,
Inside the house they have brought me.
Elder Brother is there and owl feathers fly about.
Owl feathers sing in the air.
[93]
I Wandered Away
Where the mountain crosses,
On top of the mountain,
I don’t know where.
I wandered where my mind
and my heart seemed to be lost.
I wandered away.
[94]
Song Concerning the White Mountain
A white mountain, far away at the earth’s edge,
Stands beautiful
With brilliant white arches of light
Bending down toward the earth.
[95]
Clouds Are Approaching
Clouds are standing in the east, they are approaching.
It rains in the distance.
Now it is raining here and the thunder rolls.
Green rock mountains are thundering with clouds.
With this thunder the Akim village is shaking.
The water will come down the arroyo and I will float on the water.
Afterwards the corn will ripen in the fields.
Close to the west the great ocean is singing.
The waves are rolling toward me, covered with many clouds.
Even here I catch the sound.
The earth is shaking beneath me and I hear the deep rumbling.
A cloud on top of Evergreen Trees Mountain is singing,
A cloud on top of Evergreen Trees Mountain is standing still.
It is raining and thundering up there,
It is raining here.
Under the mountain the corn tassels are shaking,
Under the mountain the horns of the child corn are glistening.
[96]
The Rising and Setting Sun
The sun is rising.
At either side a bow is lying.
Beside the bows are lion-babies.
The sky is pink,
That is all.
The moon is setting.
At either side are reeds for arrow-making.
Beside the reeds are wildcat babies.
They walk uncertainly,
That is all.
The sun is slowly going,
It is slower in its setting.
Black bats will be swooping
When the sun is gone,
That is all.
Spirit children are beneath,
Rolling around,
Back and forth,
Among tufts of eagle down,
That is all.
Yuma
[97]
The Water Bug and the Shadows
The water bug is drawing the shadows of evening toward him on the water.
[98]
The howling coyote took up common dirt and
Scattered it toward the sky.
He caused the dirt to become stars and the rainbow.
[99]
The Deer Is Taking Away the Daylight
The deer is taking away the daylight.
After taking away the daylight he names it darkness.
[100]
The Owl Hooted
The owl was requested
To do as much as he knew how,
He only hooted and told of the morning star
And hooted again and told of the dawn.
Yaqui
[101]
The Deer and the Flower
The deer looks at a flower.
[102]
The Bush Is Singing
The bush is sitting under the tree and singing.
Note: “singing” refers to the putting forth of magic power [The draft includes this as an “example of a note,” i.e. of the sort of notes that would be helpful to add at a later stage of the project.]
[103]
Tule Love Song
Many pretty flowers, red, blue and yellow,
We say to the girls, “Let us go and walk among the flowers.”
The wind comes and sways the flowers,
The girls are like that when they dance.
Some are wide-open, large flowers and some are tiny little flowers.
The birds love the sunshine and the starlight.
The flowers smell sweet.
The girls are sweeter than the flowers.
Southern Paiute
[104]
The Pygmies
In the land of the Pygmies
There was a strange sight.
From mountain to mountain
A bow string was stretched,
A line of dust rose where they danced.
[105]
The Red Ant
The little red ant
Descended the hill
With one arrow only
The little red ant
That lives under the hill
The little red ant
That lives under the hill
Has only one arrow in his quiver
The poor little bee
That lives in the tree
The poor little bee
That lives in the tree
Has only one arrow
In his quiver
[106]
The Home of the River
The edge of the sky
Is the home of the river
[107]
Eagle’s Tears
At the morn the eagle will cry
On the farther shore of the sea
And the rainbow will be in the sky
[108]
Song of the Mountain Sheep
My curved horns
Like a necklace stand
[109]
Song of the Deer
The reed grow in the mountain glades
And the poplars stand on the borders
They ear the reeds and get shade in the aspens
[110]
A Paradox
The crest of the mountain
Forever remains, forever remains
Though rocks continually fall
A feather on the
Hill will remain continuously
But the rocks slide down
[111]
A Morning Walk
Over the land, over the land
I walk in the morning
Singing and trembling with cold
[112]
Music
Over the land at night
Slowly the music floats
[113]
The Trout
In the blue water
The trout wags its tail
[114]
The Desert
The land is hungry
The ants are starving
[115]
The Mountain Peak
On the peak of the mountain
The eagle is dancing
And the rain falls
[116]
The Earthquake
In the land, in the land
In that glittering land
Far away, far away
The mountain was shaken with pain
[117]
Cave Lake Song
The twilight has a home
And the black fish has a home
[118]
Patience
Let a man walk
A very long time
A hole he will bore
Into a cliff
[119]
In the pines it hails
Like a maiden
Playing
SOURCES
1. Charles Hofmann, Frances Densmore and American Indian Music. New York, 1968.
2-3, 6. Frances Densmore, Nootka and Quileute Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 124. Washington, DC, 1939.
4-5. J.R. Swanton, Publications of the American Ethnological Society, Vol. III. (ca. 1900. Reprinted in Paul Radin’s Primitive Man as Philosopher (1927), p. 143.)
7-9. V.E. Garfield, P.S. Wingert, M. Barbeau, The Tsimshian: Their Arts and Music. University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1951.
10. Franz Boas, Bureau of American Ethnology No. 35 (reprinted in Radin 104-105).
11. Franz Boas, The Lkungen. British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1890.
12. Daniel G. Brinton, The Lênapé and Their Legends. Library of American Aboriginal Literature, vol. 5. Philadelphia, 1885.
13. Frances Densmore, Chippewa Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 45 (1910). (reprinted in Radin 141)
14-16. Charles Hofmann, Frances Densmore and American Indian Music. New York, 1968.
17. Frances Densmore, Chippewa Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 45 (1910).
18. Charles Hofmann, Frances Densmore and American Indian Music. New York, 1968.
19. Frances Densmore, Seminole Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 161 (1956).
20-23. Frances Densmore, Mandan and Hidatsa Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 80 (1923).
24. Natalie Curtis, The Indians’ Book. New York, 1907. (reprinted in Radin 140)
25. Charles Hofmann, Frances Densmore and American Indian Music. New York, 1968.
26-29. Natalie Curtis, The Indians’ Book. New York, 1907. [These four songs are labeled “adapted from,” but it is not clear if Curtis or KR or someone else did the adapting.]
30-42. Frances Densmore, Teton Sioux Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 61 (1918).
43. Journal of American Folklore, Vol. XVI. (reprinted in Radin 136)
44-45. Frances Densmore, Cheyenne and Arapaho Music. Los Angeles: Southwest Museum Papers No. 10 (1936).
46-50. Frances Densmore, Pawnee Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 93 (1929). [46 and 48 were adapted -- by KR?]
51. Frances Densmore, Music of Acoma, Isleta, Cochiti and Zuni Pueblos. Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington, DC, 1957.
52. Natalie Curtis, The Indians’ Book. New York, 1907. (reprinted in Radin 141)
53-59. Frances Densmore, Music of Acoma, Isleta, Cochiti and Zuni Pueblos. Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington, DC, 1957.
60. Charles Hofmann, Frances Densmore and American Indian Music. New York, 1968.
61-62. Frances Densmore, Music of Acoma, Isleta, Cochiti and Zuni Pueblos. Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington, DC, 1957.
63-77. Margaret Schevill Link, The Pollen Path: A Collection of Navajo Myths Retold by Margaret Schevill Link. Stanford, 1956. [The KR draft notes that all of these song lyrics are “adapted.”]
78-86. F. Russell, Bureau of American Ethnology, 26th Report, p. 294. (reprinted in Radin 214-216, 223-224)
87-88. Charles Hofmann, Frances Densmore and American Indian Music. New York, 1968.
89-96. Frances Densmore, Papago Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 90 (1929).
97. Frances Densmore, Yuman and Yaqui Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 110 (1932).
98. Charles Hofmann, Frances Densmore and American Indian Music. New York, 1968.
99-103. Frances Densmore, Yuman and Yaqui Music. Bureau of American Ethnology No. 110 (1932).
104-119. Don D. Fowler & Catherine S. Fowler (eds.), Anthropology of the Numa: John Wesley Powell’s Manuscripts on the Numic Peoples of Western North America, 1868-1880. Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology, Washington, DC, 1971.
[Note: A number of the lyrics on this webpage are also reproduced (sometimes in slightly different form) in Margot Astrov (ed.), The Winged Serpent: An Anthology of American Indian Prose and Poetry (1946) or in A. Grove Day (ed.), The Sky Clears: Poetry of the American Indians (1951).]
Part 2 of The Poetry of Pre-Literate Peoples.
The Poetry of Pre-Literate Peoples is the manuscript of an unpublished anthology gathered by Kenneth Rexroth (ca. 1975). The Introduction and other editorial material by Rexroth in it are copyright 2024 and reproduced here with permission of the Kenneth Rexroth Trust. However, neither the Rexroth Trust nor Rexroth’s Literary Executor assumes any legal responsibility for my posting of the various translated song lyrics that Rexroth tentatively selected for inclusion in his anthology; they are posted here exclusively on my own responsibility. The sources of each of the translations are specified at the bottom of the webpage where they appear. These translations were originally published between 1875 and 1973. Most of the books and scholarly journals in which they originally appeared are long out of print, and many of them are in the public domain. I have reproduced them here as a noncommercial public service. If any of them are still copyrighted and the copyright owner has any objections, please notify me and I will remove them from this site. —Ken Knabb