Native American Poetry

George W. Cronyn

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9780486452074
• eBook ISBN:
  9780486120980
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Poetry
• Index: Literature

This pioneering book was the first to recognize Native American oral verse as a vibrant part of North American literature. First published in 1918, its ancient and modern songs were translated by the era's leading scholars and poets. The depth of its authenticity is matched by the scope of its variety, which covers both personal and ceremonial life.
All of North America's major tribes are represented here. Traditional poems from people of the Eastern Woodlands, the Southeast, the Great Plains, the Southwest, California, the Northwest Coast, and the Far North include songs of the Iroquois, Cherokee, Comanche, Navajo, Eskimo, and others. Celebrating life's joys and sorrows in both the spirit and the flesh, this collection includes work songs, game songs, songs of suffering and love, and songs of birth, death, battle, and vision.

SONGS FROM THE SOUTHWEST

VIRACOCHA

ANCIENT INCA

Beautiful Princess
Lo, thy brother
Breaks thy vessel
Now in fragments.
From the blow comes
Thunder, lightning,
Strokes of lightning.
And thou, princess,
Take the water;
As the rain, fall;
As the hail, fall;
As the snow, fall;
Viracocha
World-dispenser.

WAR SONGS

ZUÑI

To you of the six regions
Whose homes cover the earth
I give shells.
Yellow ant, blue ant, red ant, all color ant
U—hu—we—u—hu—we—
U—hu—we—u—hu—we.
To you whose homes
Are covered with mountain tops
I give shells
Yellow, blue, red, white, all color, black.
When we meet the enemy
A little arrow storm will arise.
When we meet him on the road nearby
He will never more inhale the sacred breath of day.
I inhale the sacred breath of day.
All come quickly,
The enemy comes from ambush.
A Navajo is killed,
We inhale the sacred breath of day.

You have met the enemy.
He will never more inhale the sacred breath of day.
The enemy is destroyed.
Who will be our great Bow priest?
Who is to become a Bow priest?
Well! who will kick the scalp?
His younger mother, his elder sister.
Who will wash the scalp?
His younger father, his elder brother.
Well!
Good!

PRAYER FOR RAIN

SIA

White floating clouds,
Clouds like the plains
Come and water the earth.
Sun embrace the earth
That she may be fruitful.
Moon, lion of the north,
Bear of the west,
Badger of the south,
Wolf of the east,
Eagle of the heavens,
Shrew of the earth,
Elder war hero,
Warriors of the six mountains of the world,
Intercede with the cloud people for us,
That they may water the earth.
Medicine bowl, cloud bowl, and water vase
Give us your hearts,
That the earth may be watered.
I make the ancient road of meal,
That my song may pass over it—
The ancient road.
White shell bead woman
Who lives where the sun goes down,
Mother Whirlwind,
Father Sus‘sistinnako,
Mother Ya’ya, creator of good thoughts.
Yellow woman of the north,
Blue woman of the west,
Red woman of the south,
White woman of the east,
Slightly yellow woman of the zenith,
And dark woman of the nadir,
I ask your intercession with the cloud people.

RAIN SONG OF THE GIANT SOCIETY

SIA

We, the Ancient Ones,
Who ascended from the middle of the world below,
Our medicine is precious,
It is as our hearts precious to us,
Arrow of lightning
Come to us
Echo.
Spruce of the north
And all your people;
Your thoughts come to us.
Who is it?
White floating clouds.
May your thoughts come to us
And all your people,
May their thoughts come to us.
Who is it?
Clouds like the plains,
May your thoughts come to us.
Who is it?
Arrow of lightning,
May your thoughts come to us.
Who is it?
Earth horizon
And all your people,
May your thoughts come to us.

INVOCATION TO THE U’WANNAMI

SIA

I

Come you, ascend the ladder; all come in; all sit down.
We were poor, poor, poor, poor, poor, poor,
When we came to this world through the poor place,
Where the body of water dried for our passing.
Banked up clouds cover the earth.
All come four times with your showers,
Descend to the base of the ladder and stand still;
Bring your showers and great rains.
All, all come, all ascend, all come in, all sit down.

II

I throw out to you my sacred meal that you may all come.

Hold your gaming-stick; throw it forward; all come.

All come out and give us your showers and great rains; all come,

That the seeds may be strong and come up, that all seed plants may come up and be strong.

Come you that all trees and seeds may come up and be strong.

Come you hither; all come.

III

Cover my earth mother four times with many flowers.
Let the heavens be covered with the banked up clouds.
Let the earth be covered with fog; cover the earth with rains.
Great waters, rains, cover the earth. Lightning cover the earth.
Let thunder be heard over the earth; let thunder be heard;
Let thunder be heard over the six regions of the earth.

IV

Rain-makers, come out from all roads that great rivers may cover the earth;

That stones may be moved by the torrents;

That trees may be uprooted and moved by the torrents.

Great rain-makers, come out from all roads, carry the sands of our earth mother of the place.

Cover the earth with her heart, that all seeds may develop,

That my children may have all things to eat and be happy;

That the people of the outlying villages may all laugh and ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• EARLY MOON
• INTRODUCTION
• SONGS FROM THE EASTERN WOODLANDS
• SONGS FROM THE SOUTHEAST
• SONGS FROM THE GREAT PLAINS
• SONGS FROM THE SOUTHWEST
• SONGS FROM CALIFORNIA
• SONGS FROM THE NORTHWEST COAST
• SONGS FROM THE FAR NORTH
• INTERPRETATIONS
• SONGS FROM THE HAKO: A PAWNEE CEREMONY
• A CATALOG OF SELECTED DOVER BOOKS IN ALL FIELDS OF INTEREST