Nagi Tanka
The following is a tribute to all Native Americans. Please check the footnotes for
unfamiliar words.
A lonely man riding a tashunke
Toward the anapo
Where the yellow-gowned prince
Rises majestically
With an army of golden spears
Aimed at desert’s sandy heart
The ozuye ohitika cries out:
He-ay-hee-ee
He-ay-hee-ee
And dances the can wakan
Esnella
Little naughty miracles
Come out of tepees
Cinks-cunks
To welcome me,
Eyes twinkling
With hope, with fear…
Le mita sunkaku, le mita cola, le mita tahunsa
Oo-oohey
Happo happo
And we rush with our mila hansaka
To hunt the tatanka
Under blue sky
Where cetan flies
Ocheti of us
Men with pahaska
Adorned with wanbli’s niyaha
Ride like wakina on burning sands
It’s noon
And the lunchtime
Our tepees are filled with le mita colapi
Dancing flames
Siyotanka’s melody
Joy and laughter
All is skuyela
Can this last ohinyan?
Owanka wakan is shaking
Nituwe he?
Traces of worry
On my tunkasila and unci’s faces
The wasichu
Mahpuya shrouds
The sky
-Hohahe
-Miyelo ca kola!
-Should I believe that?
-My friends will be here anytime
To be your guests!
Mind is drowned in doubt’s lagoon
Yellow prince is wounded
His bleeding chest
Disappears into horizon
Haho! Haho!
The white are coming
A black wickmunke
O wakan tanka
I ask for peace
I beg for love
Is that much to have?
Tepees are glowing?
Or greedy flames
Have found their victims?
This is wicoti mitawa
Wahi, wahi
He-ay hee-ee
He-ay-hee-ee
Nagi tanka
Raise my spirit…
O cherished land
Oh burnt tepees
Smokes, ashes, cries
Blind the eyes, deafen ears
Hecheto aloe…
---
Footnotes:
Nagi Tanka: Great Spirit
Tashunke : Horse
Anapo: The Dawn
Ozuye: Warrior
Ohitika: Brave
He-ay-hee-ee: A call to the Great Spirit
Can Wakan: Sun dance
Esnella: A loner
Tepees: Native American Tents
Cinks: My son
Cunks: My daughter
Le mita sunkaku: My younger brother
Le mita cola: My friend
Le mita tahunsa: My cousin
Oo-oohey: It is time
Happo: Let’s go
Mila hansaka: Long knives
Tatanka: Buffalo bull
Cetan: Hawk
Ocheti: Seven
Pahaska: Long hair
Wanbli: Eagle
Niyaha: Feather
Wakina: Thunder
Le mita colapi: My friends
Siyotanka: A kind of flute made of cedar wood
Skuyela: sweet
Ohinyan: forever
Owanka wakan: Sacred Altar
Nituwe he? : Who are you?
Tunkasila: Grandfather
Unci: Grandmother
Wasichu: White man
Mahpuya: Cloud
Hohahe: Welcome
Miyelo ca kola: I am friend
Haho: Look at this
Wickmunke: Trap
Wakan tanka: God
Wicoti mitawa: My village
Wahi: I am coming
Hecheto aloe: It is finished
Copyright © Farshid Rezaee Araghi | Year Posted 2006
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