Nettie Ruben: "Mockingbird and Swamp Robin" (1957)

Text display mode: paragraph | sentence | word | word components

[1]	túus	t-óo	pvâaram
	mockingbird	PERF-3s(>3)	go.back

Mockingbird went home.

[2]	pa-mu-'urútvaap	p-oo-'iithvú-ti	á'	vúra
	the-3sPOSS-dip-net.frame	NOMZ-3s(>3)-pack-DUR	above	Intensive

He was carrying his dip-net frame up (in the air).

[3]	ee	yánava	áchkuun
	oh!	visible	swamp.robin

Well, he saw Swamp Robin.

[4]	xás	á'	iktít	vaa	p-oo-'átivu-tih
	then	above	drying-rack	so	NOMZ-3s(>3)-carry.in.a.burden.basket-DUR

And he was carrying acorn-drying racks in a burden basket, (piled) up (in the air).

[5]	púyava	xás	u-piip	ee	chími	nú-puunv-i
	you.see	then	3s(>3)-say	oh!	soon	1pl(>3)-rest-IMPER

And he said, "Well, let's rest!"

[6]	xás	kun-ípuunva
	then	3pl(>3s)-rest

So they rested.

[7]	xás	áchkuun	kun-ipéer	túus	u-piip	pa-mi-pakuhíram	t-u-'ífikaraha	pa-xuntápan
	then	swamp.robin	3pl(>3s)-say.to	mockingbird	3s(>3)-say	the-2sPOSS-acorn.gathering.ground	PERF-3s(>3)-be.many.people.picking	the-acorn

And Swamp Robin was told, Mockingbird said, "They're picking the acorns at your acorn-picking grounds."

[8]	kári	xás	u-piip	hûum
	then	then	3s(>3)-say	is.that.so?

And (Swamp Robin) said, "Is that so?"

[9]	xás	kári	ta'ítam	ôok	t-u-'ípak	áchkuun
	then	then	so	here	PERF-3s(>3)-come.back	swamp.robin

Then Swamp Robin returned here.

[10]	púyava	pimnaani-h-îish	áchkuun	t-óo	pvâaram
	you.see	summer-DENOM-down	swamp.robin	PERF-3s(>3)	go.back

Then in the spring, Swamp Robin went back home.

[11]	túus	máruk	xás	t-óo	mah	káan	t-óo	kmárihivrik
	mockingbird	uphill	then	PERF-3s(>3)	see	there	PERF-3s(>3)	meet

He saw Mockingbird uphill, he went to meet him there.

[12]	xás	kári	áchkuun	u-piip	úma	pa-mí-mvir	ikriróov	t-óo	páx	pa-'áama
	then	then	swamp.robin	3s(>3)-say	emphatic(?)	the-2sPOSS-fishery	fishing.spot.name	PERF-3s(>3)	catch.(fish)	the-salmon

And Swamp Robin said, "They've caught the salmon at your fishery, Ikrirôov."

[13]	púyava	ta'ítam	ôok	u-'ípak-aheen	túus
	you.see	so	here	3s(>3)-come.back-ANT	mockingbird

So Mockingbird returned here.

[14]	púyava	uum	túus	payêem	vúra	u-'ípak-vu-tih	t-u-pímnaani-h-ar-uk
	you.see	3.SG	mockingbird	now	Intensive	3s(>3)-come.back-PL.ACT-DUR	PERF-3s(>3)-summer-DENOM-go.to-to.here

So now Mockingbird always returns, he comes to spend the summer.

[15]	ikrirôov	mú-mvir
	fishing.spot.name	3sPOSS-fishery

Ikrirôov is his fishery.

[16]	túus	u-kúph-aanik
	mockingbird	3s(>3)-do-ANC

Mockingbird did it.

(Bright: "This story, if it can actually be called that, is based on the observation that the mockingbird arrives on the Klamath in the summer, at the beginning of salmon season, and leaves in the fall. The swamp robin arrives in the fall, at the beginning of acorn season, and leaves again in the spring.")