Ararahih'urípih
A Dictionary and Text Corpus of the Karuk Language

Lottie Beck: "Old Man Turtle Dances" (1957)

Primary participants: Lottie Beck (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-22
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 214-215, Text 22
Additional contributor: Morgan Jacobs (annotator)


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


[1] kahyúras tá kunyíchaachha.
They gathered at Klamath Lakes.

[2] ayu'âach páy pasaamnúpahitihan chí kun'íihrupaavish.
It was because they were going to dance downriver that way the stream flows.

[3] xás payáan'iiftihansa tá kunívyiihma káru pa'asiktávaansas.
And the young men and the women arrived.

[4] víri tá kári pachí kun'íihrupaavish, xás asaxvuhpihnîich tóo thvoonha.
It was time for them to dance down, and then Old Man Turtle wanted to.

[5] víri kunipêer'' hôoy íf yaxéek i'úumeesh.
They told him, "You can't get there.

[6] ayu'âach pa'asiktávaan uum yáan'iiftihansa.''
It's because the women are young."


[7] asaxvuhpihnîich vúra tóo thvoonha.
Old Man Turtle just wanted to.

[8] '' naa vúra kóo yáv pa'akâayva kumayáan'iiftihan.''
"I'm just as good as any young man."


[9] pâanpay vúra tá kunchímiha.
Finally, they agreed.

[10] ta'ítam tá kunkáriha.
So they were ready.

[11] asuxvuypihnîich áachip tóo hyárihish.
Old Man Turtle stood in the middle.

[12] u'aakrúprihtih pa'asiktávaan.
He locked arms with the women.

[13] xás tá kun'íihvarak.
Then they danced down from upriver.

[14] pâanpayvari asaxvuhpihnîich tóo kfuuyshur.
Finally Old Man Turtle got tired.

[15] víri u'arihishrîihvuti'' matêe kéeyish âapun''.
He was singing "matêe kéeyish âapun".
(Bright: "matêe 'wait a moment!'; kéeyish, no meaning; âapun '(down) on the ground.'")

[16] vúra vaa kun'íihtih.
They kept dancing that way.

[17] pâanpay vúra tóo xráratih.
Finally he was weeping.

[18] '' matêe kéeyish âapun.
"matêe kéeyish âapun

[19] tá néekfuuyshur.''
I'm tired."

[20] vúra vaa kun'íihtih.
They kept dancing that way.


[21] pâanpay vúra tá kunithyúrutih.
Finally they were dragging him.

[22] káan ník uxrarâavutih.
He gave a cry now and then.

[23] vúra vaa áachip tá kun'íihvarak.
They danced down from upriver that way to the middle (of their course).

[24] pamútraax vúra kích tá kun'áaphutih.
They were just carrying his arms.

[25] vaa vúra káan asaxvuhpihnîich upkêevish asánaamkarak.
Old Man Turtle was transformed there at asánaamkarak.

[26] uum pa'asiktávaan vúra vaa kun'íihruputih.
The women kept dancing downriver that way.

[27] kun'áaphuti asaxvuhpihnîich mútraax.
They were carrying Old Man Turtle's arms.

[28] xás payúrasak kun'íkakurih, kári vaa vúra kun'áaphuti pamútraax.
And when they jumped into the ocean, they were still carrying his arms.