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

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[1]	kahyúras	tá	kunyíchaachha
	Klamath.Lakes	PERF	they.gather

They gathered at Klamath Lakes.

[2]	ayu'âach	páy	pasaamnúpahitihan	chí	kun'íihrupaavish
	it.was.because	this	the.one.which.is.flowing.downstream	soon	they.were.going.to.dance.from.the.lake.mouth

It was because they were going to dance downriver that way the stream flows.

[3]	xás	payáan'iiftihansa	tá	kunívyiihma	káru	pa'asiktávaansas
	then	the.young.men	PERF	They.arrive	also	the.women

And the young men and the women arrived.

[4]	víri	tá	kári	pachí	kun'íihrupaavish	xás	asaxvuhpihnîich	tóo	thvoonha
	so	PERF	then	SUB-soon	they.were.going.to.dance.down	then	Old.Man.Turtle	PERF-he	be.eager.(to.do)

It was time for them to dance down, and then Old Man Turtle wanted to.

[5]	víri	kunipêer	hôoy íf	yaxéek	i'úumeesh
	so	they.tell	no.way	you'll.see	you.will.arrive.there

They told him, "You can't get there.

[6]	ayu'âach	pa'asiktávaan	uum	yáan'iiftihansa
	it.was.because	the.women	3.SG	young

It's because the women are young."

[7]	asaxvuhpihnîich	vúra	tóo	thvoonha
	Old.Man.Turtle	Intensive	PERF-he	be.eager.(to.do)

Old Man Turtle just wanted to.

[8]	naa	vúra	kóo	yáv	pa'akâayva	kumayáan'iiftihan
	1sg.	Intensive	as.much.as	good	the.anyone	any.young.man

"I'm just as good as any young man."

[9]	pâanpay	vúra	tá	kunchímiha
	after.while	Intensive	PERF	they.agree

Finally, they agreed.

[10]	ta'ítam	tá	kunkáriha
	so	PERF	they.are.ready

So they were ready.

[11]	asuxvuypihnîich	áachip	tóo	hyárihish
	Old.Man.Turtle	middle	PERF-he	stand.still

Old Man Turtle stood in the middle.

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

He locked arms with the women.

[13]	xás	tá	kun'íihvarak
	then	PERF	they.dance.down.from.upriver

Then they danced down from upriver.

[14]	pâanpayvari	asaxvuhpihnîich	tóo	kfuuyshur
	after.a.while	Old.Man.Turtle	PERF-he	be.tired

Finally Old Man Turtle got tired.

[15]	víri	u'arihishrîihvuti	matêe kéeyish âapun
	so	he.was.singing	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
	Intensive	that	they.were.dancing.down.from.upriver

They kept dancing that way.

[17]	pâanpay	vúra	tóo	xráratih
	after.while	Intensive	PERF-he	he.is.weeping

Finally he was weeping.

[18]	matêe kéeyish âapun

"matêe kéeyish âapun

[19]	tá	néekfuuyshur
	PERF	I.am.tired

I'm tired."

[20]	vúra	vaa	kun'íihtih
	Intensive	that	they.were.dancing.down.from.upriver

They kept dancing that way.

[21]	pâanpay	vúra	tá	kunithyúrutih
	after.while	Intensive	PERF	they.were.dragging.him

Finally they were dragging him.

[22]	káan	ník	uxrarâavutih
	there	a.little	he.was.crying

He gave a cry now and then.

[23]	vúra	vaa	áachip	tá	kun'íihvarak
	Intensive	that	middle	PERF	they.dance.down.from.upriver

They danced down from upriver that way to the middle (of their course).

[24]	pamútraax	vúra	kích	tá	kun'áaphutih
	his.arms	Intensive	only	PERF	they.were.carrying.(two.objects)

They were just carrying his arms.

[25]	vaa	vúra	káan	asaxvuhpihnîich	upkêevish	asánaamkarak
	that	Intensive	there	Old.Man.Turtle	he.transforms	placename

Old Man Turtle was transformed there at asánaamkarak.

[26]	uum	pa'asiktávaan	vúra	vaa	kun'íihruputih
	3.SG	the.women	Intensive	that	they.were.dancing.away.downriver

The women kept dancing downriver that way.

[27]	kun'áaphuti	asaxvuhpihnîich	mútraax
	they.were.carrying.(two.objects)	Old.Man.Turtle	his.arms

They were carrying Old Man Turtle's arms.

[28]	xás	payúrasak	kun'íkakurih	kári	vaa	vúra	kun'áaphuti	pamútraax
	then	SUB-into.the.ocean	they.jump.(into.water)	then	that	Intensive	they.were.carrying.(two.objects)	his.arms

And when they jumped into the ocean, they were still carrying his arms.