Domingo of Weitchpec
"Wohpekumew's Flute Song" (1906)
Writing system: no hyphens | hyphens
Display style: paragraph | sentence | look-up
Text identifier: I3
Speaker: Domingo of Weitchpec
Primary documentation: A. L. Kroeber
Edition: A. L. Kroeber, "The Languages of California North of San Francisco", University of
California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, volume 9 (1911),
p. 424
Translation: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok Myths (1976), p. 312 (myth I3)
Manuscript source: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok field notebook 74, pp. 64-65; click here to view PDF
Audio source: Keeling catalog #24-0834 and #24-1917, Hearst Museum of Anthropology, UC
Berkeley
Yurok audio (original recording): | | Password required |
Yurok audio (two re-recordings by Weitchpec Frank): | | Password required |
-
Ke-ne-keesh ho 'o'l.
He was at Kenek. -
Kwe-no-me-teesh 'o chye-guuek'w. Kwe-no-me-teesh 'o chye-guuek'w.
He always sat in front of the sweathouse exit. He always sat in front of the sweathouse exit. -
Noohl pue-le-keesh roo-tep'.
The sun was far downriver. -
Keech ho wey 'wo-'o-me-pek'.
He had finished making his fire. -
Weesh-tue 'o 'wech-yuuek'w kwe-no-met.
He sat before the exit. -
Tue weesh-tue noohl 'o chye-guuek'w.
That is where he always sat. -
Weet 'ee nee 'ok'w k'ee 'wech-ye'-wol le-po-nohl.
He had a flute under the ridge cover. -
Mo noohl pue-le-keesh roo, 'ee ye-ger-'erh-ser-per'.
When the sun was far downriver, he always beat his hair dry. -
Mo weet keech we-no-'o-mok-see'hl nue-mee wo-geek 'ue-kee-shen, nue-mee meeek (?) soo
to'm 'ue-kee-shen, keech weesh 'o lo so'n.
When it was right in the middle of summer, it was at the height of summer, he did so. -
'O nue-mee weesh-tue so'n: 'ue-ke-ge-so-me-we-hlek' k'ee so-neen hoo-le'm k'ee 'oohl.
This is what he did: he was always sorry for the people who would live like that. -
Tue weesh-tue 'e-mehl ke-ge-so-me-we'hl nee-kee mehl chmey-yok-see'hl.
That is why he was constantly sorry as it began to be evening. -
Tue noohl weesh-tue 'e-mehl rue-ro'w. Weesh-tue 'e-mehl chye-go'-wo'l.
So he sang on account of that. He always played the flute on account of that. -
'O hlo'm 'wech-ye'-wol weesh-tue 'e-mehl rue-ro'w.
He took out his flute and sang on account of that.