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

  1. Ke-ne-keesh ho 'o'l.
    He was at Kenek.
  2. 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.
  3. Noohl pue-le-keesh roo-tep'.
    The sun was far downriver.
  4. Keech ho wey 'wo-'o-me-pek'.
    He had finished making his fire.
  5. Weesh-tue 'o 'wech-yuuek'w kwe-no-met.
    He sat before the exit.
  6. Tue weesh-tue noohl 'o chye-guuek'w.
    That is where he always sat.
  7. Weet 'ee nee 'ok'w k'ee 'wech-ye'-wol le-po-nohl.
    He had a flute under the ridge cover.
  8. Mo noohl pue-le-keesh roo, 'ee ye-ger-'erh-ser-per'.
    When the sun was far downriver, he always beat his hair dry.
  9. 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.
  10. '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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 'O hlo'm 'wech-ye'-wol weesh-tue 'e-mehl rue-ro'w.
    He took out his flute and sang on account of that.