Bessie Fleischman

"The Story of the Klamath River Song" (1951)

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Text identifier: LA16-2
Speaker: Bessie Fleischman
Primary documentation: R. H. Robins
Edition: R. H. Robins, The Yurok Language (1958), pp. 158-161

Audio (Yurok and English):  
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  1. Peesh weesh-tue' chpey-yue'r Tew-pos 'o cheen, 'we-go-lek', Weet so-no-wok' 'nes-ke-wok-see-mek' kue Pekw-tuehl 'o we'-yon.
    So this is the story of the young man from Tewpos, how he said, It has happened to me that I love the girl at Pekwtuhl.
  2. 'O le-gok' kue 'ne-kooych-kwok'.
    So I went to buy her.
  3. Soo 'o le-geyk', Paas, mee' ne-kah kwe-lekw weet ho soo wey-kee' Woh-pe-kue-mew:
    But I was told, No, because Wohpekumew has so commanded us:
  4. Wek mos ke-lew ha-see woh-pew kee ne-go-se-pee'm 'ohl-kue-mee mos kee sku'y soo goo-le'-mo'w ko'l kee nee kmoyhl-ke-see'-mo'w.
    Here you shall not marry into families in the west, because you would not fare well and would perish on the way.
  5. 'Ey, kee-mo-le'n k'ee 'wehl-ke-lo-nah.
    Yes, their country is bad.
  6. Won soo toh-kow; mos weet kee skuye'n kee k'e'-we-gah-pe-mew.
    They talk a different language; it would not be good for you to marry with them.
  7. Tue' weet 'ee mehl 'o so'n kee ho 'woo-le'-mo'w hee-kon, mos ko'l kee nee no-sep'.
    And that is why people lived like that in former times, and nobody could marry into a family in the west.
  8. Kwe-see weet 'o lee' kue Tew-pos 'o cheen, Nee-mee wo hlee' kue k'e-we'-yo-ne-sek'.
    And so the young man from Tewpos was told, Your offer of a bride price has not been accepted.
  9. Cho' weet 'o kwom-hle-cho'm, ko-we-cho' ko kwerm-hler-yerh-serr'm k'ee kee shoo he-goo-lom.
    Go back home, and do not turn around while you are traveling.
  10. 'Woo-gey, 'woo-gey, 'woo-gey-yehl-ke's Woh-pe-kue-mew weesh; ko wey, ne-kah soo hoo-le'-moh.
    Holy, holy, holy is Wohpekumew; he ordained and we live in obedience.
  11. Peesh weesh-tue 'o ko koo' kue chee-no-me-wes, Tew-pos 'o cheen.
    Well, so the young man stood, the young man from Tewpos.
  12. Soo ske-wok-see-mek' kue we'-yon, kwe-see so kwerm-hler-yerh.
    I so love the girl (he said), and he turned around in that direction.
  13. Kwe-see kue 'o kwerm-hler-yerh 'ee-kee koo-see ko'-mo'y k'ee kaap' kwe-lekw 'we-rookw-sek'.
    And as he turned around there he heard the wind blowing all around through the leaves.
  14. Tue' nee shoo nee-kee ko'-mo'y kue keet 'we-rue-ro-woo'm.
    And then he heard them begin to sing.