Pecwan Jim

"Upriver Coyote" (1907)

Writing system: no hyphens | hyphens
Display style: sentence | look-up

Text identifier: T8
Speaker: Pecwan Jim
Primary documentation: A. L. Kroeber
Translation: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok Myths (1976), pp. 404-406 (myth T8); cf. Kroeber field notebook 71, pp. 41, 43
Manuscript source: A. L. Kroeber, Yurok field notebook 74, pp. 35-50, T. T. Waterman, Yurok field notebooks 82, pp. 25-32, and 83, pp. 5-9; cf. Kroeber notebook 71, p. 42
Audio source: Keeling catalog #24-1015, Hearst Museum of Anthropology, UC Berkeley

Yurok audio:  
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  1. Weet ko weykom', 'w-esek', "Weet kee shoo hoolem' 'oohl."
    He finished it, thinking, "This is how people will live."
  2. Weet ko weykom' keskee 'we-raayoy 'we-tetkonek'.
    He finished it, the downhill creek's ravines.
  3. Peesh weeshtue' 'o soonok's, 'w-esek',
    So he thought thus, thinking,
  4. "Mos weeshtue' kee 'ue-pyekwchenee sook mocho kee mok'w 'ue-pa'aanah.
    "It will not be right if they do not have water.
  5. Kwelekw weesh kee mehl hoole'mehl kee 'w-oole'mehl.
    That is what they will live with so they will live.
  6. Kwelekw weesh ko 'ue-pyuech sonowohl keekee 'wo-'ohkwek' 'ue-pa'aanah."
    It will be right for them to have water."
  7. Peesh weeshtue' 'o le's, "Chuuehl kee yegook' mehl wee'."
    So he thought, "Well, I will go for it."
  8. 'O meyrkwechol' 'o wee', tema meyrkwechol'.
    He went everywhere there, in vain he went everywhere.
  9. 'Ee mok'w wo 'o lekwsue' k'ee pa'ah.
    The water was not found.
  10. 'O soonok's, 'w-esek',
    He thought thus, thinking,
  11. "Hee', kues tue' weet kee 'we-soo hoole'mek' 'oohl?
    "Hee', how will people live?
  12. 'Ohlkuemee kwelekw wee' keehl pyuech son' 'w-oole'mek' 'oohl mocho kee 'ok'w 'ue-pa'aanah keekee 'w-oole'mek'."
    Because it will be good for people's living if they have water so they will live."
  13. Peesh weeshtue' 'o yohpechok'w (...) k'ee 'we-reeek'ew, k'ee tewolee 'we-reeek'ew, weeshtue' 'o yohpechok'w.
    So he circled the world along the edge of the ocean, he circled around there.
  14. Keech 'ela neskwechol' k'ee kwen pechkuek neemok'ws 'wo-'o lek'ws k'ee pa'ah.
    He went far upriver, and the water was never found.
  15. Heerkeeks 'ema kee laay' so puel, tue' sonenee mee wo 'w-ek'ws.
    Inland he went downriver, but he never found it.
  16. Kyekwsen 'ela neskwechol' k'ee kwen puelekw.
    He arrived downriver.
  17. Tue' weesh tue' kem 'ap 'o legol'.
    Then he also went around downriver.
  18. "Nek kwelekw weeshtue' mehl hegook' mos kee pyekwchenee sonenee 'oole'mehl mocho' kee neemok'w 'ue-pa'aanah keekee 'w-oole'mek' 'oohl 'o 'wes'onew.
    "This is why I am going around because it won't be good for them to live if they have no water when they arrive in this world.
  19. Peesh tue' weetee' nee mehl hegook', 'n-esek', kee 'ok'w 'ue-pa'aanah."
    That is why I go around looking, thinking, they will have water."
  20. Peesh weeshtue' noohl 'o legol.
    So they went.
  21. Keech tema meyrkwechol'.
    He went all over for a long time.
  22. Noohl 'o soonok's 'w-esek', Hehl!
    Then he thought, "Hey!
  23. Wonoye'eek kem kee sootolek'.
    I'll go up to the sky.
  24. Wonoye'eek kem kee 'o neee'nowok' k'ee pa'ah.
    I will look for water in the sky."
  25. Peesh weeshtue' wonoye'eek 'ela neskwechol'.
    So he arrived in the sky.
  26. Tema 'ap 'o legol'.
    For a long time he went about.
  27. Tema meyrkwenee sootok'w kem 'o wonoye'eek.
    For a long time he went all over the sky.
  28. Kwesee kem neemee wo 'ue w-ek'ws 'o wonoye'eek.
    But he didn't find it in the sky.
  29. Noohl 'o soonok's 'w-esek', "Chuehl tue' pechkuek kem kee sootolek' laaheewon."
    Then he thought, "All right, I'll go far upriver along the sky."
  30. Pechkuek 'ela sloychol', pechkuek 'o 'we-teponek' 'we-hlke'mah.
    Far upriver he descended, far upriver where a ladder stood.
  31. Peesh tue' weesh 'ela neskwechol' k'ee mer'wermerykernee k'ee pa'ah.
    He arrived where the river (now) begins.
  32. Tue' weeshtue' 'ela neskwechol', 'ap hem', "Nek kwelekw weet mehl hegook'.
    He arrived, and said, "Well, I will go for it.
  33. Keech tema meyrkwechook' 'o 'wes'onew, wonoye'eek kem keech tema laayek'.
    I have been everywhere in the world, and I also went through the sky.
  34. Tue' neemok'w wo lekwsek' wee' k'ee pa'ah.
    And I haven't found the water.
  35. Sonenee soonosek', 'n-esek', mosee' kee 'ue-pyuech sook mocho kee mok'w 'ue-pa'aanah.
    I think this way, thinking, it's not right if they don't have water.
  36. Kwelekw weesh keehl pyekwchenee sonowohl 'o'loolekweesh 'ol' kee 'w-oole'mehl 'o 'wes'onah mocho kee 'ok'w 'ue-pa'aanah.
    It will be right for people for them to go about in the world if they have water."
  37. Peesh kwesee so newom' wenchokws 'o pechkuek wey' k'ee mer'wermerykernee k'ee pa'ah.
    And saw a woman at the place where the river now begins.
  38. Tue' weeshtue' 'o newom' wenchokws.
    That's where he saw a woman.
  39. Weeshtue' 'o korpe'w wenchokws.
    The woman lived alone there.
  40. 'O lem', Nek kwelekw weet mehl hegook' neemok'w 'ue-pa'aanah kee wee' keech 'we-laatetkonek'.
    He said, "I went around and there's no water where the river stretches.
  41. Neemee megeehl k'ee nee 'we-raayoy laatetko'hl.
    The ravine is dry."
  42. 'O lem', Hes?
    She said, "Is that so?
  43. Kwelekw to' kee 'ok'w 'ue-pa'aanah.
    Well, they will have water.
  44. Kwelekw wee' nekee' kee yohkuemek' kee 'wo-'ohkwek' 'ue-pa'aanah."
    I will fix it that they have water."
  45. Peesh weeshtue' 'o lem', "Chuuehl, wee' 'o kee sootol' 'o yo' kue mer'wermerykernee 'ue-pa'aanah.
    So he said, "All right, she will go where the water comes from.
  46. Peesh weeshtue' 'o sootol'.
    So she went there.
  47. 'O lem', "Kwelekw kue nek 'ne-weskwelohl kee mer'wermeryk'.
    She said, "It will flow from my body.
  48. Weetee' kee yohkue' 'ue-pa'aanah.
    That's how their water will be made.
  49. Kue nek 'ne-weskwelohl kee mer'wermeryk'."
    It will flow from my body."
  50. 'O lem', "Chuuehl wee' 'o chekch'es."
    He said, "All right, sit here."
  51. Weet 'o sootol' kee kue me'womek tetko'hl.
    She went to where the ravine begins.
  52. Peesh weeshtue' 'o sloychol'.
    There she went down.
  53. Peesh kwesee weeshtue' 'er mer'wermeryk'.
    That was the headwaters.
  54. Keech 'o ket'ue'logehl.
    It formed a lake.
  55. 'O lem', "Peesh weeshtue' kee yohkue' 'ue-pa'aanah."
    She said, "I'll make their water."
  56. Peesh kwesee 'o loolohpeen'.
    Then she stirred it (the water).
  57. 'O lem', "Kwelekw kee nuemee meyrkwenee k'ee toomenee.
    She said "It will be all over.
  58. Kee wee' hlkelonah tue' weeshtue' kee nuemeechyue mer'wermeryk', kee nuemeechyue 'ok'w 'ue-pa'aanah.
    It will flow from everywhere on earth, they will have water everywhere.
  59. To' kee heerkew nee wee' tegetko'hl.
    There will be ravines inland.
  60. Kee kem kee 'ok'w 'ue-pa'aanah, kee chegee mer'wermeryk'."
    They will have water, water will come from all over."
  61. "Mos kee nee yegolem', 'weetue' kee son' kee 'ok'w 'ue-pa'aanah.'"
    (Others said:) "You shouldn't say 'it will come to pass that they will have water.'"
  62. Peesh weeshtue' 'o loolohpeen' 'o pegahsoy.
    Then she stirred it and blew it.
  63. Weetue' kem 'o loolohpeen' pueleek 'we-so pahsoy.
    Then again she stirred it and blew downstream.
  64. 'O new kwesee keech 'ee mer'wermeryk' so puel.
    And she saw it flowing downstream.
  65. Keech 'o lohkue' 'ue-pa'aanah.
    Their water had been made.
  66. 'O le's, Heee, pechkue 'o segep!
    He thought, "Heee!" Upriver Coyote did.
  67. Weetue' keech nee mok'w 'we-nepuyonah.
    There is no salmon.
  68. Mosee' kem kee 'we-skuyenek' mocho kee mok'w 'we-nepuyonah k'ee wee' keech 'we-raayoy.
    It won't be good if this river (lit., this waterway that now passes by here) has no salmon.
  69. Peesh weeshtue' 'o le's, k'ee kues hohkuem' kue pa'ah,
    Then the one that made the water thought,
  70. "Chuuehl, 'ohlkuemee kwelekw weetue' son' mosee' kee 'ue-pyekwchenee sook mocho kee mok'w 'we-nepuyonah."
    "All right, because it won't be right if there are no salmon."
  71. Peesh weeshtue' 'o soonok's, 'w-esek', "Kwelekw to' nekee' kee 'ne-muech hohkuemek' (…)
    So this is how she thought, thinking, "I myself am the one who will make it.
  72. Weykee' kee 'we-nepuyonah."
    It was accomplished that there will be salmon."
  73. "Hehl yok 'we-soo serkseenes!"
    "Look there! Tear out from there!" (said Upriver Coyote).
  74. Yo' weetue' kue o' ket'ue'logehl weeshtue' keech 'ue-pa'aanah.
    And she did so from the lake where there was water.
  75. Peesh weetue' yo' 'o ket'ue'logenee.
    And then another lake was there.
  76. Peesh weeshtue' 'er nerrmerypery'.
    Then he sang.
  77. Pech 'o segep 'o nerrmerypery'.
    Upriver Coyote sang.
  78. Peesh tue' weet 'er nerrmerypery'.
    He sang.
  79. Weeshtue' 'emehl nerrmerypery':
    This is what he sang:
  80. Wenos, regok!
    "Come, trout!"
  81. Peesh weeshtue' 'o lohkue'.
    So he made it.
  82. Cheenkuen son' kol' 'o petoyop' 'o wohpue kue regok.
    Many trout started to come in the water.
  83. Kue 'ue-weryerk weypeyerkwek', kue segon' kol' 'o sa'awor 'o wohpue.
    When he finished singing, they looked like shadows in the water.
  84. Peesh weeshtue' 'o s'ue'logen', noohl 'o s'ue'logen'.
    The lake was opened, then it was opened.
  85. 'O lem', "Chuehl s'ue'logen'.
    He said, "All right, it has been opened.
  86. Kwelekw wo' keet 'we-nepuyonah," hem' pech 'o segep.
    They are becoming salmon," said Upriver Coyote.
  87. Cheenkuen son' puelekuek 'o lo'omah tue' k'ee nee regaayoy.
    They started to run downriver in the small creeks.
  88. Kem tue' chegee nee lehlkenee', 'w-esek', "Weetue' kee shoo 'ooleem' k'ee 'we-regaayoy.
    He threw them in, thinking, "Thus they will be in the creeks.
  89. Weeshtue' kem kee nee legem' 'we-nepuyonah
    In them will go their salmon.
  90. Wek k'ee chegee nee pkwergerykeen kee toomoksee'hl, 'ohlkuemeesh keehl pyekwchenee soo hoole'mehl mo kee 'ok'w 'we-nepuyonah."
    It (the salmon) will be everywhere that water flows into the river, because they will live well from it if they have salmon."
  91. Peesh weeshtue' 'o soo weykom'.
    So that is how he finished it.
  92. Keech 'ooleem' 'we-nepuyonah.
    Now they had salmon.
  93. Nuemee kee toomoksee'hl kue chegee nee mernermernerykernee wee' chegee legem' 'we-nepuyonah.
    They will go everywhere that water winds, salmon will go everywhere.
  94. Peeshtue' weeshtue' kwel nee muech hohkuem' pechkue 'o segep 'wo-'ohkween kue 'we-nepuyonah.
    So Upriver Coyote himself made it that they have salmon.
  95. Yo' kue kwenkuem' kue yo' kue pa'ah 'wohkue'.
    That water there was made.
  96. Wek kwelekw kue kyekwen mer'wermery 'ue-mey' wo'ooteesh hohkuem' kwelekw 'ue-pa'aanah.
    Here the daughter of the headwaters made their water.
  97. 'Ue-weskwelohl mer'wermeryk', tue' weetue' 'ue-pa'aanah k'ee wek 'we-raayoy.
    From her body issued the water of this river.
  98. Peesh wee' tue'.
    So that is how it is.