Chapter IV: Part ONE

INDIAN LOVE LYRICS AND OTHER VERSE SELECTED FROM THE SONGS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS

MY BARK CANOE (_Ojibwa_)

In the still night, the long night through,
I guide my bark canoe,
My love, to you.
While the stars shine, and falls the dew,
I seek my love in bark canoe—
I seek for you.
It is I, love, your lover true,
Who glides the stream in bark canoe.
It glides to you,
My love, to you.

HER SHADOW (_Ojibwa_)

Out on the lake my canoe is gliding,
Paddle dipping soft lest she should take alarm;
Ah, hey-ah hey-ah ho, hey-ah hey-ah ho, thus I go!
Somewhere along shore she is hiding,
She is shy to yield to love’s alluring charm;
Ah, hey-ah hey-ah ho, hey-ah hey-ah, love will win, I know.
There is a shadow swiftly stealing!
Should it be her own, soon I will win the race;
Ah hey-ah hey-ah ho, hey-ah hey-ah ho, I think it is!
Will she but turn, herself revealing,
I will shout aloud when-e’er I see her face.
Ah! hey-ah hey-ah ho, hey-ah hey-ah ho,
There she is!

LOVER’S WOOING or BLANKET SONG (_Zuñi_)

I

O what happiness!
How delightful,
When together we
’Neath one blanket walk.
We together
’Neath one blanket walk,
We together
’Neath one blanket walk,
We walk.
O! What happiness!
How delightful,
When together we
’Neath one blanket walk.
We together,
’Neath one blanket walk,
We together,
’Neath one blanket walk,
We walk.

II

Can it be that
My young maiden fair
Sits awaiting,
All alone tonight?
Is she waiting
For me only?
Is she waiting
For me only?

III

May I hope it is
My young maiden
Sitting all alone
And awaiting me;
Will she come then?
Will she walk with me?
’Neath one blanket
We together be,
We—we two, we two,
We two, we two—
Will she come?

PAPAGO LOVE SONG (_Papago_)

Early I rose
In the blue morning;
My love was up before me,
It came running to me from the doorways of the Dawn.

On Papago Mountain
The dying quarry
Looked at me with my love’s eyes.

LOVE SONG (_Dakota_)

Many are the youths, many youths:
Thou alone art he who pleaseth me.
Over all I love thee.
Long shall be the years of parting!

THE BRIDE’S SONG (_Algonquin_)

There are many men in the world,
But only one is dear to me.
He is good and brave and strong.
He swore to love none but me;
He has forgotten me.
It was an evil spirit that changed him,
But I will love none but him.

LONELY (_Ojibwa_)

Fear not, he sayeth,
Though far away,
Thy lover strayeth
At break of day.
“Go not, my sweetheart,”
Vainly I cry,
“To yon far island,”
Yearning I sigh.
Thither must I go,
Sadly I moan;
Heavy my woe,
Left here alone.

WAR SONG (_Dakota_)

Friend, whatever hardships threaten,
If thou call me,
I’ll befriend thee;
All enduring fearlessly,
I’ll befriend thee.

ONONDAGA HYMN (_Iroquois_)

Woe! Woe!
Hearken ye!
We are diminished!
Woe! Woe!
The cleared land has become a thicket.

Woe! Woe!
The cleared places are deserted.

Woe!
They are in their graves—
They who established it—
Woe!
The great League.
Yet they declared
It should endure—
The great League.
Woe!
Their work has grown old.
Woe!
Thus we are become miserable.

LAMENT OF A MAN FOR HIS SON (_Paiute_)

Son, my son!
I will go up to the mountain
And there I will light a fire
To the feet of my son’s spirit,
And there will I lament him;
Saying,
O my son,
What is my life to me, now you are departed!

Son, my son,
In the deep earth
We softly laid thee
In a Chief’s robe,
In a warrior’s gear.
Surely there,
In the spirit land
Thy deeds attend thee!
Surely,
The corn comes to the ear again!
But I, here,
I am the stalk that the seed-gatherers
Descrying empty, afar, left standing.
Son, my son!
What is my life to me, now you are departed?

DEATH OF TALUTA (_Siouan_)

Ah, spirit, thy flight is mysterious!
While the clouds are stirred by our wailing,
And our tears fall faster in sorrow—

While the cold sweat of night benumbs us,
Thou goest alone on thy journey—
In the midst of the shining star people!

Thou goest alone on thy journey—
Thy memory shall be our portion;
Until death we shall watch for the spirit.

WIND SONG (_Kiowa_)

O you warriors, you have loved ones
Longing for you, longing for you;
Rich are ye.
O you lovers, you have maidens
Longing for you; none have I.
Wherefore droop ye in silence, so downcast?
Cheer your hearts with song, ho!

BLUEBIRD SONG (_Pima_)

_Hai-ya, hai-ya,—hai-ya, hai-ya_—
All my song is lost and gone.
Sad at heart is the bluebird,
All my song is lost and gone,
Woe is me, alas! alas!
All my song is lost and gone!

SONG OF THE UNHAPPY WIFE (_Dakota_)

Sorely I am distressed;
Sorely I am distressed;
Sorely I am distressed.
The earth alone continues long;
I speak as one not expecting to live,
Sorely I am distressed;
The earth alone continues long.

THE SONG OF UKIABI (_Cegiha_)

I am walking to and fro!
I can find nothing which can heal my sorrow.

A LOVER’S LAMENT (_Tewa_)

My little breath, under the willows by the water-side we used to sit,
And there the yellow cottonwood bird came and sang.
That I remember and therefore I weep.
Under the growing corn we used to sit,
And there the little leaf bird came and sang.
That I remember and therefore I weep.
There on the meadow of yellow flowers we used to walk.
Oh, my little breath! Oh, my little heart!
There on the meadow of blue flowers we used to walk.
Alas! how long ago that we two walked in that pleasant way.
Then everything was happy, but, alas! how long ago.
There on the meadow of crimson flowers we used to walk.
Oh, my little breath, now I go there alone in sorrow.

MY HOME OVER THERE (_Tewa_)

My home over there, my home over there,
My home over there, now I remember it!
And when I see that mountain far away,
Why, then I weep. Alas! what can I do?
What can I do? Alas! What can I do?
My home over there, now I remember it!

HUNTING-SONG (_Navaho_)

Comes the deer to my singing,
Comes the deer to my song,
Comes the deer to my singing.

He, the blackbird, he am I,
Bird beloved of the wild deer.
Comes the deer to my singing.

From the Mountain Black,
From the summit,
Down the trail, coming, coming now,
Comes the deer to my singing.

Through the blossoms,
Through the flowers, coming, coming now
Comes the deer to my singing.

Through the flower dew-drops,
Coming, coming now,
Comes the deer to my singing.

Through the pollen, flower pollen,
Coming, coming now,
Comes the deer to my singing.

Starting with his left fore-foot,
Stamping, turns the frightened deer.
Comes the deer to my singing.

Quarry mine, blessed am I
In the luck of the chase.
Comes the deer to my singing.

Comes the deer to my singing,
Comes the deer to my song,
Comes the deer to my singing.

A SONG OF THE DEER CEREMONY (_San Carlos Apache_)

At the east,
Where the jet ridges of the earth lie....

At the south,
Where the white shell ridges of the earth lie,
Where all kinds of fruit are ripe,
We two will meet.

From there where the coral ridges of the earth lie,
We two will meet.
Where the ripe fruits are fragrant,
We two will meet.

MOUNT KOONAK: A SONG OF ARSUT (_Eskimaun_)

I look toward the south, to great Mount Koonak,
To great Mount Koonak, there to the south;
I watch the clouds that gather round him;
I contemplate their shining brightness;
They spread abroad upon great Koonak;
They climb up his seaward flanks;
See how they shift and change;
Watch them there to the south;
How one makes beautiful the other;
How they mount his southern slopes,
Hiding him from the stormy sea,
Each lending beauty to the other.

THE COYOTE AND THE LOCUST (_Zuñi_)

Locust, locust, playing a flute,
Locust, locust, playing a flute!
Away up on the pine-tree bough,
Closely clinging,
Playing a flute,
Playing a flute!

KA-NI-GA SONG

The poor little bee
That lives in the tree,
The poor little bee
That lives in the tree
Has only one arrow
In his quiver.

CORN-GRINDING SONG II (_Laguna_)

Butterflies, butterflies,
Now fly away to the blossoms,
Fly, blue-wing,
Fly, yellow-wing,
Now fly away to the blossoms,
Fly, red-wing,
Fly white-wing,
Now fly away to the blossoms,
Butterflies, away!
Butterflies, butterflies,
Now fly away to the blossoms,
Butterflies, away!

SONG TO THE TREES AND STREAMS (_Pawnee_)

I

Dark against the sky, yonder distant line
Lies before us. Trees we see, long the line of trees,
Bending, swaying in the breeze.

II

Bright with flashing light yonder distant line
Runs before us, swiftly runs, swift the river runs,
Winding, flowing over the land.

III

Hark! O hark! A sound, yonder distant sound
Comes to greet us, singing comes, soft the river’s song,
Rippling gently beneath the trees.

SONG TO THE MOUNTAINS (_Pawnee_)

I

Mountains loom upon the path we take;
Yonder peak now rises sharp and clear;
Behold! It stands with its head uplifted,
Thither we go, since our way lies there.

II

Mountains loom upon the path we take;
Yonder peak now rises sharp and clear;
Behold! We climb, drawing near its summit;
Steeper grows the way and slow our steps.

III

Mountains loom upon the path we take;
Yonder peak that rises sharp and clear,
Behold us now on its head uplifted;
Planting there our feet, we stand secure.

IV

Mountains loom upon the path we take;
Yonder peak that rose so sharp and clear,
Behold us now on its head uplifted;
Resting there at last we sing our song.

RITUAL SONG (_Pawnee_)

I

Over the prairie flits, in ever widening circles, the shadow of a bird
about me as I walk;
Upward turn my eyes, _Kawas_ looks upon me, she turns with flapping
wings, and far away she flies.

II

Round about a tree, in ever widening circles, an eagle flies, alertly
watching over his nest;
Loudly whistles he, a challenge sending far; over the country wide it
echoes, there defying foes.

WIND SONG (_Pima_)

Far on the desert ridges
Stands the cactus;
Lo, the blossoms swaying
To and fro, the blossoms swaying, swaying.

A SONG OF SPRING (_Chippewa_)

As my eyes search the prairie,
I feel the summer in the spring.

THE DARKNESS SONG FROM THE INVITATION RITE (_Iroquois_)

(The chief of the Invitation Rite requests all the night folk of the forest to protect his people on their journey to the morning.)

We wait in the darkness!
Come, all ye who listen,
Help in our night journey:
Now no sun is shining;
Now no star is glowing;
Come show us the pathway:
The night is not friendly;
She closes her eyelids;
The moon has forgot us,
We wait in the darkness!

THE INVITATION SONG