Billy Joe Laboucan: Wisahkecahk Seeks a Bride (y-dialect)

Thanks, Billy Joe, for letting me post this story: Here’s some tobacco for you!

wîsahkêcâhk nitawiskwêwîw ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᕽ ᓂᑕᐏᐢᑵᐑᐤ
Wîsakîcȃhk Seeks a Bride
akawâtîw êsa ohi êkatawisîyit oskinîkiskwêwa wîsahkêcâhk. ᐊᑲᐚᑏᐤ ᐁᓴ ᐅᐦᐃ ᐁᑲᑕᐏᓰᔨᐟ ᐅᐢᑭᓃᑭᐢᑵᐘ ᐑᓴᑮᒑᕽ᙮
Wîsahkêcâhk admires this beautiful young woman.
wîsahkêcâhk wîscâsa êsa itêw, "piko ta mîyonâkohcikîyân ôma pîkiskwâtaki ôhtâwîya. âstam wîcîwin. kîkway itwêyâni, ayiwâk ’isîhcâsi.ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᕽ ᐑᐢᒑᓴ ᐁᓴ ᐃᑌᐤ, ᐱᑯ ᑕᒦᔪᓈᑯᐦᒋᑮᔮᐣ ᐆᒪ ᐲᑭᐢᒁᑕᑭ ᐆᐦᑖᐑᔭ᙮ ᐋsᑕᒼ ᐑᒌᐏᐣ᙮ ᑮᑿᐩ ᐃᑘᔮᓂ, ᐊᔨᐚᐠ ᐃᓰᐦᒑᓯ᙮
Wîsahkêcâhk told his cousin, “I have to look favourably when I speak with her father. Come with me.
"pîkiskwâtaki ôhtâwîya. âstam wîcîwin. kîkway itwêyâni, ayiwâk ’isîhcâsi."ᐋᐢᑕᒼ ᐑᒌᐏᐣ᙮ ᑮᑿᕀ ᐃᑘᔮᓂ , ᐊᔨᐚᐠ ’ ᐃᓰᐦᒑᓯ᙮
When I say something, add a bit to it.”
"ahâw," itik wîscâsa. ᐊᐦᐋᐤ, ᐃᑎᐠ ᐑᐢᒑᓴ᙮
“Okay,” said his cousin.
kâtakosihkwâw, wîtamipîwak apho kîtahtawê osisah.ᑳᑕᑯᓯᐦᒁᐤ, ᐑᑕᒥᐲᐘᐠ ᐊᐦᐳ ᑫᑕᐦᑕᐍ ᐅᓯᓴ᙮
When they arrived, they met with his possibly future father-in-law.
"wâ … tânisi, apik!" itikwak êyakoni nâpêwa. "ᐚ! ᑖᓂᓯ, ᐊᐱᐠ!" ᐃᑎᑿᐠ ᐁᔭᑯᓂ ᓈᐯᐘ᙮
“How are you? Sit down!” that man said to them.
"kitatoskân cî mâna?""ᑭᑕᑐᐢᑳᐣ ᒌ ᒫᓇ᙮"
“Do you work?”
mâmayisk wîsahkêcâhk nânitaw êkî êtwît, wîscâsa itwêwa, "wahwâ! êkakâyawâtisit awa."ᒫᒪᔨᐢᐠ ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᐦk ᓈᓂᑕᐤ ᐁᑮ ᐃtᐍᐟ, ᐑᐢᒑᓴ ᐃᑘᐘ, "ᐘᐦᐚ! ᐁᑲᑳᔭᐚᑎᓯᐟ ᐊᐘ᙮"
Before Wîsahkêcâhk could say anything, his cousin said, “Wow! He is very industrious worker.” 
"ââh … mîywâsin! kitotêmin cî." kakwêcimik nâpêwa. "ᐋᐦ, ᒥᔺᓯᐣ! ᑭᑐᑌᒥᐣ ᒌ᙮" ᑲᑵᒋᒥᐠ ᐋᐯᐘ᙮
“Aah… that is good! Do you have horses?” the man asked him. 
wîsahkêcâhk itêw, "pêyak mistatim âta wîya …"ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᕽ ᐃᑌᐤ, "ᐯᔭᐠ ᒥᐢᑕᑎᒼ ᐋᑕ ᐏᔭ,"
Wîsakîcȃhk said, “I have but one horse…”
mâka wîscâsa itwêwa, "mâhah! kakwayaki mihtcît awa ê-ôtêmit." ᒫᑲ ᐑᐢᒑᓴ ᐃᑘᐘ, "ᒫᐦᐊᐦ! ᑲᑿᔭᑭ ᒥᐦᒌᐟ ᐊᐘ ᐁᐆᑌᒥᐟ᙮"
But his cousin said, “Maahuh! He has a huge herd of horses.”
mîyotam awa nâpêw. "êkwa tânisi kimîyôyân cî…"ᒥᔪᑕᒼ ᐊᐘ ᓈᐯᐤ, "ᐁᑿ ᑖᓂᓯ ᑭᓃᔫᔮᐣ ᒌ,"
The man really liked what he heard. “And, how is your health?”
"âhâ! kîtisk apisîs nispiskwanihk nicômikîsin." itwêw wîsahkêcâhk. "ᐋᐦᐋ! ᑮᑎᐢᐠ ᐊᐱᓰᐢ ᓂᐢᐱᐢᑿᓂᕽ ᓂᒎᒥᑮᓯᐣ," ᐃᔰᐤ ᐑᓴᐦᑫᒑᕽ᙮
Wîsahkêcâhk said, “I just have a little scab on my back.”
wîscâsa itwêwa, "wâtstakâc! êmisôwîspiskwanît ôma ê-omikît!" ᐑᐢᒑᓴ ᐃᑘᐘ, "ᐚᐟᐢᑕᑳᐨ! ᐁᒥᓲᐑᐢᐱᐢᑿᓃᐟ ᐆᒪ ᐁ ᐅᒥᑮᐟ!"
His cousin said, “Incredible! His whole back is covered in sores!” 

2 Responses

  1. Funny! 😀
    two little questions:
    1. Is there a mistake in the Cree line “Do you work?” (Kitatoskan not kitakoskan?) (and please forgive no macrons).

    2. what does the x mean/make in that same line?

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