Darren Okemaysim translated this familiar, yet anonymous, text into Cree in 2013, before we were able to provide syllabics or audio. Since we’ve got a chance to update it now, perhaps we’d better take it! Thanks to Solomon Ratt for providing audio to accompany Darren’s text, and Rusty Gardiner’s photo of a morning reflection at Duck Lake.
pimâtisiwin osâmi-apisâsin
ka-ati-waniskâk kîkisêpa ê-mîhtâtaman kîkwây.
êkosi, sakihik êkonik kwayask ka-paminiskik, êkwa kiyâm êkonik êkây kâ-miyo-itôtâskik.
kikaskîhtâyani, wîhkâc – otina,
kîspin ati-mêskocipayi kikipimâtisiwin – pakitina,
nama-awiyak ohci-ây-itwêw ê-wî-wêhcasik.
kitâsôtamâkwak kwayask ka-ati-miyopayik.
ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ ᐅᓵᒥ ᐊᐱᓵᓯᐣ
ᑲ ᐊᑎ ᐘᓂᐢᑳᐠ ᑮᑭᓭᐸ ᐁ ᒦᐦᑖᑕᒪᐣ ᑮᒁᕀ᙮
ᐁᑯᓯ, ᓴᑭᐦᐃᐠ ᐁᑯᓂᐠ ᑿᔭᐢᐠ ᑲ ᐸᒥᓂᐢᑭᐠ, ᐁᑿ ᑭᔮᒼ ᐁᑯᓂᐠ ᐁᑳᕀ ᑳ ᒥᔪ ᐃᑑᑖᐢᑭᐠ᙮
ᑭᑲᐢᑮᐦᑖᔭᓂ, ᐑᐦᑳᐨ – ᐅᑎᓇ,
ᑮᐢᐱᐣ ᐊᑎ ᒣᐢᑯᒋᐸᔨ ᑭᑭᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ – ᐸᑭᑎᓇ,
ᓇᒪ ᐊᐏᔭᐠ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐋᔨᑘᐤ ᐁ ᐑ ᐍᐦᒐᓯᐠ᙮
ᑭᑖᓲᑕᒫᑿᐠ ᑿᔭᐢᐠ ᑲ ᐊᑎ ᒥᔪᐸᔨᐠ᙮
Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
So, love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don’t.
And believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said it would be easy:
They just promised it would be worth it.
