Simple Man: Art Napoleon (Northern y-dialect)

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Arden Ogg

Skynyrd’s Simple Man in Nîhiyawîwin (Northern Cree Y dialect)

Art Napoleon’s translation of Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”

Thank you, Art, for permitting us to share your new translation (and thank you, Sol, for editorial help!) Nice performance! 

nimâmâ î-kî-wîhtamawit
kâkî-apisîsisiyân
ôta wîtapamin kiya nikosis
kwayask nitohta kâ-wîhtamâtân
ôtî nîkân ka-miyo-âpatan
tâpwî
kiyâm piyahtik kâya osâm sohki
âyiman kîkway ka-miyâskatîn
iskwîw miskamâso mitoni ka-sâkihik
kâya wanikiskisi ôtî awiyak ispimihk.

Chorus
kakwî-iyinito-nâpîwi
sâkihitowin ka-nisitohtîn
kakwî-iyinito-nâpîwi
ômisi tôta nikosis ka-kaskihtân

Here’s a YouTube version of a 2015 Skynyrd performance:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqfwbf3X8SA

About Arden Ogg

Arden Ogg is Director of the Cree Literacy Network, launched in 2010 with the goal of creating Cree language literacy materials suitable for use by learners of all ages.
This entry was posted in Art Napoleon, Audio (y-dialect), Songs in Cree, Video. Bookmark the permalink.

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