There’s nothing about condors at all in the Simon and Garfunkel version of this song with deep Peruvian roots, but its incredible popularity has led to over 4,000 different versions, in a huge number of languages world-wide,. You can ever find Quechua with Spanish translation on YouTube. Thanks to Solomon Ratt for giving us this version to sing in Cree!
nawac ta-piyêsîsiwiyân iyâyaw ta-mohtêwiyân
tâpwê mâka, kîspin takî-ihkin, nika-itôtên.
nawac ta-pakahamâkaniwiyân iyâyaw ta-sakahikaniwiyân
tâpwê mâka, kîspin takî-ihkin, nika-itôtên
wahyaw, nawac wahyaw ta-isiwêpâsiyân
tâpiskôc wâpisiw
ôta kâ-ayât, aspin kâ-ohpahot.
nâpêw kisâtam askiy
kitimâkihtâkosiw, kwayask kitimâkihtâkosiw
kitimâkihtâkwan.
nawac ta-sakâwiwiyân iyâyaw ta-mêskanawiyân
tâpwê mâka, kîspin takî-ihkin, nika-itôtên
nawac ta-môsiskamân askiy nisitihk
tâpwê mâka, kîspin takî-ihkin, nika-itôtên.
ᓇᐘᐨ ᑕ ᐱᔦᓰᓯᐏᔮᐣ ᐃᔮᔭᐤ ᑕ ᒧᐦᑌᐏᔮᐣ
ᑖᐻ ᒫᑲ , ᑮᐢᐱᐣ ᑕᑮ ᐃᐦᑭᐣ , ᓂᑲ ᐃᑑᑌᐣ᙮
ᓇᐘᐨ ᑕ ᐸᑲᐦᐊᒫᑲᓂᐏᔮᐣ ᐃᔮᔭᐤ ᑕ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐏᔮᐣ
ᑖᐻ ᒫᑲ , ᑮᐢᐱᐣ ᑕᑮ ᐃᐦᑭᐣ , ᓂᑲ ᐃᑑᑌᐣ
ᐘᐦᔭᐤ , ᓇᐘᐨ ᐘᐦᔭᐤ ᑕ ᐃᓯᐍᐹᓯᔮᐣ
ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᐚᐱᓯᐤ
ᐆᑕ ᑳ ᐊᔮᐟ , ᐊᐢᐱᐣ ᑳ ᐅᐦᐸᐦᐅᐟ᙮
ᓈᐯᐤ ᑭᓵᑕᒼ ᐊᐢᑭᕀ
ᑭᑎᒫᑭᐦᑖᑯᓯᐤ, ᑿᔭᐢᐠ ᑭᑎᒫᑭᐦᑖᑯᓯᐤ ᑭᑎᒫᑭᐦᑖᑿᐣ᙮
ᓇᐘᐨ ᑕ ᓴᑳᐏᐏᔮᐣ ᐃᔮᔭᐤ ᑕ ᒣᐢᑲᓇᐏᔮᐣ
ᑖᐻ ᒫᑲ , ᑮᐢᐱᐣ ᑕᑮ ᐃᐦᑭᐣ , ᓂᑲ ᐃᑑᑌᐣ
ᓇᐘᐨ ᑕ ᒨᓯᐢᑲᒫᐣ ᐊᐢᑭᕀ ᓂᓯᑎᕽ
ᑖᐻ ᒫᑲ , ᑮᐢᐱᐣ ᑕᑮ ᐃᐦᑭᐣ , ᓂᑲ ᐃᑑᑌᐣ᙮
Simon and Garfunkel Lyrics:
I’d rather be a sparrow than a snail
Yes I would
If I could
I surely would
I’d rather be a hammer than a nail
Yes I would
If I only could
I surely would
Away, I’d rather sail away
Like a swan that’s here and gone
A man gets tied up to the ground
He gives the world
Its saddest sound
Its saddest sound
I’d rather be a forest than a street
Yes I would
If I could
I surely would
I’d rather feel the earth beneath my feet
Yes I would
If I only could
I surely would
