tâpika âcathôhkîwina ta-kî-pî-kîwîmakahki
kâwi mihtotihk pîtohtîw wîsahkîcâhk;
wîsahkîcâhk kâwi mihtotihk pîtohtî.
nitayamihcikîwin kakîpiskam
nikiskinwahamâkosiwin;
nipîkiskwîwin, ninîhithawâtisiwin,
nayîhtâwihikow âkathâsîmowin.
kâwi mihtotihk pîtohtîw wîsahkîcâhk;
wîsahkîcâhk kâwi mihtotihk pîtohtî
kâ-matwî-camohkahahk nipiy amisk osoy ohci.
ᑖᐱᑲ ᐋᒐᖫᐦᑮᐏᓇ ᑕ ᑮ ᐲ ᑮᐑᒪᑲᐦᑭ
ᑳᐏ ᒥᐦᑐᑎᕽ ᐲᑐᐦᑏᐤ ᐑᓴᐦᑮᒑᕽ;
ᐑᓴᐦᑮᒑᕽ ᑳᐏ ᒥᐦᑐᑎᕽ ᐲᑐᐦᑏ᙮
ᓂᑕᔭᒥᐦᒋᑮᐏᐣ ᑲᑮᐱᐢᑲᒼ
ᓂᑭᐢᑭᓌᐦᐊᒫᑯᓯᐏᐣ;
ᓂᐲᑭᐢᑹᐏᐣ, ᓂᓃᐦᐃᖬᐚᑎᓯᐏᐣ,
ᓇᔩᐦᑖᐏᐦᐃᑯᐤ ᐋᑲᖭᓰᒧᐏᐣ᙮
ᑳᐏ ᒥᐦᑐᑎᕽ ᐲᑐᐦᑏᐤ ᐑᓴᐦᑮᒑᕽ;
ᐑᓴᐦᑮᒑᕽ ᑳᐏ ᒥᐦᑐᑎᕽ ᐲᑐᐦᑏ
ᑳ ᒪᑜ ᒐᒧᐦᑲᐦᐊᕽ ᓂᐱᐩ ᐊᒥᐢᐠ ᐅᓱᐩ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮
Wishing the Stories to return
Come back to the raft, wîsahkîcâhk;
wîsahkîcâhk, come back to the raft.
My schooling blocks
my education,
My language, my Cree culture,
Is hampered by the English language.
Come back to the raft, wîsahkîcâhk;
wîsahkîcâhk, come back to the raft.
In the distance the beaver splashes the water with its tail.
2 Responses
I can only imagine how beautiful this sounds to those who understand it in Cree and for those who can read the syllabics. The English version is beautiful too and conveys such a strong message. Maarsii, thank you, for sharing.
ᑕᐻ ᑭᒥᓌᐢᑕᐣ ᐆᒪ ᐸᐦᑯᓭᓂᒧᐏᐣ ᑭᓇᓇᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ
tapwe kiminwastan ōma pakosenimowin
kinanaskomitin
A beautiful way of articulating a yearning
I humbly thank you