Maurice Sendak’s story Where the Wild Things Are is beloved wherever parents read to children. It was first published in 1963 by Harper & Row and has remained in print ever since, and been recognized repeatedly as an alltime favourite children’s picture book. Translations can be found into over 40 languages, so it seems only fair to add Cree to the collection! “mâci-môcikihtâhk!” : Let the wild rumpus start!
Sol titles his translation ita pikwaci-ayak kâ-ayâcik. Maybe you’ll enjoy having Sol read to you (while you read along in SRO or syllabics). Maybe you’ll listen and read enough to be able to read it aloud to your own kids. (If you do, please let us know!)
ita pikwaci-ayak kâ-ayâcik ᐃᑕ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭᐠ ᑳ ᐊᔮᒋᐠ
pêyak tipiskâw ispîhk Max kâ-kikiskahk omahihkanihkân pêyakwayawinis êkwa ê-kakêpâtisihkâsot ᐯᔭᐠ ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐤ ᐃᐢᐲᕽ Max ᑳ ᑭᑭᐢᑲᕽ ᐅᒪᐦᐃᐦᑲᓂᐦᑳᐣ ᐯᔭᑿᔭᐏᓂᐢ ᐁᑿ ᐁ ᑲᑫᐹᑎᓯᐦᑳᓱᐟ
nanâtohk isi ᓇᓈᑐᕽ ᐃᓯ
okâwiya kî-itik, “pikwaci-aya!” ᐅᑳᐏᔭ ᑮ ᐃᑎᐠ, “ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭ!”
êkwa Max kî-itwêw, “kika-mowitin!” ᐁᑿ Max ᑮ ᐃᑘᐤ, “ᑭᑲ ᒧᐏᑎᐣ!”
onipêwikamikohk kî-itisahikow êkâ ê-kî-mîcisot. ᐅᓂᐯᐏᑲᒥᑯᕽ ᑮ ᐃᑎᓴᐦᐃᑯᐤ ᐁᑳ ᐁ ᑮ ᒦᒋᓱᐟ᙮
êkospîhk kâ-tipiskâyik Max opiskihcikamikohk sakâw ati-ohpikin ᐁᑯᐢᐲᕽ ᑳ ᑎᐱᐢᑳᔨᐠ Max ᐅᐱᐢᑭᐦᒋᑲᒥᑯᕽ ᓴᑳᐤ ᐊᑎ ᐅᐦᐱᑭᐣ
êkwa âh-ati-ohpikin ᐁᑿ ᐋᐦᐊᑎ ᐅᐦᐱᑭᐣ
êkwa âh-ati-ohpikin piyisk otispimihtakohk ê-akotêki nanâtohkahtikwa êkwa asicâyihtakohk ê-ati-waskatamiskâk misiwêskamik ᐁᑿ ᐋᐦᐊᑎ ᐅᐦᐱᑭᐣ ᐱᔨᐢᐠ ᐅᑎᐢᐱᒥᐦᑕᑯᕽ ᐁ ᐊᑯᑌᑭ ᓇᓈᑐᐦᑲᐦᑎᑿ ᐁᑿ ᐊᓯᒑᔨᐦᑕᑯᕽ ᐁ ᐊᑎ ᐘᐢᑲᑕᒥᐢᑳᐠ ᒥᓯᐍᐢᑲᒥᐠ
êkwa kihcikamiy pê-tâpotêw ita ê-pimâstahk mistah-ôsih Max kita-âpacihtât êkwa sipwêyâsiw, ê-pimâsit sâpo-tipisk êkwa sâpo kîsik ᐁᑿ ᑭᐦᒋᑲᒥᐩ ᐯ ᑖᐳᑌᐤ ᐃᑕ ᐁ ᐱᒫᐢᑕᕽ ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐆᓯᐦ Max ᑭᑕ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᑖᐟ ᐁᑿ ᓯᐻᔮᓯᐤ, ᐁ ᐱᒫᓯᐟ ᓵᐳ ᑎᐱᐢᐠ ᐁᑿ ᓵᐳ ᑮᓯᐠ
êkwa ây-ây-ispayihk mêtoni kêkâc pêyak askîwin ᐁᑿ ᐋᔮᔨᐢᐸᔨᕽ ᒣᑐᓂ ᑫᑳᐨ ᐯᔭᐠ ᐊᐢᑮᐏᐣ
itê kâ-ayâcik pikwaci-ayak ᐃᑌ ᑳ ᐊᔮᒋᐠ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭᐠ
êkwa ispîhk kâ-takwâsit ita kâ-ayâyit pikwaci-ayak ᐁᑿ ᐃᐢᐲᕽ ᑳ ᑕᒁᓯᐟ ᐃᑕ ᑳ ᐊᔮᔨᐟ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭᐠ
kî-misi-nîmowak okostâci-nîmowiniwâwa êkwa ê-kicîskâpitêcik okostâci-mîpitiwâwa ᑮ ᒥᓯ ᓃᒧᐘᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋ ᓃᒧᐏᓂᐚᐘ ᐁᑿ ᐁ ᑭᒌᐢᑳᐱᑌᒋᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋ ᒦᐱᑎᐚᐘ
êkwa kî-tihtipipayihtâwak okostâci-miskîsikowâwa êkwa kî-nôkohtâwak okostâci-kâskikasêwiwâwa ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᑎᐦᑎᐱᐸᔨᐦᑖᐘᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋ ᒥᐢᑮᓯᑯᐚᐘ ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᓅᑯᐦᑖᐘᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋ ᑳᐢᑭᑲᓭᐏᐚᐘ
isko Max kâ-têpwêt, “kiyâmapik!” ê-yôskipisêhât mahtâwi-isîhcikêwin ohci ᐃᐢᑯ Max ᑳ ᑌᐻᐟ, “ᑭᔮᒪᐱᐠ!” ᐁ ᔫᐢᑭᐱᓭᐦᐋᐟ ᒪᐦᑖᐏ ᐃᓰᐦᒋᑫᐏᐣ ᐅᐦᒋ
ê-kanawâpamât osâwi-oskîcikoyihk êkâ pêyakwâw ê-pasakwâpit êkwa kî-sîkisiwak êkwa kî-itêwak wiya ana kâ-mâwaci-pikwaci-ayayiwit ᐁ ᑲᓇᐚᐸᒫᐟ ᐅᓵᐏ ᐅᐢᑮᒋᑯᔨᕽ ᐁᑳ ᐯᔭᒁᐤ ᐁ ᐸᓴᒁᐱᐟ ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᓰᑭᓯᐘᐠ ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᐃᑌᐘᐠ ᐏᔭ ᐊᓇ ᑳ ᒫᐘᒋ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭᔨᐏᐟ
êkwa kî-kihci-okimâwihikow. ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᑭᐦᒋ ᐅᑭᒫᐏᐦᐃᑯᐤ᙮
“êkwa,” Max kî-têpwêw, “mâci-môcikihtâhk!” “ᐁᑿ,” Max ᑮ ᑌᐻᐤ, “ᒫᒋ ᒨᒋᑭᐦᑖᕽ!”
**********
**********
“êkwa nâkîk!” Max kî-itêw ê-sipwêtishahwât pikwaci-aya onipêwikamikohk isi êkâ ahpô ê-mîcisoyit! êkwa Max, awa kihci-okimâw pikwaci-ayak ohci kî-pîkiskâtikosiw êkwa kî-nôhtê-ayâw ita awiya ê-mâwaci-sâkihikot. “ᐁᑿ ᓈᑮᐠ!” Max ᑮ ᐃᑌᐤ ᐁ ᓯᐻᑎᐢᐦᐊᐦᐚᐟ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭ ᐅᓂᐯᐏᑲᒥᑯᕽ ᐃᓯ ᐁᑳ ᐊᐦᐴ ᐁ ᒦᒋᓱᔨᐟ! ᐁᑿ Max, ᐊᐘ ᑭᐦᒋ ᐅᑭᒫᐤ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭᐠ ᐅᐦᒋ ᑮ ᐲᑭᐢᑳᑎᑯᓯᐤ ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᓅᐦᑌ ᐊᔮᐤ ᐃᑕ ᐊᐏᔭ ᐁ ᒫᐘᒋ ᓵᑭᐦᐃᑯᐟ᙮
êkwa piyisk misiwêskamik, wâhyaw ohci akâm askîhk kî-miyâhtam mîciwina ka-miyo-mîcihk sôskwâc kî-pakitinam okihci-okimâwiwin pikwaci-ayak ohci. ᐁᑿ ᐱᔨᐢᐠ ᒥᓯᐍᐢᑲᒥᐠ, ᐚᐦᔭᐤ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐊᑳᒼ ᐊᐢᑮᕽ ᑮ ᒥᔮᐦᑕᒼ ᒦᒋᐏᓇ ᑲ ᒥᔪ ᒦᒋᕽ ᓲᐢᒁᐨ ᑮ ᐸᑭᑎᓇᒼ ᐅᑭᐦᒋ ᐅᑭᒫᐏᐏᐣ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭᐠ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮
mâka pikwaci-ayak kî-têpwêwak, “Oh, mahti kâya sipwêhtê – kika-mowitinân – kisâkihitinân mistahi!” ᒫᑲ ᐱᑿᒋ ᐊᔭᐠ ᑮ ᑌᐻᐘᐠ, “ᐅᐦ, ᒪᐦᑎ ᑳᔭ ᓯᐻᐦᑌ – ᑭᑲ ᒧᐏᑎᓈᐣ – ᑭᓵᑭᐦᐃᑎᓈᐣ ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ!”
êkwa Max têpwêw, “nama!” ᐁᑿ Max ᑌᐻᐤ, “ᓇᒪ!”
kî-nîmowak okostâciko-nîmowiniwâwa êkwa ê-kicîskâpitêcik okostâci-mîpitiwâwa ᑮ ᓃᒧᐘᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋᑯ ᓃᒧᐏᓂᐚᐘ ᐁᑿ ᐁ ᑭᒌᐢᑳᐱᑌᒋᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋ ᒦᐱᑎᐚᐘ
kî-tihtipipayihtâwak okostâci-miskîsikowâwa êkwa kî-nôkohtâwak okostâci-kâskikasêwiwâwa mâka Max kî-pôsiw otôtihk êkwa kî-wâstahikêw ᑮ ᑎᐦᑎᐱᐸᔨᐦᑖᐘᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋ ᒥᐢᑮᓯᑯᐚᐘ ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᓅᑯᐦᑖᐘᐠ ᐅᑯᐢᑖᒋ ᑳᐢᑭᑲᓭᐏᐚᐘ ᒫᑲ Max ᑮ ᐴᓯᐤ ᐅᑑᑎᕽ ᐁᑿ ᑮ ᐚᐢᑕᐦᐃᑫᐤ
êkwa pimâsiw kâwi ayiwâk pêyak askîwin, âh-âh-ispayinwa, êkwa pêyak kîsikâw êkwa pêyak tipiskâw opiskihcikamikohk isi ita ê-miskahk omîciwin ê-pêhikot ᐁᑿ ᐱᒫᓯᐤ ᑳᐏ ᐊᔨᐚᐠ ᐯᔭᐠ ᐊᐢᑮᐏᐣ, ᐋᐦᐋᐦᐃᐢᐸᔨᓌ, ᐁᑿ ᐯᔭᐠ ᑮᓯᑳᐤ ᐁᑿ ᐯᔭᐠ ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐤ ᐅᐱᐢᑭᐦᒋᑲᒥᑯᕽ ᐃᓯ ᐃᑕ ᐁ ᒥᐢᑲᕽ ᐅᒦᒋᐏᐣ ᐁ ᐯᐦᐃᑯᐟ
êkwa kêyâpic ê-kîsowâyik. ᐁᑿ ᑫᔮᐱᐨ ᐁ ᑮᓱᐚᔨᐠ᙮
Sol prepared a reading copy for himself by printing, cutting and pasting the lines of Cree into his own personal copy of the book. In case you’d like to do the same, we’ve attached a pdf below to print and cut into strips for that purpose (in SRO or syllabics).
