The Path on the Rainbow: The Mountain Chant of the Navaho
THE MOUNTAIN CHANT OF THE NAVAJO
CHARACTER OF THE SONGS
Some songs are self-explanatory or readily understood, but the greater number cannot be comprehended without a full knowledge of the mythology and of the symbolism to which they refer; they merely hint at mythic conceptions. Many contain archaic expressions, for which the shaman can assign a meaning,
but whose etymology cannot now be learned; and some embody obsolete words whose meaning is lost even to the priesthood. There are many vocables known to be meaningless and recited merely to fill out the rhythm or to give a dignified length to the song. For the same reasons a meaningless syllable. is often added or a significant syllable duplicated. Other poetical licenses are taken, such as the omission of a syllable, the change of accent, the substitution of one vowel for another. The most familiar words are often distorted beyond recognition. For these various reasons the task of noting and translating these songs is one of considerable difficulty. In order to simplify the meaning of certain chants repetitive phrases are set as refrains.
PRELUDE
INVOCATION TO DSILYI N’EYANI
Reared Within the Mountains!
Lord of the Mountains!
Young Man!
Chieftain!
I have made your sacrifice.
I have prepared a smoke for you.
My feet restore thou for me.
My legs restore thou for me.
My body restore thou for me.
My mind restore thou for me.
My voice restore thou for me.
Restore all for me in beauty.
Make beautiful all that is before me.
Make beautiful all that is behind me.
It is done in beauty.
It is done in beauty.
It is done in beauty.
It is done in beauty.
Lord of the Mountains!
Young Man!
Chieftain!
I have made your sacrifice.
I have prepared a smoke for you.
My feet restore thou for me.
My legs restore thou for me.
My body restore thou for me.
My mind restore thou for me.
My voice restore thou for me.
Restore all for me in beauty.
Make beautiful all that is before me.
Make beautiful all that is behind me.
It is done in beauty.
It is done in beauty.
It is done in beauty.
It is done in beauty.
FIRST SONG OF THE THUNDER
Thonah! Thonah!
There is a voice above,
The voice of the thunder.
Within the dark cloud,
Again and again it sounds,
Thonah! Thonah!
Thonah! Thonah!
There is a voice below,
The voice of the grasshopper.
Among the plants,
Again and again it sounds,
Thonah! Thonah!
There is a voice above,
The voice of the thunder.
Within the dark cloud,
Again and again it sounds,
Thonah! Thonah!
Thonah! Thonah!
There is a voice below,
The voice of the grasshopper.
Among the plants,
Again and again it sounds,
Thonah! Thonah!
II
TWELFTH SONG OF THE THUNDER
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice above,
The voice of the thunder
Within the dark cloud
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice below;
The voice of the grasshopper
Among the plants
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice above,
The voice of the thunder
Within the dark cloud
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice below;
The voice of the grasshopper
Among the plants
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land!
III
FIRST SONG OF THE EXPLODING STICK
Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear set fire in the mountains
In many places; as she journeyed on
There was a line of burning mountains.
The Otter set fire in the waters.
In many places; as he journeyed on
There was a line of burning waters.
There was a line of burning mountains.
The Otter set fire in the waters.
In many places; as he journeyed on
There was a line of burning waters.
IV
LAST SONG OF THE EXPLODING STICK
Maid Who Becomes a Bear sought the gods and found them;
On the high mountain peaks she sought the gods and found them;
Truly with my sacrifice she sought the gods and found them.
Somebody doubts it, so I have heard.
On the high mountain peaks she sought the gods and found them;
Truly with my sacrifice she sought the gods and found them.
Somebody doubts it, so I have heard.
V
FIRST DAYLIGHT SONG
The curtain of daybreak is hanging,
The Daylight Boy (it is hanging),
From the land of day it is hanging;
Before him, as it dawns, it is hanging;
Behind him, as it dawns, it is hanging.
Before him, in beauty, it is hanging;
Behind him, in beauty, it is hanging;
From his voice, in beauty, it is hanging.
The Daylight Boy (it is hanging),
From the land of day it is hanging;
Before him, as it dawns, it is hanging;
Behind him, as it dawns, it is hanging.
Before him, in beauty, it is hanging;
Behind him, in beauty, it is hanging;
From his voice, in beauty, it is hanging.
VI
LAST DAYLIGHT SONG
Lullaby, lullaby.
It is daybreak. Lullaby.
Now comes the Daylight Boy. Lullaby.
It is daybreak. Lullaby.
Now comes the Daylight Boy. Lullaby.
Now it is day. Lullaby.
Now comes the Daylight Girl. Lullaby./
Now comes the Daylight Girl. Lullaby./
VII
SONG OF THE PROPHET
That flowing water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
That broad water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
That old age water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
My mind wanders across it.
That broad water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
That old age water! That flowing water!
My mind wanders across it.
VIII
SONG OF THE RISING SUN DANCE
Where the sun rises
The Holy Young Man
The great plumed arrow
Has swallowed
And withdrawn it.
The sun
Is satisfied.
Where the sun sets,
The Holy Young Woman
The cliff rose arrow
Has swallowed
And withdrawn it.
The moon
Is satisfied.
The Holy Young Man
The great plumed arrow
Has swallowed
And withdrawn it.
The sun
Is satisfied.
Where the sun sets,
The Holy Young Woman
The cliff rose arrow
Has swallowed
And withdrawn it.
The moon
Is satisfied.
IX
LAST WORDS OF THE PROPHET
Farewell, my younger brother!
From the holy places the gods come for me.
You will never see me again; but when the showers pass and
the thunders peal,
"There," you will say, "is the voice of my elder brother."
And when the harvest comes, of the beautiful birds and
grasshoppers you will say,
"There is the ordering of my elder brother!"
From the holy places the gods come for me.
You will never see me again; but when the showers pass and
the thunders peal,
"There," you will say, "is the voice of my elder brother."
And when the harvest comes, of the beautiful birds and
grasshoppers you will say,
"There is the ordering of my elder brother!"
SONG OF BÉKOTSIDI WHEN HE MADE THINGS
Both of the gods sang while they were at work, and this was the song that Békotsidi sang to bless all that he was making. It was the first song which he sang at this work.
Now Békotsidi, that am I.
For them I make.
Now child of Day Bearer am I.
For them I make.
Now Day Bearer's beam of blue.
For them I make.
Shines on my feet and your feet too.
For them I make.
Horses of all kinds now increase.
For them I make.
At my fingers' tips and yours.
For them I make.
Beasts of all kinds now increase.
For them I make.
The bluebirds now increase.
For them I make.
Soft goods of all kinds now increase.
For them I make.
Now with the pollen they increase.
For them I make.
Increasing now, they will last forever.
For them I make.
In old age wandering on the trail of beauty.
For them I make.
To form them fair, for them I labor.
For them I make.
SONGS OF DAWN BOY
I
Where my kindred dwell,
There I wander.
The Red Rock House,
There I wander.
Where dark kethawns are at the doorway,
There I wander.
With the pollen of dawn upon my trail,
There I wander.
At the yuni, the striped cotton hangs with pollen.
There I wander.
Going around with it.
There I wander.
Taking another, I depart with it.
With it I wander.
In the house of long life,
There I wander.
In the house of happiness,
There I wander.
Beauty before me,
With it I wander.
Beauty behind me,
With it I wander.
Beauty below me,
With it I wander.
Beauty above me,
With it I wander.
Beauty all around me,
With it I wander.
In old age traveling,
With it I wander.
On the beautiful trail I am,
With it I wander.
II
In Kininaéki.
In the house made of dawn.
In the story made of dawn.
On the trail of dawn.
O, Talking God!
His feet, my feet, restore
His limbs, my limbs, restore.
His body, my body, restore.
His mind, my mind, restore.
His voice, my voice, restore.
His plumes, my plumes, restore.
With beauty before him, with beauty before me.
With beauty behind him, with beauty behind me.
With beauty above him, with beauty below me.
With beauty below him, with beauty below me.
With beauty around him, with beauty around me.
With pollen beautiful in his voice, with pollen beautiful in my voice.
It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.
In the house of evening light.
From the story made of evening light.
On the trail of evening light.
O, House God!
(The rest as in I, except that lines 12 and 13 are transposed.)
III
To the house of my kindred,
There I return.
Child of the yellow corn am I.
To the Red Rock House,
There I return.
Where the blue kethawns are by the doorway,
There I return.
The pollen of evening light on my trail,
There I return.
At the yuni the haliotis shell hangs with the pollen,
Going around,
With it I return.
Taking another, I walk out with it.
With it I return.
To the house of old age,
Up there I return.
To the house of happiness,
Up there I return.
Beauty behind me,
With it I return.
Beauty before me,
With it I return.
Beauty above me,
With it I return.
Beauty below me,
With it I return.
Beauty all around me,
With it I return.
Now in old age wandering,
I return.
Now on the trail of beauty, I am.
There I return.
A PRAYER
FOR SECOND DAY OF THE NIGHT CHANT
From the base of the east.
From the base of the Pelado Peak.
From the house made of mirage,
From the story made of mirage,
From the doorway of rainbow,
The path out of which is the rainbow,
The rainbow passed out with me.
The rainbow raised up with me.
Through the middle of broad fields,
The rainbow returned with me.
To where my house is visible,
The rainbow returned with me.
To the roof of my house,
The rainbow returned with me.
To the entrance of my house.
The rainbow returned with me.
To just within my house,
The rainbow returned with me.
To my fireside,
The rainbow returned with me.
To the center of my house,
The rainbow returned with me.
At the fore part of my house with the dawn,
The Talking God sits with me.
The House God sits with me.
Pollen Boy sits with me.
Grasshopper Girl sits with me.
In beauty Estsánatlehi, my mother, for her I return.
Beautifully my fire to me is restored.
Beautifully my possessions are to me restored.
Beautifully my soft goods to me are restored.
Beautifully my hard goods to me are restored.
Beautifully my horses to me are restored.
Beautifully my sheep to me are restored.
Beautifully my old men to me are restored.
Beautifully my old women to me are restored.
Beautifully my young men to me are restored.
Beautifully my women to me are restored.
Beautifully my children to me are restored.
Beautifully my wife to me is restored.
Beautifully my chiefs to me are restored.
Beautifully my country to me is restored.
Beautifully my fields to me are restored.
Beautifully my house to me is restored.
Talking God sits with me.
House God sits with me.
Pollen Boy sits with me.
Grasshopper Girl sits with me.
Beautifully white corn to me is restored.
Beautifully yellow corn to me is restored.
Beautifully blue corn to me is restored.
Beautifully corn of all kinds to me is restored.
In beauty may I walk.
All day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk.
With dew about my feet may I walk.
With beauty may I walk.
With beauty before me, may I walk.
With beauty behind me, may I walk.
With beauty above me, may I walk.
With beauty below me, may I walk.
With beauty all around me, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.
NIGHT CHANT
FOR THE NINTH SONG
In Tsegihi,
In the house made of dawn,
In the house made of evening twilight,
In the house made of dark cloud,
In the house made of rain and mist, of pollen, of grasshoppers,
Where the dark mist curtains the doorway,
The path to which is on the rainbow,
Where the zig-zag lightning stands high on top,
Where the he-rain stands high on top,
Oh, male divinity!
With your moccasins of dark clouds, come to us,
With your mind enveloped in dark cloud, come to us,
With the dark thunder above you, come to us soaring,
With the shapen cloud at your feet, come to us soaring.
With the far darkness made of the dark cloud over your head, come to us soaring.
With the far darkness made of the rain and the mist over your head, come to us soaring,
With the far darkness made of the rain and the mist over your head, come to us soaring.
With the zig-zag lightning flung out high over your head,
With the rainbow hanging high over your head, come to us soaring.
With the far darkness made of the dark cloud on the ends of your wings,
With the far darkness made of the rain and the mist on the ends of your wings, come to us soaring,
With the zig-zag lightning, with the rainbow hanging high on the ends of your wings, come to us soaring.
With the near darkness made of dark cloud of the rain and the mist, come to us,
With the darkness on the earth, come to us.
With these I wish the foam floating on the flowing water over the roots of the great corn,
I have made your sacrifice,
I have prepared a smoke for you,
My feet restore for me.
My limbs restore, my body restore, my mind restore, my voice restore for me.
Today, take out your spell for me,
Today, take away your spell for me.
Away from me you have taken it,
Far off from me it is taken,
Far off you have done it.
Happily I recover,
Happily I become cool,
My eyes regain their power, my head cools, my limbs regain their strength, I hear again.
Happily for me the spell is taken off,
Happily I walk; impervious to pain, I walk; light within, I walk; joyous, I walk.
Abundant dark clouds I desire,
An abundance of vegetation I desire,
An abundance of pollen, abundant dew, I desire.
Happily may fair white corn, to the ends of the earth, come with you,
Happily may fair yellow corn, fair blue corn, fair corn of all
kinds, plants of all kinds, goods of all kinds, jewels of all
kinds, to the ends of the earth, come with you.
With these before you, happily may they come with you,
With these behind, below, above, around you, happily may they come with you,
Thus you accomplish your tasks.
Happily the old men will regard you,
Happily the old women will regard you,
The young men and the young women will regard you,
The children will regard you,
The chiefs will regard you,
Happily, as they scatter in different directions, they will regard you,
Happily, as they approach their homes, they will regard you.
May their roads home be on the trail of peace,
Happily may they all return.
In beauty I walk,
With beauty before me, I walk,
With beauty behind me, I walk,
With beauty above and about me, I walk,
It is finished in beauty,
It is finished in beauty.
PROTECTION SONG
NAVAJO
TO BE SUNG ON GOING INTO BATTLE
I
Now, Slayer of the Alien Gods, among men am I.
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Rubbed with the summits of the mountains,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Now upon the beautiful trail of old age,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
II
Now, Offspring of the Water, among men am I.
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Rubbed with the water of the summits,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Now upon the beautiful trail of old age,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
III
Now, Lightning of the Thunder, among men am I.
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Rubbed with the summit of the sky,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Now upon the beautiful trail of old age,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
IV
Now, Altsodoniglehi, among men am I.
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Rubbed with the summits of the earth,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
Now upon the beautiful trail of old age,
Now among the alien gods with weapons of magic am I.
