Nagi Tanka
( The following is a tribute to all Native Americans. Please check the footnotes for unfamiliar words which are taken from language of Lakota)
A lonely man riding a tashunke
Toward the anapo
Where the yellow-gowned prince
Rises majestically
With an army of golden spears
Aimed at desert’s sandy heart
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The ozuye ohitika cries out:
He-ay-hee-ee
He-ay-hee-ee
And dances the can wakan
Esnella
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Little naughty miracles
Come out of tepees
Cinks-cunks
To welcome me,
Eyes twinkling
With hope, with fear…
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Le mita sunkaku, le mita cola, le mita tahunsa
Oo-oohey
Happo happo
And we rush with our mila hansaka
To hunt the tatanka
Under blue sky
Where cetan flies
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Ocheti of us
Men with pahaska
Adorned with wanbli’s niyaha
Ride like wakina on burning sands
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It’s noon
And the lunchtime
Our tepees are filled with le mita colapi
Dancing flames
Siyotanka’s melody
Joy and laughter
All is skuyela
Can this last ohinyan?
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Owanka wakan is shaking
Nituwe he?
Traces of worry
On my tunkasila and unci’s faces
The wasichu
Mahpuya shrouds
The sky
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-Hohahe
-Miyelo ca kola!
-Should I believe that?
-My friends will be here anytime
To be your guests!
Mind is drowned in doubt’s lagoon
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Yellow prince is wounded
His bleeding chest
Disappears into horizon
Haho! Haho!
The white are coming
A black wickmunke
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O wakan tanka
I ask for peace
I beg for love
Is that much to have?
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Tepees are glowing?
Or greedy flames
Have found their victims?
This is wicoti mitawa
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Wahi, wahi
He-ay hee-ee
He-ay-hee-ee
Nagi tanka
Raise my spirit…
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O cherished land
Oh burnt tepees
Smokes, ashes, cries
Blind the eyes, deafen ears
Hecheto aloe…
Footnotes
1. Nagi Tanka: Great Spirit
2. Tashunke : Horse
3. Anapo: The Dawn
4. Ozuye: Warrior
5. Ohitika: Brave
6. He-ay-hee-ee: A call to the Great Spirit
7. Can Wakan: Sun dance
8. Esnella: A loner
9. Tepees: Native American Tents
10. Cinks: My son
11. Cunks: My daughter
12. Le mita sunkaku: My younger brother
13. Le mita cola: My friend
14. Le mita tahunsa: My cousin
15. Oo-oohey: It is time
16. Happo: Let’s go
17. Mila hansaka: Long knives
18. Tatanka: Buffalo bull
19. Cetan: Hawk
20. Ocheti: Seven
21. Pahaska: Long hair
22. Wanbli: Eagle
23. Niyaha: Feather
24. Wakina: Thunder
25. Le mita colapi: My friends
26. Siyotanka: A kind of flute made of cedar wood
27. Skuyela: sweet
28. Ohinyan: forever
29. Owanka wakan: Sacred Altar
30. Nituwe he? : Who are you?
31. Tunkasila: Grandfather
32. Unci: Grandmother
33. Wasichu: White man
34. Mahpuya: Cloud
35. Hohahe: Welcome
36. Miyelo ca kola: I am friend
37. Haho: Look at this
38. Wickmunke: Trap
39. Wakan tanka: God
40. Wicoti mitawa: My village
41. Wahi: I am coming
42. Hecheto aloe: It is finished