Nanabushu and the Dancing Bullrushes
Ningoding igo babimosed awiya onoondawaa zaasaakwenid.
And once, while travelling about, he heard the sound of some one whooping.
Wegoneniiwinen onaazitawaa.
Like a dunce he went to where he heard the sound.
Goniginiin, zaaga’igaans zaagidawaanig i’iw ziibiins, mii imaa ayaanid i’iwe ininiwa’, bizhishig i’iw ininiwa’.
Lo, where out into a pond flowed a brook was the place where those men were, a vast throng of men.
Gakina bingwaashaagidiwa, Gaye dash ezhi’onid gakina waabigoniin obadakibine’oni.
They were all nude, and they all had flowers sticking upon (their heads).
Zhigwa owaabamigoo.
Presently he was seen.
“E! e, e, Nenaboozhoo, niwii-niimi’idimin, nishwaasogon niwii-niimi’idimin.
“Halloo, Nanabushu! We expect to dance, for eight days we intend to dance.
Gegeti go niwii-gichi-niimi’idimin.”
To be sure, we hope for a big dance.”
“Nijiimijaa,(1) mii sa go i’iw bebaa-inanookiiyaan, babaa-nanda-niimi’idiiyaan.
“My little brothers, this is precisely what I am travelling about for, round about am I seeking for a place to dance.
Gichi-enigok giga-wiidookooninim.”
With all (my) might will I help you.”
“Nenaboozhoo, gego, ganabaj giga-ayekos.
“Nanabushu, don’t you do it, perhaps you might grow tired.
Nishwaasogon wii-niimidiyaang, mii go gaye, [ge-]gabe-dibik wii-niimi’idiyaang.”
For eight days we intend to dance, and also throughout the whole of every night do we expect to dance.”
“Nijiimijaa, maanoo, gaye niin ninga-niimi’idi.”
“My little brothers, never you mind, I too will dance.”
“Nenaboozhoo, aaniish maanoo gaye giin gidaa-niim, gwayak igo giga-ayekos.”
Nanabushu, naturally unconcerned about care, you too should dance, but certainly you will be tired.”
Aaniish, mii sa go zhigwa maajitaanid; aataa, zhigwa bazigwiiwa’.
Well, so presently they began; ah, then they rose to their feet.
Aaniish, Nenaboozhoo gaye wiin gii-badakibine’oonaa iniw misaabigoniin.
Now, Nanabushu also wore large blossoms standing upon his head (for feathers).
Aataa, e-izhiinid naami’idinid!
Oh how they who danced did carry on!
Nenaboozhoo geji-e-ii-zhid naaniimid, mii sa gaye wiin dibishkoo e-iindoodang.
Nanabushu was quite beside himself when he danced, for he did the same (as the others).
Iskwaach niiyogon naami’idimind mii zhigwa gikendang ayekozid.
At the end of four days’ dancing, he then began to realize that he was tired.
Abaapish niizhwaasogon naami’idimind anishaa go namadabi; aapiji ayekozi, gaye wii-wiisini.
By the time they (had) danced seven days, then it was all he could do to sit down; exceedingly tired was he, and he wanted to eat.
Abaapish eni-dibikadinig, aapiji naanoondayagendam jibwaa-waabaninig.
By the time that night was coming on, he grew deeply worried (that he would not survive) before it was day.
Mii zhigwa Nenaboozhoo zhingishing aano-niimi’idid.
So then Nanabushu lay down, trying in vain to dance.
Minjimigo ji-biidaabaninig ezhi-mawid Nenaboozhoo.
Just as the dawn was breaking, then began Nanabushu to cry.
E-bi-baapi’ind. Zhigwa sa bi-waabanini, zhigwa imaa dibishkoojaya’ii bimi-akwaabanini.
Then he was laughed at. Presently came the morning, soon straight overhead was ow far the light of the morning had come.
Goniginiin, gibidaanimadini.
Lo, the wind died down.
Etawaa, Nenaboozhoo megwaa zhaashaaganashkokaang, mii nangwana iniw gaa-izhinang, anishinaabeng ogii-izhinaanan.
Why, Nanabushu was in among the bulrushes, that was what he really had seen, like people they had seemed to him.
Geget maamakaadendam Nenaboozhoo, mii iw gii-inendang anishinaabe gechi-noodingin, gii-izhinang; mii nangwana iw gaa-izhi-niimi’idiwaad zhaashaaganashkoon.
Truly surprised was Nanabushu, for he thought that they were people when the wind was blowing hard, so it had seemed to him; as a matter of fact, he had been dancing with the bulrushes.
Mii sa imaa zheshingishing Nenaboozhoo, gaawiin ogashki’osii ji-bimooded waawiishinawiin ji-bazigwiid.
And so there lay Nanabushu for a long while, he was neither able to crawl nor even to get up on his feet.
Indawaa ezhi-nibaad.
Accordingly he went to sleep.
Apii niizhogon gaa-nibaad mii dash i’iw bijiinag gashkitood bimooded, ezhi-naadagaameyooded.
After he had slept for two days, he then was able to crawl, he then crawled out to the edge of the (swamp).
And once, while travelling about, he heard the sound of some one whooping.
Wegoneniiwinen onaazitawaa.
Like a dunce he went to where he heard the sound.
Goniginiin, zaaga’igaans zaagidawaanig i’iw ziibiins, mii imaa ayaanid i’iwe ininiwa’, bizhishig i’iw ininiwa’.
Lo, where out into a pond flowed a brook was the place where those men were, a vast throng of men.
Gakina bingwaashaagidiwa, Gaye dash ezhi’onid gakina waabigoniin obadakibine’oni.
They were all nude, and they all had flowers sticking upon (their heads).
Zhigwa owaabamigoo.
Presently he was seen.
“E! e, e, Nenaboozhoo, niwii-niimi’idimin, nishwaasogon niwii-niimi’idimin.
“Halloo, Nanabushu! We expect to dance, for eight days we intend to dance.
Gegeti go niwii-gichi-niimi’idimin.”
To be sure, we hope for a big dance.”
“Nijiimijaa,(1) mii sa go i’iw bebaa-inanookiiyaan, babaa-nanda-niimi’idiiyaan.
“My little brothers, this is precisely what I am travelling about for, round about am I seeking for a place to dance.
Gichi-enigok giga-wiidookooninim.”
With all (my) might will I help you.”
“Nenaboozhoo, gego, ganabaj giga-ayekos.
“Nanabushu, don’t you do it, perhaps you might grow tired.
Nishwaasogon wii-niimidiyaang, mii go gaye, [ge-]gabe-dibik wii-niimi’idiyaang.”
For eight days we intend to dance, and also throughout the whole of every night do we expect to dance.”
“Nijiimijaa, maanoo, gaye niin ninga-niimi’idi.”
“My little brothers, never you mind, I too will dance.”
“Nenaboozhoo, aaniish maanoo gaye giin gidaa-niim, gwayak igo giga-ayekos.”
Nanabushu, naturally unconcerned about care, you too should dance, but certainly you will be tired.”
Aaniish, mii sa go zhigwa maajitaanid; aataa, zhigwa bazigwiiwa’.
Well, so presently they began; ah, then they rose to their feet.
Aaniish, Nenaboozhoo gaye wiin gii-badakibine’oonaa iniw misaabigoniin.
Now, Nanabushu also wore large blossoms standing upon his head (for feathers).
Aataa, e-izhiinid naami’idinid!
Oh how they who danced did carry on!
Nenaboozhoo geji-e-ii-zhid naaniimid, mii sa gaye wiin dibishkoo e-iindoodang.
Nanabushu was quite beside himself when he danced, for he did the same (as the others).
Iskwaach niiyogon naami’idimind mii zhigwa gikendang ayekozid.
At the end of four days’ dancing, he then began to realize that he was tired.
Abaapish niizhwaasogon naami’idimind anishaa go namadabi; aapiji ayekozi, gaye wii-wiisini.
By the time they (had) danced seven days, then it was all he could do to sit down; exceedingly tired was he, and he wanted to eat.
Abaapish eni-dibikadinig, aapiji naanoondayagendam jibwaa-waabaninig.
By the time that night was coming on, he grew deeply worried (that he would not survive) before it was day.
Mii zhigwa Nenaboozhoo zhingishing aano-niimi’idid.
So then Nanabushu lay down, trying in vain to dance.
Minjimigo ji-biidaabaninig ezhi-mawid Nenaboozhoo.
Just as the dawn was breaking, then began Nanabushu to cry.
E-bi-baapi’ind. Zhigwa sa bi-waabanini, zhigwa imaa dibishkoojaya’ii bimi-akwaabanini.
Then he was laughed at. Presently came the morning, soon straight overhead was ow far the light of the morning had come.
Goniginiin, gibidaanimadini.
Lo, the wind died down.
Etawaa, Nenaboozhoo megwaa zhaashaaganashkokaang, mii nangwana iniw gaa-izhinang, anishinaabeng ogii-izhinaanan.
Why, Nanabushu was in among the bulrushes, that was what he really had seen, like people they had seemed to him.
Geget maamakaadendam Nenaboozhoo, mii iw gii-inendang anishinaabe gechi-noodingin, gii-izhinang; mii nangwana iw gaa-izhi-niimi’idiwaad zhaashaaganashkoon.
Truly surprised was Nanabushu, for he thought that they were people when the wind was blowing hard, so it had seemed to him; as a matter of fact, he had been dancing with the bulrushes.
Mii sa imaa zheshingishing Nenaboozhoo, gaawiin ogashki’osii ji-bimooded waawiishinawiin ji-bazigwiid.
And so there lay Nanabushu for a long while, he was neither able to crawl nor even to get up on his feet.
Indawaa ezhi-nibaad.
Accordingly he went to sleep.
Apii niizhogon gaa-nibaad mii dash i’iw bijiinag gashkitood bimooded, ezhi-naadagaameyooded.
After he had slept for two days, he then was able to crawl, he then crawled out to the edge of the (swamp).
