Gaa-zhi-ndaadizid Nenabosho - Classic
The Birth of Nenabosho

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Ojibwe Only

Owiigiwaaming anishinaabeg, mindimooyenh odaanisan owiidigemaan.

Ningoding oganoonaan iniw odaanisan: “Ambe sa noo nindaanis aiyaangwaamizin. Wii noondawishin ge-ininaan.


Geget sa ningichi-gotaaj, ginaniizaanenimin.

Gego wiikaa izhichigeken oowidi ningaabii’anong ji-inaasamabiyan zaaga’aman.

Gego giga-izhi-ayaa giishpin i’iwidi inaasamabiyan.


Mii i’wi sa ezhi-naniizaaneniminaan.

Aiyaangwaamizin i’iw [noongomeninaan] ji-izhichigeyan; giga-inigaatoon kiiyaw.

Mii sa iw eninaan.”


Aanish mii sa go iw, aaniish mii sa geget aiyaangwaamizigobanen a’aw ikwe weshkiniigikwewid.

Gaawiin wiikaa ininiwan besho ogii-waabamaasiin.

Ningoding igo gaa-izhi-waniwisid aw oshkiniigikwe;

mii dash apii zaaga’amogobanen gaa-izhi-inaasamabid ningaabii’anong

mii dash apii noondamogobanen biidweweyaanimadinig

Gaa-izhi-kikendang dakaashid i’iwidi ozaaga’amoowining.


Mii dash ezhi-pasigonjised. “nimaamaa, nashke giniin, gaa-izhi-ayaayaan!

Mii ganabach gaa-izhiyan ezhi-ayaayaan.”

Gaa-izhi-kanoonaad a’aw mindimoyenh iniw odaanisan: “Memindage gigii-inigaatoon kiiyaw.”

Aaniish mii sa iw zhigwa gii-mawid aw mindimoyenh. “Aaniish mii go iw nindaanis, inigaatooyan kiiyaw.

Nashke goto ge-izhiwebiziyan.

Awiya gii-piindigewag kiiyawing, mii go iw nindaanis, inigaaziyan.

Gaawiin anishinaabewisiiwag gaa-piindigewaad imaa sa kiiyawing.

Gaawiin waasa iw ji-niigiwaad.

Na, mii dash igiw gaa-gosagwaa.”

Aaniish nashke dash gomaa go apii mii sa go gii-noondawaad a’aw isa mindimoyenh awiya madwegiikaandinid.

Ogii-kikenimaa anaamaya’ii danwewedaminid.


Mii dash moozhag gii-mawid a’aw mindimoyenh.

Mii dash geget i’imaa gii-kwayakwenimaad ji-pimaadizinid iniw odaanisan.

Aaniish ogii-noondawaa sa i’iw gaakaandinid, i’imaa omisadaaning danwewedaminid.


O’ow idash madwe-ikidowan: “Niin ninga-saziikis.”


“Gaawiin” madwe-ikido bezhig biinish go ikido aw bezhig: “Gaawiin gidaa-saziikizisii. Niin isa ninga-saziikis.

Aaniish mii sa pane mawid aw mindimoyenh bizindawaad i’iw gaakaandinid.

Ogii-kikenimaa aw mindimoyenh I’iw waa-dazhinid i’iw ooshisheya’.

Na, mii dash ii’iw ekidowaad nagaawebinidiwaad (ayaani) aanawi-saaga’amowaad.

Igiw dash aanind aano-gii-ikidowag: “gego bina! Kiga-iniga’aanaan gosha gi-maamaanaan.

Weweni pina go zaaga’andaa,” aano-ikidowag.


Gaawiin idash izhi-minwedaziiwag igiw waa-saziikizijig.


Mii dash i’iw ekidowaad zhigwa anooj igo wii-izhi-saaga’amowaad.

Bezhig ogii-waabandaan waasakonenig.

“Aaniish mii imaa gwayak niin waa-izhaayaan.”

Mii dash apii gii-gagwedanimidiwaad awenen aw nitam ge-saaga’ang,

mii dash iw gaa-izhi-piigoshkawaawaad iniw omaamaawaan.

Wiikaa go ningoji babaa-inaabid mindimoyenh ogii-mikaan miskwi bangii.

Mii sa wiigwaas ezhi-paapagonang.


Mii dash imaa gaa-izhi-atood wiigwaasing i’iw miskwi gaa-izhi-kashkashkwemaginang, mii sa gaa-izhina’inang.

Aaniish piijiinag ogii-waabandaan.

Ningoding igo aapashkwemaginang ogii-waabamaan abinoojiiyan, mii go i’iw gii-ganoonigod, o’ow dash ogii-igoon:

“Nookomis,” ogii-igoon apii genoonigod.


Aaniish mii sa zhigwa ogii-igoon: “Gi-kikenim na ayaawiyaan? Niin isa Nenabosho.”

In a wigwam lived some people, an old woman with her daughter dwelt.

Once she spoke to her daughter, saying: “I beg of you, my daughter, be on your guard. I would have you listen to what I am going to tell you.

Verily, am I greatly afraid, I am in fear for you.

Never bring to pass when you go out that you sit facing toward this westward way.

Something will happen to you if toward that way you sit facing.

That is what causes me to entertain fears for you.

Be careful to give heed to that which I now tell you to do; (or else) you will bring (an evil) fate upon yourself.

Now that was what I had to tell you.”


Now such was the way it was, for it was true that at the time heedful was this woman who was a maiden.

Never with men had she intimate association.

But once on a time unmindful became the maiden;

so when out of doors she went (and) afterwards sat down facing the west,

then heard she the sound of wind coming hitherward.

When she felt it, she was chilled there at the place of the passage out.

Accordingly she quickly leaped to her feet. "Oh my mother, behold the state that I am in!

It may be that what you told me of is the matter with me."

Then spoke the old woman to her daughter, saying: “Exceeding harm have you done to yourself.”

So therefore then did the old woman weep. “Now therefore, my daughter, have you done yourself a hurt.

You shall learn what will happen to you.

Certain beings have entered into your body: therefore, my daughter, you are in a pitiable state.

They are not human beings that have gone inside of you there.

The time is not far distant before they will be born.

Therefore it was they whom I feared.”

Now, lo, in the course of time did the old women hear the sound of beings that were quarrelling one with another.


She knew by the sound of their voices that they were inside.

And so without ceasing did the old woman weep.

It was true that then was she sure that her daughter would not live.

Now she heard them quarrelling one with another, there in her (daughter's) belly the sound of their voices could be heard.

This was what one was heard to say: “I wish to be the first brought forth.”

“No,” one was heard saying, even did one say, “you cannot be the first-born. I am the one to be the eldest.”

It was natural that all the while the old woman should weep as she listened to them quarrelling one with another.

Knowledge of them had the old woman as to how many would her grandchildren be.

Hark! this was what they said as they pushed one another back from the place where they tried in vain to go out.

But others of them tried, but to no purpose, to say: “Don't, please! We shall surely do injury to our mother.

In proper order please let us go out," (thus) in vain they said.

But not content with the idea were they who wished to be the eldest.

Therefore then they said that now from different places they wished to go out.

One saw where there was light.

“Now, straight by this very way do I wish to go.”

And so while they were debating among themselves as to who should be the first to go out,

then was when they burst open their mother.


After a while at a certain place where round about the old woman was looking she found a clot of blood.

Thereupon some birch-bark she began peeling (from a tree).

And now, after she had put the blood upon the bark, she then folded the bark over it, and laid it away.

Naturally, by and by she looked at it.

Now, once when she opened the bark she beheld a babe, whereupon she was addressed, and this is what she was told:

“O my grandmother!” she was told at the time that she was addressed.

So now this was what she was told: “Do you know who I am? Why, I am Nanabushu.”