Gaa-zhi-ndaadizid Nenabosho
The Birth of Nenabosho - Manitoulin Dialect
Wiigwaaming anishinaabeg gii-daawag, mndimoowenh miinwaa daansan owiijgendaadwag.
Ngoding ganoonaan niwi daansan: “Ambe sa naa n-daanis aangwaamizin. Ga-bzindaw dash wi waa-wiindmooninaa. Aapji go n-naniizaanendam giin onji, g-naniizaanenmin. Gegwa wiikaa zhichgeke oodi e-pngishmog ji-naasmabyan zaag’aman. Gegoo ka-zhi-yaa giishpin widi naasmabyan. Mii wi sa ezhi-naniizaanenminaa. Aangwaamzin wi noongo eninaa ji-zhichgeyan; ka-nigaatoon k-wiiyaw. Mii sa iw eninaa.” Aanish mii sa go iw, aaniish mii sa geget aangwaamzigobanen aw kwe e-shkiniigkwewid. Gaawii wiikaa niniwan besho gii-waabmaasiin. Ngoding go gaa-zhi-wnised aw shkiniigkwe; mii dash pii zaag’amgobanen gaa-zhi-naasmabid e-pngishmag mii dash pii noondmogbanen biidweweyaanmadnig. Gaa-zhi-gkendang dkaashid iwidi zaaga’moowining. Mii dash ezhi-bzigonjised. “n-maamaa, nashke genii, gaa-zhayaayaan! Mii gnabach gaa-zhiyan ezhi-ayaayaan.” Gaa-zhi-gnoonaad aw mndimoowenh niwi daansan: “Memdage kii-nigaatoon k-wiiyaw.” Aaniish mii sa iw zhigwa gii-mwid aw mndimoowenh. “Aaniish mii go iw n-daanis, nigaatooyan k-wiiyaw. Nashke ga-gkendaan go ge-ni-zhiwebiziyan. Wiya gii-biindgeshkaag k-wiiyawing, mii go iw n-daanis, nigaaziyan. Gaawii anishnaabewisiiwag gaa-biindgeshkaagoowin imaa sa k-wiiyawing. Gaawii waasa iw ji-niigiwaad. Na, mii dash giwi gaa-gsagig.” Aaniish nashke dash gmaa go pii mii sa go gii-noondwaad aw sa mndimoowenh wiya mdwe-giikaandinid. Gii-gkenimaan biinjyi’ii danwewedamnid. Mii dash pane gii-mwid aw mndimoowenh, gii-aabdademo. Mii dash geget imaa gii-gwayakwenmaad ji-bmaadzisinig niwi daansan. Aaniish gii-noondwaan sa iw gaakaandinid, imaa misadaaning danwewedamnid. Wa dash mdwe-kidwan: “Niin go nga-ziikis.” “Gaawii” mdwe-kida bezhig miinwaa go kida aw bezhig: “Gaawii gdaa-ziikzisii. Niin sa nga-ziikis.” Aaniish mii sa pane mwid aw mndimoowenh bzindawaad iw giikaandnid. Gii-gkenimaan aw mndimoowenh wi waa-dazhnid iw oosheyan. Na, mii dash iw ekidwaad ngaawebnidwaad aanawii-zaag’amowaad. Giwi dash aanin aano-gii-kidwag: “Gegwa bina! Ka-nigaa’aanaa gsha g-maamaanaa. Weweni bina go zaagjiitmadaa,” aano-kidwag. Gaawiin dash zhi-minwendziiwag giwi waa-ziikzijig. Mii dash iw e-kidwaad zhigwa noonj go wii-zhi-zaag’amwaad. Bezhig ogii-waabndaan waaskonenig. “Aaniish mii imaa gwayak niin waa-zhaayaan.” Mii dash pii gii-gagwedaanmidwaad, aagnetaadiwaad, wenen aw ntam ge-zaag’ang, Mii dash iw gaa-zhi-biigshkawaawaad niwi omaamaawaan. Wiikaa go ngoji bbaa-naabid mndimoowenh gii-mkaan mskwi bngii. Mii sa wiigwaas ezhi-baapaagonang. Mii dash maa gaa-zhi-tibiignang wiigwaasing iw mskwi, mii sa gaa-zgaknang. Aaniish piichnaag gii-waabndaan. Ngoding go biniskweginang gii-waabmaan binoojiiyan, mii go iw gii-gnoonigod, ow dash gii-igoon: “Nookmis,” gii-igoon pii genoongod. Aaniish mii sa zhigwa gii-igoon: “Gii-gkenim na yaawyaan? Niin sa Nenaboozhoo.” |
In a wigwam lived some people, an old woman and her daughter lived together.
Once she spoke to her daughter: “I beg of you, my daughter, be careful. You will listen to what I am going to tell you. I am in fear of danger for you, I am afraid for you. Never sit facing toward the west when you go relieve yourself (pee). Something will happen to you if you face that way. That is what causes me to entertain fears for you. Be careful to do what I now tell you to do; (or else) you will make your body suffer. 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 shaking out (to remove dirt). 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 Nanabusho.” |