Rain Language Part III

The Kamloops Wawa was a Chinook language newspaper published for more than a decade by the Oblate missionaries.  It was written in a short hand specifically designed for Chinook and interior Salishan languages

Here is the third section of Terry Glavin's poem Rain Language.  This is the link to the first section, and this is the link to the second section.

I am posting the poem in chunks,  Terry wrote it in seven pieces.   Since I could not find a copy online I asked Terry if I could post it and he agreed.   The original is in the book "A Voice Great within us: The Story of Chinook" by Charles Lillard and Terry Glavin published by Transmontanus/New Star Books

The "English" sections are not only a translation but an integral part of the whole poem.  I like that the poem shows how the grammar works for Chinook and how it shows the way the language lingers in the little words in this part of the world.

Rain Language

III

Ahnkuttie, yaka mitlite nesika lelang,
     Once, it was our language,
nawitka nesika oakut
     our own way
tanse,
     to dance,
tikegh,
     to want, to love, 
mamook mesachie,
     to curse,
mamook polaklie,
     to darken,
pe mamook skookum light.
     and to make bright.
Alta, yukwa mitlite ketling,
     Now, there is a kettle here,
keekweelie powitsh stick,
     under the crabapple trees,
pil ilta kopa chickamin chako halo ikta.
     rusting to nothing.
Yahwa,
     There,
eneti kullaghan,
     on the other side of the fence,
kokshut leshaloo
     a broken plough
mitlite kow kopa klale ollallie.
     is tangled in the blackberries.
Yaka mitlite kopa kopet tenas coulees kopa nesika illahie,
     It is only the little places of our country,
kopa snass,
     in the rain,
pe ole shantie.
     and in old songs

Konoway sun nika cly,
     Always, I weep,
Siah Illahie nika mitlite alta;
     Far away is my country now;
Konoway sun nika cly.
     Always, I weep.
Siah illahie nika mitlite alta.
     Far away is my country now.

Rain Language Part II

Here is the second section of Terry Glavin's poem Rain Language.  This is the link to the first section.

This is about 1/8th of the whole poem, I will be posting it in chunks.  Terry wrote it in seven pieces.   Since I could not find a copy online I asked Terry if I could post it and he agreed.   The original is in the book "A Voice Great within us: The Story of Chinook" by Charles Lillard and Terry Glavin published by Transmontanus/New Star Books

The "English" sections are not only a translation but an integral part of the whole poem

Rain Language

II

Alta nika potlach wawa kopa okoke pepah.
     Now I will talk to you about this picture.
Yaka klatawa kopa stick
     He went into the woods
mamook tzum.
     to write.
Snass chako.
     It was raining.
Yaka mitlite halo tamahnous.
     He had no Guardian Spirit.
Kopa Nemiah, Mabel Solomon mamook le di.
     Up in Nemiah, Mabel Solomon brewed up le di.
Le di.
     Tea.
Huloiam klawhap mitlite kopa illahie, 
      There were strange pits in the ground, 
konoway kah,
     everywhere,
pe olemans pe ole klootchmans mamook wawa
     and the old Chilcotin people called them
keekweelie holes.
     giggly holes.
Okoke wawa, klaska wawa kopa
     It is their word for
keekweelie houses.
     underground houses.
Kopa ole yiem, yahwa mitlite t'kope man
      In old stories, there is a white man
cloosh sakolleks, cloosh pasesse
     in a fine suit of clothes
pa yaka nem mitlite Lejaub.
     and his name is Lejaub.
Lejaub.
     The Devil.
Kopa okoke oakut, lelang mitlite,
     That is the way the language lingers,
yukwa pe yahwa
     here and there.
Halo chako, halo mahsh,
     Not arriving, not leaving, 
kopa tenas wawa.
     in little words.
Wake siah kahkwa kwass leloo,
      Not quite like the fear of wolves,
halo kahkwa snass kopa Bella Colla,
     not like the rain at Bella Colla,
yaka mitlite nawitka kiuatan chako tseepie
     more like the horse that was lost
kopa Snow Mountains,
     in the Snow Mountains,
kiuatan nesika nanitch kopa stick
      the one we would see through the trees
tenas hiyu times
     now and then
kopa tenas lamonti klahanie Tsunia.
     in the hills beyond Tsunia.
Yaka mitlite tenas wawa,
     It is in little words,
pe ole shantie.
     and old songs.

     Tlonas kahta nika tumtum
          I do not know how my heart feels
     Nika nanitch klatawa Godsroad klatawa
          I have seen the steamer Godsroad leaving
     Pe chali mitlite, pe tlakawa nika.
          With Charlie aboard, and I am sad

Rain Language Part I - A Poem by Terry Glavin

I like to read this poem out loud because of the rhythm and sounds of the chinook.

This is about 1/8th of the whole poem, I will be posting it in chunks.  Terry wrote it in seven pieces.   Since I could not find a copy online I asked Terry if I could post it and he agreed.   The original is in the book "A Voice Great within us: The Story of Chinook" by Charles Lillard and Terry Glavin published by Transmontanus/New Star Books

The "English" sections are not only a translation but an integral part of the whole poem

Rain Language 

I

Yaka yiem halo kliminawhit,
     This is a true story
Waum illahie klip sun, kopa Byrne Oakut,
    On a late summer evening on Byrne Road
kimta tenas wahm snass chako,
    after a gentle summer rain, 
Spose hyack colley konmokst chikchik, Ford pe Chevrolet,
    in a race between a Ford and Chevrolet, 
spose Ford tolo kopa tenas-sitkum mile
    if the Ford won the the quarter mile
pe Ford man mamook klahwa,
    and the Ford guy slowed down
kopet cooley, yaka halo mamook fly
     soon enough to avoid going airborne
oakut opoots, 
   at the end of the road,
Ford, yaka skookum chikchik.
    then the Ford was the skookum car.
Nawitka, Ford skookum chichik  
     A right skookum car.

Yaka yiem halo kliminawhit.
     This is a true story.
Spose mika hiyu mamook,
     If you had a job
pe chickamin sun chako
     and it was pay day
pe mike halo mahkook lum kopa tillicums, 
     and you still didn't buy a round, 
mika mitlite cultus bastard.
     you were a cultus bastard.
Nawitka, cultus bastard.
     A right cultus bastard.
Saltchuk, yaka mitlite saltchuk,
     The oceans was the saltchuk,
klootchman kopa mika tillicum
     your buddy's girlfriend
yaka mitlite klootchman,
     was his klootchman,
pe kopa okoke oakut, lelang mitlite
     and this is how the language lingers
yukwa pe yahwa.
     here and there.
Yaka mitlite kopa tenas wawa
     It is in the little words
pe ole shantie.
     and old songs.

Hyas Tlakowa nika
     I am so happy
Spose steamboat klatawa yukwa
     When the steamboat arrives,
Tlonas nika cly
     I think I will weep
Spose steamboat klatawa.
     When the steamboat leaves.