Kwë'kúnyë' Wastáha'

Call of the Whippoorwill
"Ne' khu N-awëníyu' háwê Tú twasyôni n-ôkwe he nitwaya'tu'tê tëtsitwatyeëôk, ne' khu ëthënënöhtöniák ne këtsöshö'ö ne kányötahkö wëni'työ' ne' khu ne tsi'të'öö he uâte' wêne's ne' khu ne kashenë'shö'ö ne' khu ne kakwékö he niyöëtsa', ha'tewatiya'táké khu ne tewënöthyuskwínë's he yöëtsate'."
Genesis 1:26. transl. from the KJV by Maris Pierce 1835.

"His-voice-and-word-resound-in-greatness-power-goodness-and- beauty saith, Let us make people into the way our image lies shimmering, and let them continue to rule among the fish that dwell in the waters and among the bird-brothers that walk on the wind and among the docile ones and among everything in the world, all the separate things that creep about on the earth."
Genesis 1:27. transl. from Maris Pierce by Thomas McElwain 1996.

"Ne' khu N-awëníyu'." Sô huikê N-awëníyu'? Útyutyeëhtöôk ukwényô ëtwi' únë huikê N-awëníyu' husyôní n-ôkwe khu ne kakwékö he niyöëtsa'ke. Huya'tihsa'ö ne tsi'të'öö'shö'ö ne këtsöshö'ö khu ne kanyu'takwékö. Huya'tatátö ne utehatôní ne këtakwëhtá' khu ne yöëtsa'ke ëyutsinôya'tëönyôk. Huyënu'të'he'ö ëyenöhkwa'syöniák ne' nê n-awé'ö n-ôkwe nëwötiyenöwö'sék. Ne'hu wai ne' N-awêníyu'.

"And God." Who is God? We can say now first of all that God made people and everything in the world. He created the birds, fish and animals. He formed the woods and meadows and the streams that continue to run through them on the earth. He provided the plants from which we make the medicines that continue to help us. He is God.

Të'ë nae na'u't ne kë' kêtö huikê ne huwênö' hawëníyu' ëkí yewëníyu' kyö'ö kës kayásö? Útyutyeëhtöôk tyawë'ö tsitwasnye's hawëníyu', ne' nae te'ne' huwëníyu'. Ne' ne kë' kêtö ne' ta'aö kës ëyewënökhahsi' hawëníyu' hauhwö'. Ne' ne te'wáte' ne uwênö' khu ne Hawëníyu'. Ne' ne uwênö' te'ne' ha'kwistë'. Ne' thasnye's N-awëníyu'. Na'u't kêtö ne uwênö' wíyú? Ne' ne kuwánës, ne u'háste' khu ne utëô khu ne uiwanëëkwat. Hawëníyu' kêtö thásnye's ne kuwánës, ne u'háste' khu ne utëô khu uiwanêkwat.

What does the word God as it is called mean? Firstly, we always say hawëníyo and not howëníyo'. This means that it is impossible to separate the word or voice from God Himself. The word or voice is not a thing separate from God. It is the action of God speaking. But what does the ending wíyó mean? It means great, strong, good, magnificent. The word God means His-voice- and-word-resound-in-greatness-power-goodness-and-beauty.

"Háwê." Hekaya'tí háwê. ökwënöhtö' ne' N-awëníyu' huwênö' kayásöh ukëistö wíyú. Kanyu' hatháha' ne' wai nê shô hutênút. Kakwékö nae ne yöëtsate' ne'hu wai nê shô N-awëníyu' huënö'. Ne' n-áyönishe't kës ëötënúta'k ne' khu ëyöëtsaték, ne' khu nê hëkâhkwë'sék, ne' khu kës ne kê' ne kwë'kúnyë' ëwötwënôta'k. Nêkê wênishæte' ne' nae n-utyênu'kta'ö he työhe'.

"He said." To put it simply, he said. We know that the voice of God is abundantly beautiful. His speech is only song. The whole world is nothing but the song of God. As long as his song (orenda) lasts, the earth will continue, the sun will always set, and the whippoorwill's voice will be heard. Today is the day of creation.

"Tú twasyôni n-ôkwe he nitwaya'tu'tê tëtsitwatyeëôk." Ne' ne yöëtsakwékö ne' huikê N-awëníyu' niaya'tu'tê. Ne' wai huikê kaya'takaêt, ne' shô n-ôkwe niyeya'tu'tê. Kanyu' waatënútë' N- awëníyu' "Tú twasyâni n-ôkwe" kötatye' utyênu'kta'ö N-awëníyu' niaya'tu'tê. Utyênu'kta'ö ne yöëtsate' kánya'khaö'.

"Let us make people into the way our image lies shimmering." The universe is the image of God. At last that image had a people-shaped hole in it. When God sang "Let us make people into how our image lies," he filled the last hole in the completed image. The patchwork quilt of the earth was done.

"Ne' khu ëthënënöhtöniák." Të'ë nae shô na'u't ne ëthënënöhtöniák ne ôkwe? Nâ te'ne' kakwékö nâ na'u't ukwényô ëtwáku'. Satkáthu nê húyatö' Genesis 1:29,30. Të'ë nae na'u't ne ëthënënöhtöniák? Ha'kwistë' hakökêyataní ne tetwatênôté' ne këtsö áwënötekhôni'. Ne' nae hae'kwa ha'kwistë' hakökêyataní ne tetwatênôté' ne tsi'të'ö khu áwënötekhôni'. Ne' nae hae'kwa ha'kwistë' hakökêyataní ne tetwatênôté' he nikanyu'táké áwënötekhôni'. Ta unë ti hawé'ö N-awëníyu' ha'kwistë' khu ne ôkwe áwënötekhönyáne' kës. Ne' shô nê n-ëthënënöhtöniák ne ôkwe. Kakwékö nae shô na'u't twakhwatahkwa'ke nê shô ukwényô ëtitwënöhtöniák. Tyêkwa nae kakwékö nae ëtwas'á' ta'aö kës ëtitwënöhtöniák.

"And let them continue to rule." What is the dominion of humankind? It is absolutely not everything we can get. Look at what is written in Genesis 1:29,30. What is the rule that is described there? God provided something for our brothers the fish to eat. He also provided something for our brothers the birds to eat. He also provided something for our brothers among all the animals to eat. Then God provided something for us to eat as well. That is the only thing we have to rule over. We can rule over whatever it is we can put in our stomachs. But if we eat up everything, then we cannot continue to rule.

Sataöhtíyus. Nae u'saôk N-awëníyu' huënö'? Nae teyunö'skwahkwë ne tyáwê. Ne' shô tyusnye'ö ne kwë'kúnyë'. Weê kustá' ne hëés. Kwáhe te'saôkë N-awëníyu' hutênút. Të'ëkúwá? Te'aö ha'kwistë nëhsënöôk, ne' kaiôni ne' n-ís N-awëníyu' hutênút.

Listen carefully. Do you hear the song of God? A trout jumps. The whipporwill speaks. In the distance a panther cries. But you do not hear God singing. Why not? You cannot hear anything, because you youself are the song of God.


[TM:4/96]