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RELIGIOUS SONGS AND PRAYERS OF THE NAVAHO1

Collected and translated byWASHINGTONn/aMATTHEWSn/an/an/an/a

1. SONG IN THE ROCK

In the house of the Red Rock, There I enter; Halfway in, I am come. The corn-plants shake. In the house of Blue Water, There I enter; Halfway in, I am come. The plants shake.

2. SONG IN THE ROCK

At the Red Rock house it grows, There the giant corn-plant grows, With ears on either side it grows, With its ruddy silk it grows, Ripening in one day it grows, Greatly multiplying grows.

At Blue Water house it grows, There the giant squash-vine grows, With fruit on either side it grows, With its yellow blossom grows, Ripening in one day it grows, Greatly multiplying grows.

3. MOUNTAIN SONG

In a holy place with a god I walk, In a holy place with a god I walk, On Tsisnadzini with a god I walk, On a chief of mountains with a god I walk, In old-age wandering with a god I walk, On a trail of beauty with a god I walk.

4. A SONG TO SWEEP OFF WITH

The corn grows up; the rain descends, I sweep it off, I sweep it off. The rain descends; the corn grows up. I sweep it off, I sweep it off.

5. FREE TRANSLATION OF A PRAYER

In Tse’gihi, In the house made of dawn, In the house made of the evening twilight, In the house made of the dark cloud, In the house made of the he-rain, In the house made of the dark mist, In the house made of the she-rain, In the house made of pollen, In the house made of grasshoppers, Where the dark mist curtains the doorway, The path to which is on the rainbow, Where the zigzag lightning stands high on top, Where the he-rain stands high on top, Oh, male-divinity! With your moccasins of dark cloud, come to us. . . . In beauty I walk. With beauty before me, I walk. With beauty behind me, I walk. With beauty below me, I walk. With beauty above me, I walk. With beauty all around me, I walk. . . . It is finished in beauty.

6. A MOUNTAIN CHANT SONG

The voice that beautifies the land! The voice above, The voice of the Thunder, Among the dark clouds Again and again it sounds, The voice that beautifies the land. The voice that beautifies the land! The voice below, The voice of the grasshopper, Among the flowers and grasses Again and again it sounds, The voice that beautifies the land.

7. BLUEBIRD SONG

Just as daylight Sialia calls. The bluebird has a voice, He has a voice, his voice melodious, His voice melodious that flows in gladness.Sialia calls! Sialia calls!

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