The Birth of Christ, in Chinook Jargon (part 5)

(View & hear Dale McCreery reading parts 1-6 aloud!)

     

      ShK chako tanas.
Jesus is born.

      Wik Mari mamuk komtaks kopa Shosif ikta lisash shako wawa kopa
     Mary didn’t inform Joseph what the angel came and said to

iaka: wik iaka mamuk komtaks kopa iaka man pus iaka chako ST tanas
her: she didn’t tell her husband that she had become God the Son’s

iaka mama; pi wik lili Shosif nanich pus iaka kluchmin chako hloima.
mother; but soon Joseph saw that his wife had changed.

Shosif tlap sik tomtom, pi ilo ikta iaka wawa kopa Mari. Wik iaka
Joseph got worried, but he didn’t say anything to Mary.  He didn’t

komtaks kata iaka, pi iaka tlap tanas, pi wik iaka mamuk shim iaka.
understand what was going on with her, to have a baby, but he didn’t shame her.

Kopit pus iaka kwash kopa ST: iaka mamuk tomtom pus ipsut pi klatwa 
It’s just that he was afraid of God: he decided to hide and go

kopa hloima ilihi, pus tanas lili iaka saia kopa Mari. Mari nanich
someplace else, to be separate from Mary a while.  Mary could see

kata sik Shosif iaka tomtom; iaka nanich pus ayu iaka tomtom; pi
how upset Joseph was; she saw that he was doubting; but

wik iaka wawa pus ST iaka tomtom pi iaka chako kakwa. Pulakli,
she didn’t say that it was God’s idea for her to become as she was.  At night,

pus Shosif slip kopa iaka bid, ST mash iht lisash kopa iaka.
when Joseph was sleeping in his bed, God sent an angel to him.

Ukuk lisash wawa: “Shosif, tlus wik maika kwash kopa maika kluchmin;
This angel said: “Joseph, don’t be afraid about your wife;

tlus wik maika mash iaka. Ukuk tanas iaka tlap, iaka ST iaka tanas,
don’t reject her.  This baby she’s had, he’s God’s child,

pi ilo iaka komtaks man. Alki maika mamuk nim iaka Chisyus. Iaka ukuk
and she hasn’t known any man.  You are going to name him Jesus.  This is the

tanas mamuk tlus kanawi tilikom.” Chako halak Shosif iaka tomtom;
child who will heal everyone.”  Joseph’s heart opened up;

iaka nanich pus ST iskom iaka pus iaka tlus nanich ShK pi iaka mama
he saw that God had chosen him to take care of Jesus Christ and his mother

kopa ukuk ilihi. Iaka iskom lisash iaka wawa, wik iaka mash iaka
on this earth.  He accepted the angel’s words, he didn’t reject his

kluchmin.
wife.

      Ogyust, iht aias taii mitlait kopa iht saia tawn, Rom
Augustus, who was a certain big leader, lived in a far-away town, Rome

iaka nim, tiki komtaks kansih ayu iaka tilikom, iaka mamuk pipa kopa
was its name, wanted to known how many people he had, he wrote to

ayu iaka wach man, pus klaska mamuk cim ukuk tilikom mitlait kopa
many of his guardsmen, that they should tally the people living in

iaka ilihi. Wach man kopa Chuda ilihi wawa kopa Chuda tilikom pus
his country.  The guardsmen in Judah land told the Judah people to

klaska klatwa kopa ukuk tawn kah klaska ilip ol man ankati mitlait,
go to the towns where their ancestors lived,

pus iawa klaska patlach klaska nim.
to give their names there.

     Shosif iaka ol man pi Mari iaka ol man, iaka taii Divid, pi Bitl[iim]
     Joseph’s ancestor and Mary’s ancestor, he was King David, and Bethlehem

Divid iaka tawn. Kopa Bitliim Divid chako tanas.
was David’s town.  It was in Bethlehem that David was born.

— Kamloops Wawa #123 (December 1894), page 205