The Birth of Christ, in Chinook Jargon (part 6)

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

(Back to: Part 1.  Part 2.  Part 3.  Part 4.  Part 5.)

Wach man kopa lamuto.
The guards over the sheep.

      Wik saia kopa ukuk musmus
Near that

haws mitlait tanas ayu man kopa
stable there were several men in the

mawntin, klaska tlus nanich ayu
countryside, who were taking care of a lot of

lamuto, kakwa wik klaska
sheep, so they weren’t

slip kopa pulakli. Iht lisash
asleep at night.  An angel

[right column:]

chako pi iaka mamuk lait kopa
came and he lit up the

kah klaska mitlait.
place where they were.

     Chi klaska nanich ukuk lait,
Once they saw that light,

klaska chako kwash pi lisash
they got afraid but the angel

wawa: “Tlus wik msaika kwash,
said: “Don’t be afraid,

naika chako mamuk komtaks kopa
I came to inform

msaika iht aias tlus wawa:
you folks [of] wonderful news:

ST iaka tanas shako man alta
God’s child is born now

kopa ilihi. Klatwa nanich iaka.
on earth.  Go see him.

Iaka mitlait kopa iht musmus
He is at a

haws, wik saia kopa Bitliim tawn,
stable, near the town of Bethlehem,

drai tipso iaka bid, iaka slip
his bed is hay, he’s sleeping

kopa kah musmus tlap klaska makmak.
where the cattle get their food.

Chi ukuk lisash kopit
Once the angel was done

wawa kakwa, ayu hlwima lisash
saying this, a lot of other angels

chako kanamokst iaka pi klaska
came along with him and they

[ayu] [SIC?] shanti kanawi kanamokst:
were singing songs all together:

Gloria in iksilsis Dio: glori
“Gloria in Excelsis Deo: Glory

kopa ST.” Kakwa klaska shanti
to God.”  That’s what they sang

pi klaska kilapai kopa sahali
and then they went back to

ilihi.
heaven.

      Wach min [SIC] kopa lamuto
The watchmen over the sheep

wawa kanamokst: “Aias tlus
said to each other: “It’s wonderful

wawa nsaika tlap ukuk pulakli.
news that we’ve gotten tonight.

Tlus nsaika klatwa kopa Bitliim
We should go to Bethlehem

pus nanish ukuk tanas man.
to see this boy.

Lisash mamuk komtaks kopa
The angel gave the news to

nsaika. Klaska tlap musmus haws
us.[“]  They found the stable

kakwa lisash wawa, pi klaska
like the angel had said, and they

nanish Shosip Mari pi iht tanas
saw Joseph, Mary, and a child[.]

ukuk tanas iaka slip kopa tipso,
This child was sleeping on hay,

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[left column:]

kah musmus iskom klaska makmak.
where the cattle got their food.

Wash man klatwa ashnu kopa
The watchmen went to kneel to

ukuk tanas, drit klaska
this child, really they

tomtom pus ST iaka, pi
felt that he was God, and

klaska mamuk komtaks kopa Mari
they informed Mary

pi Shosip kata lisash chako kopa
and Joseph how the angel had come to

klaska mamuk komtaks kopa Mari
them, informing Mary

pi Shosip kata lisash chako kopa
and Joseph how the angels had come to

klaska pi ikta klaska wawa
them and what they had said

kopa klaska. Yutl klaska tomtom
to them.  They felt glad,

klaska kilapai kopa klaska lamuto.
they went back to their sheep.

son kimta Shosip pi Mari
8 days later, Joseph and Mary

lolo ukuk tanas pus liplit
took the child for the priest

patlach sirkomsishon kopa iaka, pi
to give him a circumcision, and

klaska patlach iaka nim Shisyus
they gave him the name Jesus

kakwa lisash wawa ankati kopa
as the angel had previously said to

klaska.
them.

— Kamloops Wawa #117 (June 1894)