Myron Eells’s hymn book (Part 7 “Hebrew Children”)
Song #7 from Myron Eells’s little book, “Hymns in the Chinook Jargon Language“, 2nd (expanded!) edition (Portland, OR: David Steel, 1889):
(Here’s a link to all installments in this mini-series.)
Image credit: Chaim BenTorah
We’ve seen various Chinuk Wawa versions of this song mentioned before.
I’ll “process” only the first verse and the chorus, as this song is so very repetitive.
No. 7. Tune, “Hebrew Children.”
1. Kah, O kah mitlite Noah alta?
qʰá, ó, qʰá míłayt nówa* álta?
where, oh, where be.located Noah now?
‘Where, oh where is Noah now?’
Repeat twice.
Siah kopa kloshe illahee.
sáyá kʰupa łúsh ílihi. [footnote 1]
far in good place.
‘Far away in a good place.’Chorus —
Alki nesika klatawa nanitch,
áłqi nsayka łátwa nánich, [footnote 2]
eventually we go see,
‘Some day we’ll go see,’
Repeat twice.
Siah kopa kloshe illahee.
sáyá kʰupa łúsh ílihi.
far in good place.
‘Far away in a good place.’2. Kah, O kah mitlite Joseph alta?
Siah kopa kloshe illahee.
Chorus-3. Kah, O kah mitlite Moses alta?
Siah, etc.Chorus —
4. Kah, O kah mitlite David alta?
5. Kah, O kah mitlite Elijah alta?
6. Kah, O kah mitlite Elisha alta?
7. Kah, O kah mitlite Jonah alta?
8. Kah, O kah mitlite Daniel alta?
9. Kah, O kah mitlite Lydia alta?
10. Kah, O kah mitlite Timothy alta?
II. Kah, O kah mitlite Jesus alta?
[Footnote 1:]
sáyá kʰupa łúsh ílihi.
far in good place.
‘Far away in a good place.’
[This can also be read as Ø sáyá kʰupa łúsh ílihi, with the “silent IT” pronoun, to mean ‘It’s far away in a good place.’ But, the use of Ø is so very context-sensitive that I think nobody would fail to grasp the intended reference to Noah’s whereabouts.]
[Footnote 2:]
áłqi nsayka łátwa nánich
eventually we go see
‘Some day we’ll go see’
[This too can be read with Ø, as áłqi nsayka łátwa nánich Ø, to mean ‘Some day we’ll go see it.’ Again, though, I doubt anyone would be confused about the intended connotation. Among other reasons for my saying so is that łátwa nánich is an established expression in Chinuk Wawa for ‘visit (a person or people)’.]
Now, Eells’s suggested English translation, for your reference:
1. Where, O where is Noah now?
Far off in the good land.
After awhile we will go and see them, [SIC, kind of a weird pronoun choice for the 1880s!]
Far off in the good land.2. Where, O where is Joseph now?
Far off in the good land.3. Where, O where is Moses now?
4. Where, O where is David now?
And so forth.
As usual, there’s very little gap between Eells’s Chinook Jargon meaning and his suggested English translation.
That, in itself, is a sign of the good fluency he brought to creating these little Jargon preaching ditties.
