Different Catholic hymns, Part 1 of 2: “Prayer to the Blessed Trinity, the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph”
As we continue to collect all the known songs in Chinuk Wawa, we can turn our attention to a couple of Catholic pieces from Hulq’umi’num’ territory.
That’s the “Cowichan” Salish people’s land.
We haven’t had much Catholic material from there previously, as the missionaries there seem not to have been much integrated into the vigorous efforts of the Oblates (OMI) who worked from Sliammon to Kamloops. (See here.)
We’ll see the uniqueness of these songs, compared with what we’re used to from the mainland of British Columbia.
I found these 2 songs in the book “Helk’emínem St’íwi7elh: Indian Prayers of Southeast Vancouver Island” by David L. Rozen (no location or publisher listed, 1977); Rozen took down these songs from living speakers, but used old-fashioned book spellings for the Chinuk Wawa. The musical transcriptions are by Wendy Wickwire, who was on my own dissertation committee.
You’re seeing my old photocopies here.
The “title” on the song below is surely Rozen’s invention!
38
After the GLORY BE TO THE FATHER, the Chinook Jargon PRAYER TO THE BLESSED TRINITY, THE BLESSED VIRGIN AND SAINT JOSEPH is sung. The melody for this prayer comes from a traditional Cowichan song. This prayer is sung in Chinook Jargon, the Hudson’s Bay Trading Language.
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED TRINITY, THE BLESSED VIRGIN AND SAINT JOSEPH (IN CHINOOK JARGON)
O Saghalie Tyee, O nesika papa O High Chief (God), O our father
Mamook klahowya, kopa saghalie Make welcome [1], in heaven
Mamook klahowya, memaloost tilikum Make welcome, our [2] dead personO Shooshooklee, O nesika tyee O Jesus Christ, O our chief
Mamook klahowya, kopa saghalie Make welcome, in heaven
Mamook klahowya, memaloost tilikum Make welcome, our dead personO Sahntoosplee [3], O nesika tyee O Holy Spirit, O our chief
Mamook klahowya, kopa saghalie Make welcome, in heaven
Mamook klahowya, memaloost tilikum Make welcome, our dead personO Saint Mali, O nesika mama O Saint Mary, O our mother
Mamook klahowya, kopa saghalie Make welcome, in heaven
Mamook klahowya, memaloost tilikum Make welcome, our dead personO Saint Joseph, O nesika tyee O Saint Joseph, O our chief
Mamook klahowya, kopa saghalie Make welcome, in heaven
Mamook klahowya, memaloost tilikum Make welcome, our dead personNote: The word tilikum means person, friend, or relative.
Here’s the tune:
Notes on these lyrics:
They’re simple and fluent.
[1] Mamook klahowya: First, the pronunciation klahowya is more of a coastal-dialect thing; on the mainland we tend to find klahowyam. Second, on the mainland we’re accustomed to this mamook klahowyam being followed by kopa ‘on’, and having a meaning of ‘have mercy on; have pity on; do a favor for’ someone! I’m skeptical of the latter-day translation as ‘make welcome’, but I’m fascinated to know whether it’s the Indigenous community’s own understanding of the lyrics (now that Chinook Jargon isn’t widely spoken anymore), or is perhaps Rozen’s own view (I don’t know of him as a speaker of CJ). I think I understand why someone might imagine klahowya to mean ‘welcome’, even though it doesn’t: it’s the normal greeting (‘hello’).
“Our dead person” [2]: There’s no word for ‘our’ in the Chinook Jargon lyrics.
Sahntoosplee [3] is a distinctly coastal pronunciation in my experience. We find it also in Indian Shaker Church usage.
