1914: LBDB’s “Chinook-English Songs”, part 11 of 15 “Wake Si-yah Sahale Tyee, Kopa Mika”
Laura Belle Downey-Bartlett, “pioneer” daughter, left us with another fragrant specimen of the art of translation…
Here, she attempted to render the well-known woman-written Protestant Unitarian hymn “Nearer My God to Thee” into something resembling Chinook Jargon.
Am I giving anything away here? (Image credit: Amazon)
(A link to all installments in this mini-series.)
I don’t think I knew that this was allegedly the last song played by the band aboard the HMS Titanic.
Nor had I realized the lyrics are about Jacob’s Ladder, a subject not emphasized in my Catholic upbringing.
Well anyhow, today we’re gazing at pages 32 & 33 of LBDB’s book, “Chinook-English Songs” (Portland, OR: Kubli-Miller, 1914). I’ll show the English-language lyrics first:
NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE.
1Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E’en tho’ it be a cross,
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!2
Tho’ like a wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me.
My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my Gcd, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!3
There let my way appear,
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou sendest me
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God. to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Now for comparison, LBDB’s song #11, “Wake Si-yah Sahale Tyee, Kopa Mika“, in a Grand Ronde sort of spelling since her Central Dialect words resemble that.
As usual, please don’t try talking Chinuk Wawa the way she does…and for heaven’s sake no betting!
WAKE SI-YAH NIKA SAHALE TYEE, KOPA MIKA.
Weik saiyaa, naika sahali-taiyi, kopa maika.
not far, my sky-chief, from you.
‘My Creator isn’t far from you.’Ict.
íxt.
one.
‘One.’Wake siyah nika Sahale Tyee, pee Mika,
wík sayá, nayka sáx̣ali-táyi, pi mayka,
not far, my sky-chief, and you,
‘My Creator isn’t far, and you,’Wake siyah kopa Mika,
wík sayá kʰapa mayka,
not far from you,
‘it’s* not far from you,’Kegh-techie yaka lo-cloa,
qʰex̣chi “yaka” lakʰlwá,
although* “she” be.a.cross,
‘although* she is a cross,’Okoke mamook sahale nika,
ukuk mamuk-sáx̣ali nayka,
that.one make-high me,
‘that one lifts me up,’Konaway nika sante kwanisum,
kʰánawi nayka sháti kwánsəm,
all my song always,
‘all of my songs are always’Wake siyah Sahale Tyee pee Mika,
wík sayá, sáx̣ali-tayí, pi mayka,
not far, sky-chief, and you,
‘near, Creator, and you,’Wake siyah Sahale Tyee,
wík sayá, sáx̣ali-tayí,
not far, sky-chief,
‘not far, Creator,’Wake siyah kopa Mika.
wík sayá kʰapa mayka.
not far from you.
‘not far from you.’Mox.
mákwst.
two.
‘Two.’Kah-kwa nika t’so-Ica,
kákwa nayka t’súlu*,
so I be.lost*,
‘So I’m lost*,’Ict sun klatawa kee-kwilla,
íxt sán ɬátwa kíkwəli,
one day go down,
‘one day going down,’Klale sahale kopa nika,
ɬiʔil sáxali kʰapa nayka,
black overhead from me,
‘it’s dark above me,’Nika bed ict stone.
nayka pít íxt stún.
my bed one rock.
‘my bed is a single rock.’Klosh mitlite moosum nika,
ɬúsh-míɬayt músum nayka,
good-stay sleep I,
‘I’m safely asleep,’Wake siyah Sahale Tyee pee Mika,
wík sayá sáx̣ali-tayí pi mayka,
not far sky-chief and you,
‘my Creator isn’t far, and you,’Wake siyah Sahale Tyee,
wík sayá sáx̣ali-tayí,
not far sky-chief,
‘Creator isn’t far,’Wake siyah kopa Mika,
wík sayá kʰapa mayka,
not far from you,
‘not far from you,’Klone.
ɬún.
three.
‘Three.’Klosh kumtux kah Mika,
ɬúsh kə́mtəks qʰá mayka,
well know be.where you,
‘Fully aware where you are,’Klatawa sahale illihee;
ɬátwa [Ø] sáx̣ali-ílihi;
go to sky-land;
‘go to heaven;’Konsi Mika potlatch kopa nika,
qʰə́nchi mayka pátɬach [Ø] kʰapa nayka,
when* you give it to me,
‘when you give me it,’Chaco kah-kwa klosh tum-tum.
cháku kákwa ɬúsh-tə́mtəm.
(be)come like good-heart.
‘it turns into sort of a happy heart.’Sahale tah-manawis tikegh nika;
sáx̣ali t’əmánəwas tq’íx̣ nayka;
sky guardian.spirit want me;
‘the guardian spirit in the sky wants me;’Wake siyah Sahale Tyee pee Mika,
wík sayá, sáx̣ali-tayí, pi mayka,
not far, sky-chief, and you,
‘Creator isn’t far, and you,’Wake siyah Sahale Tyee,
wík sayá, sáx̣ali-tayí,
not far, sky-chief,
‘Creator isn’t far,’Wake siyah kopa Mika.
wík sayá kʰapa mayka.
not far from you.
‘not far from you.’Klosh kah-kwa.
ɬúsh kákwa.
good like.that.
‘It’s good like that.’
Maybe just a note or two about that nonsense:
LBDB’s Chinook lyrics include a word < t’so-lca > that looks a lot like the word for intercourse. I’ve found my inner adult & taken it as t’súlu, “to be lost”.
ɬúsh kákwa is the accepted way of saying “Amen”.
Again: please please don’t try talking Jargon in the way you see it misused in this song. When we speak a language, we’re trying to be understood. LBDB wasn’t trying to be understood here — just recognized as “Oh, there’s that good old tune!”
