﻿130 
  

  

  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  

  

  [ETH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  OMAHA 
  PRAYER" 
  

  

  Harmonized 
  by 
  John 
  C. 
  Fillmore 
  for 
  interpretation 
  on 
  the 
  piano 
  

  

  W"ako 
  n 
  da 
  thethu 
  wahpathi" 
  ato 
  n 
  he 
  

   WakoMa 
  thethu 
  wahpathi" 
  ato 
  n 
  hc 
  

  

  Literal 
  translation: 
  Wako 
  n 
  da, 
  the 
  permeating 
  life 
  of 
  nature 
  and 
  of 
  

   man, 
  the 
  great 
  mysterious 
  power; 
  thethu, 
  here; 
  wahpaihi 
  n 
  , 
  poor, 
  needy 
  ; 
  

   ato 
  n 
  hc, 
  he 
  stands, 
  and 
  I 
  am 
  he 
  — 
  a 
  form 
  of 
  expression 
  used 
  to 
  indicate 
  

   humility. 
  Wako 
  n 
  da! 
  here, 
  needy, 
  he 
  stands, 
  and 
  I 
  am 
  he. 
  

  

  This 
  prayer 
  was 
  called 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  giJco 
  n 
  (gigiko", 
  "to 
  weep 
  from 
  

   loss," 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  kindred, 
  the 
  prefix 
  gi 
  indicating 
  possession; 
  gilco", 
  

   therefore, 
  is 
  to 
  weep 
  from 
  the 
  want 
  of 
  something 
  not 
  possessed, 
  from 
  

   conscious 
  insufficiency 
  and 
  the 
  desire 
  for 
  something 
  that 
  could 
  hring 
  

   happiness 
  or 
  prosperity). 
  This 
  prayer 
  and 
  the 
  aspect 
  of 
  the 
  suppliant, 
  

   standing 
  alone 
  in 
  the 
  solitary 
  place, 
  w 
  T 
  ith 
  clay 
  on 
  his 
  head, 
  tears 
  fall- 
  

   ing 
  from 
  his 
  eyes, 
  and 
  his 
  hands 
  lifted 
  in 
  supplication, 
  were 
  based 
  on 
  

   anthropomorphic 
  ideas 
  concerning 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da. 
  The 
  Omaha 
  con- 
  

   ceived 
  that 
  the 
  appeal 
  from 
  one 
  so 
  young 
  and 
  untried, 
  who 
  showed 
  

   poverty 
  and 
  the 
  need 
  of 
  help, 
  could 
  not 
  fail 
  to 
  move 
  the 
  power 
  thus 
  

   appealed 
  to, 
  even 
  as 
  a 
  man 
  so 
  importuned 
  would 
  render 
  the 
  aid 
  that 
  

   was 
  asked. 
  The 
  words 
  of 
  the 
  prayer 
  set 
  forth 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  Wa- 
  

   konda 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  understand 
  and 
  to 
  respond 
  to 
  the 
  one 
  who 
  thus 
  

   voiced 
  his 
  consciousness 
  of 
  dependence 
  and 
  his 
  craving 
  for 
  help 
  from 
  

   a 
  power 
  higher 
  than 
  himself. 
  

  

  <* 
  The 
  upper 
  line 
  gives 
  the 
  aria 
  as 
  sung; 
  the 
  two 
  lines 
  below 
  translate 
  the 
  aria; 
  so 
  that 
  when 
  played 
  

   on 
  an 
  Instrument 
  like 
  the 
  piano 
  the 
  meaning 
  and 
  feeling 
  of 
  the 
  song 
  become 
  intelligible 
  to 
  us. 
  This 
  trans- 
  

   lation 
  has 
  the 
  approval 
  of 
  the 
  Indians. 
  

  

  