LA FLESCIIE] 



RITE OF VIGIL FREE TRANSLATION. 



95 



During a short pause, after singing the last stanza of the third song, 

 the Xo'-ka removes from the pouch its carrying strap. Then as the 

 A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka sings the first stanza of the fourth song the Xo'-ka 

 places his fingers upon the knot of the thong that gathers together 

 and closes the top or mouth of the pouch. During the singing of the 

 second stanza he unties the knot. At the tliird stanza he loosens the 

 fastening. The fourth stanza is sung while he opens wide the mouth 

 of the pouch. As the fifth stanza is being sung he grasps with his left 

 hand the bodv of the pouch and with a forward movement of the right 

 hand gently draws from the mouth of the pouch the bird by its head. 



The use of archaic words in the song makes it difficult to give a free 

 translation, but it may suffice to give the interpretation of the words 

 descriptive of the acts of the Xo'-ka throughout the song. These 

 wortls are as follows: 



1. Thi-to"', he touches (the knot of the thong holding closed the mouth of the 



pouch). 



2. Thu-shke', he unties (the knot of the thong). 



3. Gtha-tha', it loosens (the mouth of the pouch, as though of its own volition). 



4. Ga-wa', it opens wide (the mouth of the pouch, as though of its own accord). 



5. Tsi-the', it passes (the hawk, as in the act of birth). 



Song 4. 

 (Osage version, p. 395; literal translation, p. 534.) 

 M. M. J - 130 Transcribed by Alice C. Fletcher ; 



Time beats 



Thi-fo" ino"-ki -sho ho 



tsi-the ta-ko" tha. 



^^^^^m 



TT^^T 



4 



«A 



r r r r 



Thi-to" moi-ki - sho ho 



r r r . 



tsi-the ta-kon tha ha. 



wm 



^PPPP^^^i 



li-F-Fj=i 



Ki-a ha wa ha tsi-the ta-ko" tha. Ki-a ha wa ha 



r r r r 



tsi-the ta-ko" tha ha, 



r r ' . r r 



Thi-to" mon-ki - sho ho 



^w r r r r r r 



r r r r r 



r 



tsi-the ta-ko" tha, Thi-to" nio°-ki-sho ho tsi-the ta-ko" tha. 



