WAAVENOCK DRINKING SONG 



In the following text, obtained at Tadousac from Joseph Nicolar, 

 a Wawenock descendant afliliated with the Montagnais, we have a 

 type of song common among the Penobscot and the other Wabanaki 

 tribes and known as "Lonesome songs." Owing to his unfamiliarity 

 with the language the informant has used some forms which are not 

 very clear. 



ni' tq. be si''s tan wedo sa'n 

 My little friend whence comest thou, 



net'e' tala'gwi" wi' gwe ng' da tig' 



In that direction "Long town"? ' 



ni' tf be si''s tan wedo sa'n 



My little friend whence comest thou, 



di" wa' di' no' pain se' gwe n^' da ng' 



Lonesome(?) ledge "Long town"? 



ni" t? be sr's a we'll' si''s 



My little friend his little navel 



ni" t? be si''s kanu''li't.i'n 

 My little friend give me some 



bu tai' a lip san bet gwe i\q' da hq' 

 Bottle fill up please "Long town" (?) 



di"wa'di' ta' wi' wi' gwe ng' da ng' 

 Lonesome "Long town" (?) 



' For the want of a better explanation it seems that the song refers to some place called "Long Town" 

 (gwenodana', "long-town"), probably in Canada. The expression gwe no da no may, however, be a 

 verse ending having a value similar to Kuwenodinu, "It is long O," occurring in a Passamariuoddy song 

 recorded by Professor Prince. (Cf. The Morphology of the Passaniaquoddy Language of Maine, Proceedings 

 of the American Philosophical Society, Vol, LIII, Xo. 213 (1914), pp. 11.5-1I0-I17.) In still another Passa- 

 maquoddysong given byLelandand Prince (Kuloskap, The Master, pp. 308-309), there is an untranslated 

 stanza ending anigowanotenu. These independent occurrences of the burden in question seem to attest 

 10 its antiquity in the Northeast. 



197 



