684 



ZUNI RITUAL POETRY 



15 Way back, when all these days had 

 past, 



The ones who are our fathers, 



Rain maker priests, 



With their clear water 



Took firm hold of him.^' 

 20 Again in the corn priests' court 



Setting him up, they made his 

 days. 



This many days 



The corn priests' children 

 25 With their fathers' song sequences 



Have consumed in dancing. 



Then yesterday. 



When the number of their days 

 was at an end, 



Those who are our fathers, 

 30 The two who hold the high places, ^^ 



With their elder brothers' plume 

 wands, 



Tlieir prayer feathers. 



Their shells. 



In these wrapping themselves they 

 renewed their human form.'* 

 35 Holding their world, 



Holding their people fast. 



Sitting down quietly. 



With us their children 



After a blessed night '" 



They came to day. 

 40 This very day 



When he who is our stm father. 



Coming out standing to his .sacred 

 place 



Passed us on our roads, 

 45 Saying, let it be now, 



Those who are our fathers. 



The ones that fir.st had being,'' 



Came out standing 



Into the dajlight of their sun 

 fatlier. 



Near by, in the corn priests' court, 



Our two fathers. 



The ones who hold the high places. 



With all their sacred things 



15 loEwan te'nita te'wajifa te'a'ana 



hon a''tatc i'lapona 

 u'wanam a''ciwani 

 yam K.a'cim a'ka 

 ya'tena-tsu'meRiina'wapa 

 20 lo'wa. ci'wan an te"wito'a 

 ye'lia£o"na' te'wanan a'capa 



le'si te'wanan'e 

 to'wa ci'wan an tca'we 

 yam a''tatcu 

 25 a'wan i'piclenan tena--pi"lan a'lfa 

 ta'lna a-'teaka te'a'ana 

 te'cukwa ya'ton-e 

 kes an te'wanan i''te'tcaf5a 



hon a-'tcia tatc i'lapa 

 30 te'alan i'lon a"'tci 



yam a'papon te'li(finan"e 



a''wa la'cowan-e 

 a''wan }o* ajfji 



a'tc i''pa'una tci'm'on ho'i-ya"'- 

 Eana 

 35 yam u'lo'nan ya'tena 



yam ho"i ya'tena-feu'mekana 



a'tc i'me-la'Euna 



te'linan Eo'kci 



ho' tca'wilap a''wanlewaka 



40 tci'mte y;i'ton-e 



hon ya'to^a tatc i'lap a''te*ona 



yam te'lacinakwi 



ye"'lana kwai"iEai5a 



hon a"wona-e'latepa 

 45 hot lja''Ei ke'si' le"anaEapa 



hon a''tatc i'lapona 



tci'miE.anapkona 



yam ya'tojja ta'tcii 



an te'Eohanankwi 

 50 i"'luwakna kwai"ina 



la'lik to'wa ci'wan an Seli'tokwi 



hon a''tcia tatc i'lafi a"'te'ona 



te'alan i'lon a-'tci 



yam e'leteli'we a''wili 



'' The washing of the scalp. 



'"> The gods of war. The allusion is to the making of the images. 



i* The completion of the images. 



2" In the house of the bow priests. 



" The sacred war bundles, and the bundle of the chief priesthood. 



