706 



ZUNI RITUAL POETRY 



Prayer of the Impersonators op the Masked Gods With Monthlt 

 Offering of Prater Sticks 



And now indeed it is so. 

 At the New Year 

 Our fathers 

 5 Four times prepared their precious 



plume wands. 

 With their plume wands they took 



hold of me.' 

 This many days 

 Anxiously we have awaited our 



time. 

 10 When the moon, who is our mother 

 Yonder in the west 

 As a small thing appeared,^ 

 Carrying our fathers' precious 



plume wand, 

 15 With our own poor plume wand 

 Fastened to our fathers' plume 



wand, 

 At the place called since the first 



beginning 

 Snow hanging, or where snow 



hangs, 

 20 To our fathers. 



Priests of the masked gods, 

 Cula'witsi, pekwin priest, 

 Sayataca, bow priest, 

 Hututu, bow priest, 

 25 Y'amuhakto, bow priests, 

 To all the masked gods, 

 (Our plume wands we gave.) 

 Where they were to receive their 



plume wands. 

 All happily gathered together. 

 There we passed them on their 



roads. 

 30 This day 



We shall give you plume wands. 



Keeping your days. 



Throughout the cycle of your 



months, 

 Throughout the summer, 

 35 Anxiously we shall await your 



time. 

 Our fathers. 



Yonder toward the south 

 Wherever your roads come out. 

 We have given you plume wands. 



i"'na no'milte 



i'tiwan-a 



hon a''tatc i'lapona 



a'witela'ma 

 5 te'liljinan ya''na ye'lete'una 



te'lijfinan a'ka hom ya'tena- 

 ?isu'meEalfa 



le'si te'wanan'e 



Te'wanan a'nfeume'na 



hon te'wanan a"'teaka. 

 10 hon ya'onaka tsil i'lap a''te'ona 



li''wan Eii'lici'a'nkwin ta"na 



ko'wi'ia'na ye'tsaKalfa te'a'ana 



yam a-'tatcu 



a''wan te'lilfinan ya''na'a 

 15 yam te'likinan ci'mato 



yam a-'tatcu a-'wan te'likinan 

 ya'na a'mpatcuna 



te'likinan i'leana 



}fa"'Ea tci'miEa^5a 



'u'hana'a 'uhanaiye le'anaka 



20 yam a-'tatcu 



koEwa''ciwan'i 



cu'la'witsi pe'kwin ci'wanu 



sai'yataca pi'laci'wan'i 



hu-'tutu pi"laci'wan-i 

 25 ya'muhakto a''pi'la'ci'wani 



ko'ko te'mla 



j'am te'lilfinan i'leanaptun te'a 



te'mla ha'pona Eo'kcikwi 

 to"na hon a-'wona-e'latenapka. 



30 lu'^ii ya'ton-e 



1io"na hon te'likina a'leanawa. 

 !io"na"wan te'wanan a'cna 

 ?o"na ya'tcu pi'lane 



D'lo'ilfanane 

 35 a'nlsume'na hon le'wanan a''te- 

 Eiin-a. 

 hon a-'tatc i'lapona 

 li'wan a'laho'a'nk-win ta"na 

 1;o"na' wan o'neala' k wai"inapkowa 

 to"na hon te'likina a^'feanapka. 



■ The appointment of the impersonator at the winter solstice. 



2 The new moon. The first planting may be at the new moon or at the full moon, depending upon how 

 quickly tlic appointments of the Ca'lako impersonators and the nine Koyemci are made. 



