716 



ZUNI RITUAL POETRY 



[eth. 



My father ^s 



Hurrying without delay 



Wliere he had prepared his rain seat, 



His prayer meal 



Four times he sprinkled. 



On the top of my head 



His prayer meal 



Four times he sprinkled. 



After him 



Four times sprinkling my prayer meal, 



My father's rain seat 



I stood beside. 



As I stood up beside it 



My father took hold of me. 



Yonder to all the directions presenting 



me, 

 He made me sit down. 

 Having seated me 

 The one who is my father 

 Took the water bringing cigarettes 



which he had prepared. 

 Four times drawing it toward him, 

 He took his grandmother by the hand 

 And made her sit down in the doorway, 

 Four times inhaling, he drew the mist 



through. 

 With the mist 



He added to the hearts of fathers, 

 Rain maker priests. 

 Thus it is well; 

 In order that the rain makers may not 



withhold their misty breath. 

 With mist he added to their hearts. 

 When all this was at an end. 

 My father handed it to me. 

 Four times inhaling, I drew the mist 



through. 

 Into my bodj- drawing the misty 



breath, 

 With the mist 



I added to the hearts of my fathers. 

 This is well; 

 In order that the rain makers may not 



withhold their misty breath, 

 With mist I added to their hearts. 

 When all this was at an end, 

 We greeted one another wth terms of 



kinship: 

 Father, 

 Son; elder brother, younger brother; 



uncle, nephew; grandfather, grand- 

 son; ancestor, descendant. 



With these words we greeted one an- 

 other. 

 When aU this was at an end 

 My father questioned me: 

 "Yes, now at this time 

 You have passed us on our roads. 

 Surely you will have something to say, 



some word that is not too long. 

 If you let us know that, 

 I shall know it for all time." 

 Thus my father spoke. 

 When he had spoken thus, (I answered) 

 " Y'es, indeed it is so. 

 Yonder to the south. 

 Following wherever your roads come 



out, 

 I have been bringing you prayer sticks, 

 I have been bringing you prayer 



feathers. 

 Now this day. 



Having reached the appointed time, 

 I have passed you on your roads." 

 "Is that so. With plain words .you 



have come to us. 

 We are clothed with your prayer sticks; 

 We hold your prayer meal; 

 With your prayer plumes in our hair 



we are sitting in here waiting. 

 Here where we are just standing 



around, 

 Wliere we are just sitting on our 



haunches, 

 You have come to us. 

 Wlien the sun who is our father 

 Has yet a little waj's to go, 

 Before he goes in to sit down at his 



sacred place. 

 Nearby your daylight fathers, 

 Your daylight mothers. 

 Your children. 



You will pass on their roads. 

 Wherever you come to rest, 

 All together we shall come to you. 

 All the men. 

 Those with snow upon their heads, with 



moss upon their faces, 

 With skinny knees, 



No longer upright but leaning on canes; 

 And the women. 

 Even those who are with child. 

 Carrying one upon the back. 

 Holding another on the cradle board, 



" The inhabitants of the spring, differently interpreted as rain makers, some special, unnamed class of 

 beings living in springs, or simply alacina'we, the ancestors. 



