Page:Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society V.djvu/296

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266
Notes.

Alíl or alíli means a show, dance, or other single exhibition of the rites (see fig. 30). It also means a wand or other sacred implement used in the rites. It is thought that the colored hoops for raising a storm, described in par. 355, are the alíli referred to in this song.

282. SONG OF THE SUN.

I.

Siní‘ deyá aá, deyá aá,
My mind approaches, approaches,
Tsínhanoai deya aá,
The Sun God approaches,
Ni'nĭnél‘a deya aá,
Border of the Earth approaches,
Estsánatlesi bigáni yúnidze deyá aá,
Estsánatlehi her house toward the hearth approaches,
na nagái deyá aá,
In old age walking approaches,
Bĭké hozóni deyá aá.
His trail beautiful approaches.
Siní‘ deyá aá, deyá aá.
My mind approaches, approaches.

II.

Síní‘ deya aá, deyá aá,
My mind approaches, approaches,
Kléhanoai deya aá,
The Moon God approaches,
Ni'nĭnéla‘ deyá aá,
Border of the Earth approaches,
Yolkaí Estsán bigáni yúnidze deyá aá,
Yolkaí Estsán her house toward the hearth approaches,
na nagái deyá aá,
In old age walking approaches,
Bĭké hozóni deyá aá.
His trail beautiful approaches.
Síní‘ deyá deyá aá.
My mind approaches, approaches.

Yúni, here translated hearth, is a certain part of the floor of the Navaho lodge. Yúnidze means in the direction of the yúni.

The expressions Sána nagái and Bĭké hozóni appear in many songs and prayers, and are always thus united. Their literal translation is as given above; but they are equivalent to saying, "Long life and happiness;" as part of a prayer, they are a supplication for a long and happy life. Hozóni means, primarily, terrestrially beautiful; but it means also happy, happily, or, in a certain sense, good.

Estsánatlehi is often called, in song, Estsánatlesi, and Tsóhanoai is often called (apparently with greater propriety) Tsínhanoai. Síní‘=Si'ni.

The syllables not translated are meaningless.


283. SIGNIFICANT WORDS OF SONGS OF THE LOG, FIRST SET.

First Song: - Tsĭn zóni sa‘ niĭ'nitha.
Tree (log, stick) beautiful for me they fell.