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1160 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY VOLUME 7
Traditional TluknaxAdi Song: Lament of Wuckika (II)
1952, 2-2-B (c); recorded by Frank Itaho on July 30,
As already indicated, Frank Italio's recording of this
second lament lasted 1:51 minutes. It comprises a
single stanza, repeated with variations. The very beginning
(most of Phrase A) was missed because the
tape recorder was turned on too late.
Mrs. Frank Dick recorded what she gave me to
understand was the "same song" (see 1954, 6-2-C;
Lament of Wuckika [III]). She and her husband listened
to the recording made by Frank Italio, and seemed to
think that his singing was correct, though marred by
talking. I have used Mrs. Dick's dictated version to
translate the words of Phrase B in her brother's song
(see below).
The words, as sung by Frank Italio, are:
Stanza (1st)
/A [Machine turned on:] -a-ax
B 'ihlk"u-hAS djaka gaxayi CA
[tcakax 'axayi CA]?—
Your grandfathers were watching the paddlers'
mountain
C 'e ya ha ha haw,
D de 'ag'^Askitak nuhu XAWA CU hede
['ak^q'^]?
A' tea nagaski yEta 'asasgi
B'
C
E
F
qunin qal'nigi ['i] kagi-hAS—WhUe your uncles
were teUing
daka cu 'uwe t'a
ye kunaskititi
'ani qawu yAx 'a hine [speaks]—Like a chief, alas
ya 'a he ya 'aw ha,
Stanza (repeated with variations)
A tcu tlagut 'asuga 'asgi—Very long ago (-?-)
perhaps
B 'i-i daka cux t6a 'unq^aditca—You aU appeared,
I just imagined
C ya heya 'au,
D de 'ag'^AskitAk nuhu XAWA CU hede
A' t6a-nagaski yEta 'asasgi
B' qunin qal'nigi kagi-hAS
C daka cu 'uwetia
E ye kuuAskititi
F 'ani qawu yAx 'a hine, ya he yah 'aw ha [breaks
off to taUi]
The only differences between the first and second
rendering of the stanza seems to lie in the words of the
first two phrases (A and B). The stanzas are unusual
in their repetitions of the first three phrases.
The structure is:
A B C D A' B' C E F (repeated)
Traditional TluknaxAdi Song: Lament of Wuckika (III)
1954, 6-2-C; recorded by Mrs. Frank Dick on May 17, As sung, the words are:
Although this is supposed to be the "same song" as
that recorded by Frank Dick (1952, 2-2-B c), the
words and music are obviously very different.
Mrs. Frank Dick dictated some of the words and
indicated how they should be translated:
'i hlk'^ hAS 'akax 'axayi ca—Your grandfathers were
watching the paddlers' mountain [Fairweather],
'a qinx 'i dji qaxix—Close-by it your hands miss it
[the over-turned canoe].
It shoiUd be remembered that Mount Fairweather
was supposed to indicate whether or not there would
be stormy weather or dangerous waves, and on this
occasion faUed to give a warning.
Mrs. Frank Dick recorded the Refrain (repeated).
Stanza I (sung twice, with variations), the Refrain
(repeated). Stanza I (with a different last line), and
finally the Refrain. She indicated that she had forgotten
the words to the second stanza. Her introduction in
Tlingit lasts 45 seconds; the song itself 3:40 minutes.
A
B
C
D
Refrain (sung twice)
'a ha ha hu-wey, 'a ha hu-wA ha ha,
'a ha ha hu-wey, 'a ha-a hu-wA hey he he, 'ey
'a ha ha hu-wey, 'a ha-a hu-wA hey he,
'a ha-a hu wA-hey, 'a ha, hu WA ha ha-ha-ha,
[Slight variations in the vocables are disregarded!
Stanza I (1st)
A 'i lilak'^A hAs gaxa xayi ca-ha—Your grandfathers
were watching the paddlers' mountain
B 'i lilak^A hAs gaxa xajd ca ha-ha-ha—(repeated)
C 'a qinxa 'i dji qaxixa—Near it your hands miss (it)
D 'ax 'it-key hu-wey, 'a ha, 'a wa ha ha-ha-ya—My
brother, hu-wey.
A
B
Stanza I (2d)
'i kahagi hAs ckaxa xayi ca-ha—Your uncles were
watching the paddlers' mountain
'i kagahi hAs ckaxa xayi ca 'a ha ya—(repeated)