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IN THREE PARTS APPENDIX 1175
of Sam George, a nephew of the composer. When the latter's
younger brother, Peter Dick, died because his car
ran off the dock, Sam George began to sing this song,
weeping at the same time. If he were alive now, his
widow said, he would sing this song at potlatches and
would record it himself. Therefore, as she explained in
the Tlingit introduction, she is singing it so that their
children can have a phonograph record made from the
tape by which to remember their father.
The song (Refrain, Stanza I [sung twice]. Refrain,
Stanza II [sung twice], and Phrase A of the Refrain)
lasts 2:45 minutes.
A
B
As heard and recorded on the tape, the words are:
Refrain
ya 'a hine hine he ya 'ane,
ye'a hine hine heya'a,
C ya' a hine hine, heya' a.
Stanza I (sung twice)
A 'ax ketudutatci qa, ckayuda,—I am always
thinkmg, (?),
B tsu yel 'ani tudeqan nak—Again Raven's town
UEI wugut -eye,—Inside he went,
C ya 'a hine hine, he-ya 'a ha—(Alas, etc)
Refrain
Stanza II (sung twice)
A t^u-da :iisisagi—Why is it — ?
tsu yi, 'unxadjitca,— -?- I always imagine,
B tsu yel 'ani tudAx—Again, from out of Raven's
town
'ax kAx quqagaxeye,—He wiU return [to pity
me]?.
C ya 'a hine hine, he ya 'a ha
A
Refrain
ya ha 'a hine hine he ya 'a.
"Raven's town" is the Old ViUage of Yakutat, where
a Tluk"axAdi man had served his guests bad hquor.
Wuckitan Mourning Song: Lament for the Murrelet Cane
1954, 7-1-B; recorded by Mrs. Chester Johnson and
Mrs, Jenny White on June 10,
This is a very old mourning song belonging to the
Wuckitan, a Wolf-Eagle sib, that of the singers' father's
father's father's father. The Murrelet Cane or Dance
Pole (t6it wutsaga) was a crest object used by the
song leader. It drifted away when the tide came in.
The composer's brother knew how to make anything—
canes, canoes, screens—but the brother was dead. So
he cried about it and made a song for the cane. It is
not known whether the composer was the ancestor of
the singers. In the song the dead brother is addressed
as the Murrelet, a totem of his sib.
In the Thngit introduction by Mrs. Chester Johnson
(20 seconds), she explains how the Wuckitan are her
CAgun (see pp, 455, 813-814) on both her father's
and mother's side.
The song has a refrain and two stanzas, each stanza
sung twice (2:43 minutes). The text was dictated by
Mrs. Chester Johnson, later corrected and translated
by Helen Bremner. As can be seen, the order of verses
as dictated was not quite the same as the order when
sung. As dictated, the words are:
Stanza I
daq"Et tuwu de^a—Why, what is the reason,
lAdAx gaxdut^itine—Away where we cannot see
yede 'udaqintca—Thither you flew away,
cewAdi t6it—O Murrelet?
Stanza II
qa ie quwA 'axtc—His voice sounds (?)
ka yeli—Of the Raven,
tcus yis dugax—For you he is crying,
cewAdi t6it—O Murrelet.
A
B
C
D
E
F
As sung the words are:
Refrain
'a 'a hue ya
'e ya he huwe,
'a 'a huwe,
'a 'a huwe-ya,
'e-u 'e we ha,
he 'a 'a 'a.
Stanza I (sung twice)
A' qa ie quwu 'axtca—His voice sounds
B/ ka yeli,—Of the Raven.
C+ tcus yis dja dugaxa—For you he is crying,
D' cewAdi t6ita—O Murrelet,
E 'e 'e 'uwe ha,
F 'a 'a-u 'aye 'a
Stanza II (sung twice)
A' daq"Et tuwu de^a—Why, for what reason,
B yec dak tunditana—(?) seaward turned his
mind