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1294 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY VOLUME 7
composed by David Dick of Dry Bay, DAxquwAdsn.
But he's stone blind, so they call him Blind Dave.
That's uncle to Esther, Mrs. Chester Johnson, and
Jenny [Mrs. Charley White]. He got into an argument
with his brother's \vife, Mrs. Jack Peterson, Tluxnaq.
And she had just confessed in Church and try to be
Christian, to be saved in Heaven when she died, but
in just a few days she start to quarrel with him. That's
why he composed this song like that." The words
were transcribed at the time of the singing and carefully
checked with the tape recording. The translation is
based, to a considerable extent, on the free rendering
given by Minnie Johnson. The song has a refrain and
two stanzas (sung twice), and lasts 2:18 minutes.
Refrain
A 'a 'e-ya 'a-na 'a 'e-ya 'e ye
A 'a 'e-ya 'a-na 'a 'e-ya 'e ye
A"*" 'a 'e-ya 'a^na 'a 'e-ya-ha 'e ye 'a he-ya 'a 'a hu wu
X 'e-ya ha 'a 'e-ya 'a 'a-ya ha-ni 'a-ya
A
A
Stanza I (sung twice)
qacde 'anqitdax—(?)
'i 'Anqawu yA xawAs—Your God, thus,
kuxtiditani—Confess,
Teqwedi-yAtxi qu'a—Teqwedi-children,
A+ datx sux^ SA tsu t6A—From it soon again just
kehwAl i tuwu—WiU break your mind
'a 'e-ya 'a 'a 'e-yau
X 'e-ye ha 'a 'e-ya 'a
'a-ya ha-ni 'a-ya [tlekde^ 'a ha ya—(on repeat)
"You confess to go up to Heaven, but how come
you're backshder? You try to quarrel with me. It
didn't take you long, you backshder. Right away."
A
A
Stanza II (sung twice)
detcA 'ixagaxi—Indeed, when you pray,
tudAk nAkaxixtc qan—"think of" [xwan ?,
emphaticl
ya i' gutci—Your Wolf,
c-Teqwedi-yAtxi qu'a—Teqwedi-children,
A"*" 'aga 'i tuwu—For him your feelings
yu 'aq^adjunk—May dream
'i gutci 'a {or tcA)—Your Wolf, (just),
'e-ya 'a 'a 'e yau
X
'e-ye ha 'a 'e-ya ha-ni 'a-ya-ha
(ha-ni 'ay) (at end)
"When you praying, pray to your God. Think of
your Wolf, so that he can dream of what you feel
toward him. Pray. Remember me in your prayers, so
yoar Gutc [WoK, the singer] can dream of it."
Blind Dave Dick's Song for CAnkuqedi-Children and Kagwantan-Children
1954, 2-1-F; recorded by Mrs. Chester Johnson (with
drum), her sister, Jenny White, and the latter's
daughter, Ethel White, on May 3.
This song WELS composed by Dave Dick (CAnkuqedi)
in 1914. The first stanza is about his daughter, Jenny
Dick, Qaqax'^et-tla, a Tl'uknaxAdi woman who had
died in 1912. The second stanza is addressed to his
sister's husband, Lituya Bay George (1845-1926), a
XatkA'ayi man and son of a Kagwantan father. Lituya
Bay George was the father of Mrs. Johnson and Mrs.
White.
The song is introduced in Tlingit (30 seconds) by the
composer's niece, Mrs. Chester Johnson, who also says
a few words in conclusion (6 seconds). The song, with
refrain and two stanzas (sung twice), lasts 2:07 minutes.
The words as dictated and explained by Mrs. Johnson
are:
Stanza 1
'ax tuwu cadaie—My feehngs are dejected.
gacA th'in XAt wuna—I wish to die (with you?)
CAnkuqedi-yAtxi—CAnkuqedi-chUdren [his daughter]
tuwunuk'' tcinuq—From sorrow.
Stanza II
de yac nasgax yi gutci—Weeping for himself is your Wolf
[yecnAsgax?]
Kagwantan-yAtxi—Kagwantan-chUdren
tcAS 'iyaqayi—Just your words
'aclACAt—Are holding him back [from dying].
Even allowing for the usual changes in quality of
vowels or consonants and in the addition of extra
syllables, it is evident that the words as sung are different
from those dictated. As heard on the tape, they are:
A
B
C
A
B
C
Refrain
'a'' 'e yahana 'ayeyu(we) 'eye ya 'aya hana 'ayu
'a wa yeu heya hana 'ayeu, hana yeu heyi haya
'a yeyi 'eyeya, weyu, 'awe 'aya haya 'ani 'aya
Stanza I (sung twice)
tsux tu(wu) qatwe djac wEtaxqe CAnkuqedi-yAtxi
gacu tetl-dje 'in
dja xat wuna tuwunik tcin-naq yu he 'iyaha
'a yeyu 'eyeya weyu 'awe 'ayu haya, 'ani 'aya