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p. 5

I.--CRADLE-SONGS.

(Skidegate Dialect.)

Xâ'gi lâ'nas.

1.

L'djâ'ada kûdju's Lû Q!ô'na l'nagâ'-i ya'kAlsî'ga L gaya'oga
A woman | it was | when | Skedans | the town of | middle in | its | smoke
sgaqô'nga-lîña's Lû'hao L djâ'adaga-i!
large | may be | when | what (kind of a) woman (are you)!

L'djâ'ada kûdjû'sgu Lga-i gA'nLa-i ge'istA L! sî'qîgAñ[ga]
A woman | was there | Skedans | Creek | out of | they | make the noise
qa-ixuna'ñ-lîña's Lû'hao L djâadâ'ga!
of singing continually | may (not) be | when | what | (kind of a) woman are (you)!

You need not think that the smoke of your house in the middle of Skedans will be as great as when you were a woman (in your previous life upon earth 1).

You need not think that they will make such a continual noise of singing in Skedans Creek as they used to when you were a woman (in your previous existence).


Footnotes

5:1 The child is considered a re-incarnation of some dead relative.


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