Introduction to The Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, etc., in the Maliseet Language

Silas Tertius Rand

1863

Title:    Nə́kskam akənotáso wkəlosəwákən.

            [The Lord’s word is told.]

1.   Nsiwehtók, Knəkskamə̀n kmilkonenùss wikhíkən.

      [My brothers, our Lord has given us a book.]

2.   Nestoweyoltitkìkk kesəseyoltitkìkk wskitapèkk ’kisihtoniyáhpən.

      [Wise and righteous men of long ago made it.]

3.   Weci-wəli-nəkskáməl ekehkimkohtitsə́pənil tàn eləwikhəmohtìts.

      [It was the Holy Spirit who taught them how to write it.]

4.   Nə̀t Nə́kskam weci-kekimələ̀k^ws wtowikhìkənək tàn weci-kìkəyək^w.

      [The Lord has taught us in his book how to be saved.]

5.   Yòt wikhíkən eliwìsəwik Payipəl.

      [This book is called the Bible.]

6.   Píhce kisihtasòss.

      [It was made a long time ago.]

7.   Knəkskamə̀n wkəlosəwákən.

      [It is our Lord’s word.]

8.   Weci-macáhak akənotəmóləkw tàn Nə́kskam eli-tetpi-kisihtàk^ws spə̀mk ha ktáhkəmik^w, ha msìw tàn nemihtásik, ha tàn skàt nemihtasínohk.

      [Where it starts out it tells us how the Lord equally made heaven and earth, and everything that is visible, and everything that is not visible.]

9.   Ktakənotəmakonèn tàn eli-wapələlohkèts amsk^wahseweyàw skitàpi tanèhk wecíhpit əpəsíhkok tàn Knəkskamə̀n eli-tpəlomatpə́nil skàt ocihpilíwən.

      [It tells us how the first man did wrong when he ate from the tree that our Lord had ordered him not to eat from.]

10.   Ha kkihtanak^wi-akənotəmakonènəwəl.

        [And it tells us many things.]

11.   Nəkskáməl, ha niyáka tanìkk weli-pəmawsowinowoltitsəpənìkk, ha niyáka tanìkk skàt weli-pəmawsowinowoltik^wsəpənìkk.

        [About the Lord, and also about those in the past who are said to have lived good lives, and about those in the past who are said not to have lived good lives.]

12.   Ha niyáka ktakənotəmakonèn spə̀mk ha niyáka làmk, ha niyáka ktanàk^wətol kə̀təkil kek^wséyal.

        [And it also tell us about heaven and hell, and also many other things.]

13.   Nə̀t Nə́kskam wtələkitəmowákənəl etəlowikhasíkil Payipəlíhkok, ha niyáka akənotáso tàn eli-millə̀k^ws Knəkskamə̀n.

        [The Lord’s commandments are written in the Bible, and it is also told how our Lord gave them to us.]

14.   Yóhtəl ktakənotəmoləníyal tàn eli-millə̀k^ws nkwətinskèkətol wtələkitəmowàkənəl.

        [I will tell you the story of how he gave us these ten commandments of his.]