Pial Pal Wzôkhilain
1830
Source: Wobanaki kimzowi awighigan [Abenaki study book], p. 36. Boston: Crocker and Brewster.
Note: Wzôkhilain’s text is given in below in (a); the retranscription and translation in (b) have been prepared by Philip LeSourd, partly on the basis of notes by Gordon Day in his MS collection of Abenaki texts (Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, PQ, pp. 98–99). These should be regarded as tentative.
1. a. <Pazgueda kini alnôbak pamkannihdit, ni wna- / mihônô kahgini tolba walmikessik pamibizagak, / ni wdidamennô, tôni katoba wa kdelihônana waji / kizi nhlôakw?>
b. Pasəkwəta kini-alənąpak pamkannihətit, ni wənamihąną kahkini toləpa aləmihkəssik pamipisakak. Ni wətitaməną, “Tąni=ka=ahto=pa wa kətəlihąnana waci-kisi-nhląakw?”
‘One time several Native men were traveling along, and they saw a really big turtle plodding off into the brush. And they said, “So what can we do to it in order to kill it?”’
2. a. <ni pazgo wdidamen, tmiguataho- / dahga,>
b. Ni pasəko wətitamən, “Təmikwahtahątah=əka.”
‘Then one of them said, “Let’s cut its head off!”’
3. a. <nitta tolba wdidamen, ôdahaba niaihobo- / wen.>
b. Ni=tta toləpa wətitamən, “Ątah=əpa ni aihop=əwən!”
‘At that the turtle said, “That in particular would not do it!”’
4. a. <Niga seguesktahôda,>
b. “Ni=ka səkwəsktahąta!”
‘“Then let’s chop him into pieces!’”
5. a. <ôdahaba niaihobewen, />
b. “Ątah=əpa ni aihop=əwən!”
‘“That in particular would not do it!”’
6. a. <ala matkazazôda,>
b. Ala matkasasąta!
‘“Or let’s burn him up!”
7. a. <ôdahaba niaihobowen,>
b. “Ątah=əpa ni aihop=əwən!”
‘“That in particular would not do it!”’
8. a. <ala so- / glozida illôwzitep,>
b. “Ala sokəlosita illąwəsitəp.”
‘“Or let’s cook him while he lives!”’
9. a. <ôdahaba niaihobowen.>
b. “Ątah=əpa ni aihop=əwən!”
‘“That in particular would not do it!”’
10. a. <Niga / sôgawiga kamguakada sibok,>
b. Ni=ka sąkawi=ka kaməkwahkata sipok!
‘“Well, then, so let’s throw him into the river!”’
11. a. <ah! niaihip, niai- / hip, niaihip, –>
b. “Ah! Ni aihəp! Ni aihəp! Ni aihəp!”
‘“Ah! That will do it! That will do it! That will do it!”’
12. a. <aguachi kelighama adoji sigôdak / kamguakôlôn, almiki nodasano — ni almakan ne- /
bik — taketta paki sen adoji ngemi kdahlôt –>
b. Akwahci kəlikhama atoci-sikątak kaməkwahkąląn. Aləmihki-notahsano. Ni aləmahkan nəpik—tahki=tta pahki ssən nəkəmi kətahląt.
‘He really hung on, very unwilling to be thrown into the water. Gradually he grew weaker. Then he was thrown into the water—and just like a stone he sank right down.’
13. a. <no- / nôgaiwi ni mamiliwi oji sôkwkwawin sibewi idak, / awani banawa wjahaki iaihobot.>
b. Nąnąkaiwi ni mamiliwi oci-sąkwkwawin. Sipiwi itak, “Awani=pa=nawa wəciaahki iaihop=ətta.”
‘Very soon, way out there offshore, he emerged again. After a moment he said, “Who, then, would not continue to live in the country he is from?”’
[Day notes that Ambroise Obomsawin reported (and sang) the following song that Turtle sang after his escape, July 11, 1964 at Odanak, PQ.]
14. a <Ndaaba ggizi baskejebalôwi doleba wzômiba
Would not you could drown him not turtle because-would
ni gizi ntôwagwizo ndaki gia.>
that one can (could) swim well than you.
b. Ątah=əpa kəkisi-paskəcəpaląwi toləpa wəsąmi=pa ni kisi-ntąwakwiso ątahki kia.
‘You could not drown a turtle because he can swim better than the way you could.’