Esau and Jacob
Sopiel Selmore
Pleasant Point, Maine
1897
[Source: Albert S. Gatschet, Passamaquoddy field notes 1889–99, vol. 3, pp. 335–340. ms 233, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD. The present edition was prepared by Philip S. LeSourd with the assistance of David A. Francis, Sr., of Pleasant Point. Draft of April 20, 2016.]
1. Weci-macékit skicìn.[1]
[The origin of the Indian.]
2. Ísa Ísak ’qóssol. Ísa weci-kisáwsit mecimi-kotúnke. Sahkúpi wtoluhkalà uwhèm.
[Esau was Isaac’s son. Esau always hunted for his living. Jacob worked with cattle.]
3. Nèqt pecíyat uhsimísol Sahkúpi, siktelámu. Wtíyan hesísol, “Nspi-wŏlamehtŭwìn kmílin eli-tpeltómon, on=oc=yaka[2] ktahsŏmólon.”
[Once when (Esau) came to his younger brother Jacob, he was starving. (Jacob) told his older brother, “Swear to me to give me what you own, and after that I will feed you.”]
4. Ísa litahásu, “Eli-tpeltòm katáma petawŏtìw naka npomawsuwákon.” Etuci-nspi-wŏlaméhtŭwat uhsimísol wmílan kehsi-tpéltok.
[Esau thought, “What I own is not the equal in value of my life.” So he swore to his younger brother to give him whatever he owned.]
5. Naka àpc ktaqhómuhs Ísak nkhápu. ’Piyemi-muhsacínol kinápĭyit Ísa.
[And also the old man Isaac was blind. The gallant Esau loved him the most.]
6. Wtíyan, “Nqóss, npawátŏmon ksapuwhíkon. Tàn etuci-memihpì, on=oc kmíllon wicuhketŭwákon. Kìl=oc knihkanikapù. Msìw=oc knihkankúwak kótŏkik pŏmawsuwinúwok. Mecimì=hc kwiluwìk. Mecimì=hc msí kèq kmossíhtun.”
[(Isaac) told him, “My son, I want some stew. When I have eaten my fill, then I will give you a legacy of assistance. You will stand at the head. You will stand before all other people. You will always be wealthy. You will always have a great deal of everything.”]
7. On nìt éhpit Repékka wnútŭwan wnisŭwihtícil Ísak eli-yáhat Isáwol, eli-koti-wicuhkémat Isáwol. Éhpit=ŏlu ’piyemi-muhsacínol Sahkupíwol.
[And then the woman Rebecca heard what her husband Isaac told Esau, how he was going to help Esau. But the woman loved Jacob more.]
8. “Wiwisày! Nehpahàn kútsis naka ktolíhtun ksapuwhíkon, naka kmíhtaqs kmílan, on=oc kìl kmílkun wicuhketŭwákon mèsq kisi-milàhq Isáwol.”
“Hurry! Kill a kid and make a stew, and give it to your father and then he will give you the legacy of assistance before he has given it to Esau.”
9. Sahkúpi ítom, “Nmíhtaqs=oc cù ntoqétŏnoq, ípŏcol nhésis Ísa piyehsŭwìw.”
[Jacob said, “My father will surely test the way I feel, since my older brother Esau is hairy.”]
10. Repékka wtíyan wqóssol Sahkupíwol, “Ŏliyàn kosqèp naka mulcéssok kutsiséyak.”
[Rebecca told he son Jacob, “Make neckwear and mitts of kidskin.”]
11. Malom=ŏte kisáqŏte ksapuwhíkon. ’Peciptúwan wmihtáqsol. Sahkúpi wtíyan, “Nìl nìt kkihci-kqóss. Npecíptun ksapuwhíkon.”
[Finally the stew was cooked. He took it to his father. Jacob told him, “I am your eldest son. I have brought you the stew.”]
12. Wtiyúkun wmihtáqsol, “Ckuwì. Ktoqetŏnólon.” Wtítŏmon ktaqhómuhs, “Ísa wpihtínol, kénuk=ŏlu Sahkúpi eliqtákŏnat.” Naka tucìw wmace-mílan wicuhketŭwákon.
[His father told him, “Come here. I will try the feel of you.” The old man said, “His hands are Esau’s, but his voice is Jacob’s.” And with that he started in giving him the legacy of assistance.]
13. Wtíyan ’qóssol Sahkupíwol, “Nihkanìw=c msìw pŏmawsuwinúwok ktehsahqikapŭwíhtŭwak. Kìl=oc msìw kèq[3] kkisíhtun, naka=hc=ŏna kwilŭwìk.”
[He said to his son Jacob, “In the future, you will stand above all of the people. You will be able to do manufacture everything, and you will be wealthy as well.”]
14. Malom=ŏte pecíye Ísa. Wpecíptun ksapuwhíkon. Wtíyan wmihtáqsol, “Pecíye kkihci-kqóss.”
[Then at last Esau arrived. He brought the stew. He told his father, “Your eldest son has come.”]
15. Ktaqhómuhs ítom, “Wèn yùt ucíyan. Nkisi-mílan wicuhketŭwákon.”
[The old man said, “Someone has been here, I have given him the legacy of assistance.”]
16. Ísa ítom, “Kìs nèqt nkisi-pahculkunéhpon eli-tpeltòm, on tŏké apc nkisi-pahcúlkun wicuhketŭwákon.” Etuci-wkáyit nìt=te nehpáhan wsiwéhsol téhpu nomiyàt.
[Esau said, “Once already he had cheated me out of what I owned, and now this time he has cheated me out of the legacy of assistance.” He was angry enough to kill his brother right there if only he saw him.]
17. Sahkúpi kisi-macephúwe pihcetù ktahkŏmíkuk wnicalkùhk. Ísa etuci-sasŏtémit.
[Jacob ran off far away to the land of his uncle. Then Esau wept.]
18. Wtíyan wmihtáqsol, “Pésqon téhpu wicuhketŭwákon kmílin, eli- téhpu -wihkéwik skitkómiq.” Ktaqhómuhs wmílan eli-pawatŏmólit.
[He said to his father, “Give me just one
legacy of assistance, just that the land abounds in fat.” The old man gave him
what he wanted.]
[1] Selmore indicates here that Indians are descendants of Esau. Compare Genesis 25:25 on Esau’s birth, just before that of his twin brother: “And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.”
[2] Gatschet first wrote =yaka ‘later’ (as <ya′ga>), then crossed out this word and added naka ‘and’ (as <náka>) before on-oc ‘then + future’ (written <nĕ′tch>). But =yaka fits the context here, while naka does not.
[3] Gatschet’s text indicates that the emphatic pronoun <kila> kíla ‘you (sg.)’ should be inserted here, but such an insertion does not appear to fit the context.