LeGuin: Songs and Poetry of the Kesh

As promised, the songs and poems of the Kesh from the cassette that
accompanied Ursula K LeGuin's "Always Coming Home".  First, a few notes:

Pronunciation

a       /a/ or /A/
e       /E/ or /e/
i       /I/
í       /i/
o       /O/
ó       /o/
u       /v/
ú       /u/

diphthongs ai, ey, oi, ou

ch      /tS/
hw      wh (what is this is X-Sampa?)
sh      /S/
y       /j/

Culture

There are little notes before each poem or song putting them in cultural
context.  I have not reproduced them here, but I do want to explain one
or two things.

The heyiya-if, the sacred symbol, is a two-branched spiral with an empty
center; it is an opened circle, as contrasted with a closed circle which
is a symbol of dangerous obsession.  The right branch is associated with
the supernatural and metaphorically contains four "houses" or families of
spirits and animals.  The left-hand branch is associated with human things
and contains five human houses, family lines that people belong to.  Four
and five are important numbers; note how many of the poems use stanzas of
four and five lines, or five stanzas of four lines...

Even towns are laid out in the pattern of this symbol, with private
residences in the left-hand branch and religious or public places in the
right-hand branch.

Twilight Song

This is a poem read by an older woman (maybe LeGuin?)

Goutun Onkama                   Twilight Song

Aó ta búv                       The male of the great horned owl
úm bodan han gehwol             in a voice like blowing into a hollow jar
chemheya sosónkama              sings the five-note heya
hwavgedíúv goupraguan           in the twilight of morning
hanheyiya:                      in a sacred manner:
        hú, hú-ú, hú, hú.               hoo, hoo-oo, hoo, hoo.

Inye opal dut rechav búya       The small frog whom he is hunting
óganaian vón oudan              in the creek bottom among shadows
kleheya sosónkama               sings the four-note heya
aóya haitropoud gotomhoi:       in a fearless and contented voice:
        kaa-rigk, kaa-rigk.             kaa-rigk, kaa-rigk!

Yes-Singing

Sung in an energetic, upbeat fashion by two or three women.  Original
doesn't print all the repeats, but I'm writing them out to give a better
sense of the song.

Eyegeonkama                     The Yes-Singing

Imetun ímewoi ohuhan dem        From lip to lip how wide?
ímetun ímewoi ohuhan dem        From lip to lip how wide?
ímetun ímewoi ohuhan dem        From lip to lip how wide?
hilla dem arra shoudadbou       Wide enough word can get out
hilla dem arra shoudadbou       Wide enough word can get out
hilla dem arra shoudadbou       Wide enough word can get out
hilla dem arra shoudadbou       Wide enough word can get out

ímetun ímewoi ohuhan dem        From lip to lip how wide?
ímetun ímewoi ohuhan dem        From lip to lip how wide?
ímetun ímewoi ohuhan dem        From lip to lip how wide?
hilla dem ashe shoudadan        Wide enough man can get in
hilla dem ashe shoudadan        Wide enough man can get in
hilla dem ashe shoudadan        Wide enough man can get in
hilla dem ashe shoudadan        Wide enough man can get in

arra úl eye, eye                if word yes, yes
arra úl eye, eye                if word yes, yes
arra úl eye, eye                if word yes, yes
arra úl eye, eye                if word yes, yes

ímehú úlúhúge eyegerava         should lips separate yes-saying
ímehú úlúhúge eyegerava         should lips separate yes-saying
ímehú úlúhúge eyegerava         should lips separate yes-saying

rudan híókan eye, eye           in me enter in yes, yes
rudan híókan eye, eye           in me enter in yes, yes

Dragonfly Song

This song also has repeats, and mixes the original stanza with the
variations given below it.  I don't remember the actual sequence that
all the variations come in, so I've just copied it as written.  It's
one young woman, singing quietly to herself.  The liner notes point
out that "The word 'grandson' as used here just means 'young man'."

Urlelevonkama                   Dragonfly Song

A shepin aiha                   O young grandson!
pehai gokaes                    you used to come to me,
dades hai maloun                now you go on the hill,
saya houm mal dai.              alone across the high hill.

A shepin aiha                   O young grandson!
rudwoi gokaes...                you used to come to me...

dades hai keshdú                now you go through the Valley
díúhawoi dai...                 eastward alone...
dades díúha                     you go southeast,
gedadr hwaha dai...             I am going southwest alone...

(This translation is inexact.  The glossary shows that "pehai" means
"not-now", and "rudwoi" would mean "to me".  Aesthetic considerations
in the English translation must have led to translating "pehai gokaes"
and "rudwoi gokaes" both by the same phrase "you used to come to me".
Also, "díúha" is definitely "southeast" not "east".  "East" would be
"díúhafar".)

A Homesick Song

A bunch of men from a trading party around a fire lamenting that they
are far from home.  Becomes polyphonal in later repeats as people hold
one word while others sing a whole line (is there a name for that?)

Hiraivonkama                            A Homesick Song

A híór iraiwoi dad, iraiwoi, iraiwoi    O let me go home, go home, go home,
A híór iraiwoi dad, iraiwoi             O let me go home, go home,
A híór iraiwoi dad, iraiwoi, iraiwoi    O let me go home, go home, go home,
A rruhwai híór irairivwoi dad!          O let me go now to my home!

(Note: rruhwai is from "rru" this and "hwai" time.  So there's more than
one way to say "now"...)

The Willows

Sung by two women.  Song ranges brightly up and down.  No repeats other
than shown.

Wisuyu                          The Willows

A weyewey heyiya a              O everything is sacred O
na-am na-am                     by the river, by the river
gewakwasur yeheyiya             We are dancing sacredly
na-am na-am                     by the river, by the river
om óna-am                       Down there by the river
wísúyú wísúyú wísúyú            willows, willows, willows
wísúyúsur                       We are the willows
weheyiya                        sacredly
om óna-am                       down there by the river
om óna-am                       down there by the river
om óna-am                       down there by the river

Lullaby - Lahela

A young father leaves a campfire during storytelling to calm a fretting
child.  I've written in the repeats again.

Lahela                          Lullaby

Híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe, lahe                      sleep, sleep
híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe, lahe                      sleep, sleep
híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe, lahe                      sleep, sleep
híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe                            sleep
kada kada nahe                  The water comes and goes
kada kadinye                    comes and goes a little
vúrewoi, vúretun                to the sand, from the sand
lahe hai, lahe                  sleep now, sleep.
kada kada nahe                  The water comes and goes
kada kadinye                    comes and goes a little
vúrewoi, vúretun                to the sand, from the sand
lahe hai, lahe                  sleep now, sleep.
la-lahe hai, la-lahe-la
la-lahe-la-la
Híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe, lahe                      sleep, sleep
híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe, lahe                      sleep, sleep
híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe, lahe                      sleep, sleep
híó lahes inye                  Go to sleep little one
lahe...

The Quail Song

Says it's three men and two women.  The first part is sung slowly with
harmony, then individuals chirpily sing the kailíkú lines.  I've written
in a repeat that wasn't notated, but I haven't written in the background
"am na" harmonizing in between kailíkú lines.

Kailiku: Wakwa Wepragasi Onkama The Quail Song of the Summer Dance

Fehochan am na                  In the fields by the river
paradtun am na                  from the meadows by the river
fehochtun am na                 from the fields by the river
paradan am na                   in the meadows by the river
fehochan am na                  In the fields by the river
paradtun am na                  from the meadows by the river
  kailíkú gele hú                 two quail run
gele hú kailíkú                 run two quail
hú kailíkú díú                  rise two quail
hú kailíkú gele                 two quail run
díú kailíkú hú                  two quail rise
  paradtun am na                  from the meadows by the river.

A Teaching Poem

This is read in an echoing indoors space (supposedly a heyimas, which
is basically a kiva) by an older woman, probably LeGuin.

Arashaya Arrakou                A Teaching Poem

Stechab hwana                   To offer is river
ambad hwana                     to give is river
dambad hwamab                   to accept the given
wagena ówoi                     is the river's running
gedaó yenahe                    the motion of water

Tóp hwakakaga                   To keep is dry stones
pawon hwapeshai                 to hold is drought
tótóp hwahoumgey                to hoard is forest fire
peshai pehwana                  no rain, no river

Duna goeppe                     To dam the river
to gekaíya                      is to turn the wheel
duto goudou                     to open the wheel
gedaó yenahe                    is the motion of water
heyiya-if an                    in the sacred pattern

Dadhwe hwana                    To go on is river
pawonhwya hwaíye                to hold back is power
íye stad hwakoum                power makes danger
dambad petóp                    To let go the given
gedadhwe stadbou                is to go on out of danger.

(Liner notes included a misprint of "hwapehai" instead of "hwapeshai".
"Peshai" is "drought" in the glossary, so I corrected it.)

Sun Dance Poem

Intoned by a male voice.  The "Rru wetom darra daigoravanes" lines were
written only once per stanza, and the second one read "wehom" not "wetom",
but I've always heard "wetom" and the glossary has "tom" ball, so I'm
treating that as a typo.

Wakwahwav Arrakou               Sun Dance Poem

Rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  hwa                             sun
rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  sa                              sky
rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  par                             light
rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  arai                            day

Híó lemaha yelemaha             May beauty be beautiful
híó logolemaha yelemaha         May beauty have been beautiful
híó folilolemaha yelemaha       May beauty still be beautiful
híó lemaha emwey yelemaha       May beauty always be beautiful

Viddisur hwoi udsurd gade ambad We are weak and need help from
  shewey                          all
haitrousur baroi udsurd gade    We are afraid and need kindness
  ambad shewey                    from all
peuvyaisur gadesur yai amoud    We are foolish and need to think
  shewey                          together
inyesur inye poud wey           We are nothing much without one
  shewey                          another

Rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  geshe                           life
rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  peham                           death
rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  rahem                           soul
rru wetom darra daigoravanes    Once you said this round word:
  yai                             mind

Yewey gewakwa yehoum            It is mysterious, endless,
emwey logowakwa yehoum          it has always been mysterious,
                                  endless,
folilowakwa yehoum              the dance will go on, endless,
ge-emweyem wakwa-an yehoum      it is going on in mystery, endless

There are other songs on here, but they're instrumentals.

Amanda

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