Flute Playing
by Elaine Strangeowl

1.  Tsé’tóhe hetane Ma’háahnotóá’a éohkėhestohe.
This        man,    Big Buffalo,        he was called.

2.  Ééšėhovánee’e.
He is already gone (=dead).

3.  Oévemanȧhéno            éhéstahe.
Scabby Place (Birney),  he was from.

4.  Éohkeméhaenéméne.
He used to sing.

5.  Tȧhpenono éohkevé’šenémenénoto.
Flutes         he sang with them.

6.  Naa tséhéstovánéménėse       tséhmé’etanó’tóvȯse    hevóohestoto 
And the reason why he sang:  when he remembered  his relatives 

naa máto héva tsééšėhováneehétsese tótseha   héva vo’ėstane 
or                     someone dead             long ago, like,  a person, 

tséhmé’etanó’tóvȯse          héva    hetane naa máto héva kȧsovááhe 
when he remembered him, maybe a man, or                     a young man 

móhkenémenėhéhe tȧhpenonēva.
he would sing          by means of (his) flute.

7.  Naa máto héva     hee’haho     taasevé’otsétsesėstse 
And also   maybe (for) his son whenever he went on a journey 

móhkėhénemenėhéhe hoéhose.
he would sing              on a hill.

8.  Móhkenémeotȧhohevóhe hee’haho héva taasevé’otsetsėse 
He would sing for             his son,   like,   when he went on a journey, 

naa máto héva tséhnoo’ȯhtséhaa’ėse hevóohestoto tséhmé’etanó’tóvȯse 
or                     when they left him,     his relatives,   when he remembered them 

é’ȯhkėhoó’henonesėstse hoéhose tȧhpenonēva.
he would be heard singing on a hill with a flute.

9.  E’ȯhkepopėhévenonésesto kȧsováaheho    naa héva ma’háhkėseho hetaneo’o 
They would sing well,         the young men and, like,  the old men,    men, 

héovȧtse  tséhetó’ėhahese.
of various ages.

10.  Éne’éšėhoó’henōne tȧhpenonēva  é’ȯhkėhésesto.
 He was heard singing with a flute, they said.

11.  Naa vo’ėstane tséemé’etanó’tovóvosėstse         héva tséméhotovovose 
And someone when they remembered (people), like,   those they loved, 

hee’háhévóho hevóohestovevóho é’ȯhkeéenėhešenémenésesto hoéhose 
their sons,       their relatives,        they thusly sang                     on a hill, 

naa máto héva tsééšėhováneehetsėstse hevóohestovevóho.
or                     those who had died,        their relatives.
                   
12.  Éhóono’otse.
 He was lonesome.

13.  Éhoó'henōne.
 He was heard singing.

14.  É’ȯhkėhenóvénėse.
 That is what was said.
 
15.  Hápó’e    móhne’ȯhkenėhešenémenėhevóhe tȧhpenonēva.
 Likewise  they sang in that way                     with a flute.

16.  É’ȯhkepopėhévenonésesto hetaneo’o naa kȧsováaheho nésta        évaveto.
      They sang well,                   men,        and young men,   previously long ago.

(7) Note: It seems reasonable that the verb stem -vé’otse initially referred to going on a warpath, as some people still translate it, but was extended to refer to going on a journey, especially a long journey. When Elaine translated this text to English she only translated this verb with the meaning of going on a journey or a long journey.

(4) Note: The verb stem -némene refers to making any kind of music. Perhaps it originally referred just to singing. In this text it is not clear when it refers just to making music with a flute or to singing, as well, if it ever includes singing in this story.