ᎢᎬᏱᏱ igvyiyi-ᎢᎬᏱᏱ First- ᎢᎬᏱᏱ - Published circa 1828
The First -ᎢᎬᏱᏱ- Cherokee Hymn was Psalm 23. You can compare the song (BELOW) to the Scripture translation at the Twenty-third Psalm online.
The First -ᎢᎬᏱᏱ- Cherokee Song seems to be from LYDIA LOWRY, daughter of Major George Lowry, second chief of the Cherokee nation.
Lydia was a graduate of the mission boarding school, and one of the first converts to Christianity.
She composed the first Cherokee hymn, a paraphrase of the 23 Psalm, which her father wrote in Cherokee Sequoyah Script.
An old record of Brainerd (Brainerd is the name of the Tennessee Mission School in the Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee, outside of what was then called Ross's Landing but is today known as Chattanooga)--
That old record makes special mention of "Lydia Lowry, the pious and intelligent daughter" of
Chief George Lowry and his wife, Lucy Benge Lowry.
Lydia was sixteen years old when she joined the Presbyterian Church.
The First - ᎢᎬᏱᏱ - Cherokee Hymnal was published and republished over again in New Echota Cherokee Nation East (in what is now present day Georgia) in between 1828 and 1835.
The book was printed in Cherokee Syllabary without translation, without transliteration, and without any musical score but included tune names.
It was republished many times, and the songs from it are on the link /tab (above) for 1888
Psalm 23 The Good Shepherd
Psalm 23
The Good Shepherd
1
ᎠᏫ ᏗᎦᏘᏯ ᏥᏓᏘᏂᏐᎢ
ᎤᏂᏃᏕᎾ tᎤᏤᎵᎦ
ᎾᏍᎩᏯ ᏱᎰᏩ ᎠᏆᏘᏂᏐᎢ
ᎠᏫᏰᏃ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏴ
2
ᎢᏤ ᎦᏄᎸᏒ ᎠᏆᏘᏁᎪᎢ
ᏀᎾᏃ ᎦᏂᏏᎲᏍᎪᎢ
ᎠᏑᏃ ᏦᏍᏛ ᏕᎦᏄᎪᎬ ᏀᎾ
ᏅᏩᏙᎯᏯᏛ ᎨᏙᎰᎢ
3
ᎢᏳ ᏯᏆᎴᎾᎸ, ᎠᎩᎦᏘᏯ
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎠᎩᏲᎰᎢ
ᏧᏤᎵᏃ ᏕᎦᏅᏅ ᏚᏳᎪᏛ
ᏔᎵᏁ ᎠᏆᏘᏁᎪᎢ
4
ᎢᏳ ᏒᏃᏱ ᎤᎵᏏᎬ ᏱᎨᏙᎭ
ᎠᏏ ᎥᏝ ᏴᎦᏥᏍᎦᏯ
ᎥᏝ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᎤᏲ ᏴᎬᎩᎷᏥ
ᏱᎰᏩ ᏣᎩᏯᏫᏍᎪᎢ
5
Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᎯᎸᎯᏳ ᏯᏆᏝᏍ
ᎣᏍᏛᏉ ᏥᎪᏩᏘᏍᎨᏍᏗ
ᏱᎰᏩ ᏰᏃ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᏫ ᎠᏴ
ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᎩᎦᏘᏯ
1
awi digatiya tsidatinisoi
uninodena tutseliga
nasgiya yihowa aquatinisoi
awiyeno utseli ayv
2
itse ganulvsv aquatinegoi
nahnano ganisihvsgoi
asuno tsosdv deganugogv nahna
nvwadohiyadv gedohoi
3
iyu yaqualenalv, agigatiya
unelanvhi agiyohoi
tsutselino deganvnv duyugodv
taline aquatinegoi
4
iyu svnoyi ulisigv yigedoha
asi vtla yvgatsisgaya
vtla gohusdi uyo yvgvgilutsi
yihowa tsagiyawisgoi
5
tla gohusdi hilvhiyu yaquatlas
osdvquo tsigowatisgesdi
yihowa yeno utseli awi ayv
ale nasgi agigatiya
1
The Deer Caretaker He leads them
(the Shepherd leads his sheep)
The Deer-with-curly-hair belong to him
(The sheep belong to him)
I am his Deer-with-curly-hair
(I am his deer)
2
He leads me to the green grass meadowlands
that is where I lie down
He leads me beside the not moving waters
That is where in peace I walk
3
If I get lost, he waits for me
then searches for me
He leads me to the road of holy living
Again I am carried by him
4
Yes, even though I walk through the darkness of the night-time
I will never be afraid
Not nothing bad will come to me
because YHWH will save me
5
Not anything at any time frightens me
Perfectly I see
YHWH I belong to him his Deer I am
and therefore continues as my Shepherd
POSSIBLE TUNES