4. oTTAWA-WOMAN

Udāwā‘kwäg.

Odaawaakwe.

Ottawa-Woman.

from Ojibwa Texts collected by William Jones (1919).

Ningudingsa kīnwän kī·a·i·ndā udāwā‘kwä, niji‘käwizi.

Ningoding sa giiwen' gii-ayindaa odaawaakwe, nizhikewizi.

Now, once on a time, it is said, there was an Ottawa-Woman; she was alone.

Kāwīn ininiwạn udayāwāsīn ạnōdc kägō udōji‘tōn, a’picimunạn ka‘kina gägōn ka·i·jitcigäwād i‘kwäwạg, mạckimudạn kayä; mī ·i·’u äniwä‘k kāwin ā‘pidci kạckändạnzi nicikäwizit.

Gaawiin ininiwan odayaawaasiin anooj gegoo odoozhitoon, apishimonan gakina gegoon gaa-izhichigewaad ikwewag, mashkimodan gaye; mii iw eniweg gaawiin aapiji gashkendanzii nizhikewizid.

She did not have a husband, yet various things she made, - mats and all the things that women are wont to make, likewise bags; for that very reason was she not so very sad that she was alone.

Apa‘kwaiyạn gayä udōj·i·ān pạ‘kibōdcigä.

Apakwayan gaye odoozhi'aan bakiboojige.

Reed mats she also made, and she spun twine.

Ningudingdạc ugi‘kändān abinōdcīyạn ayāwāt wīyawing.

Ningoding dash ogikendaan abinoojiiyan odayaawaad wiiyawing.

Now, once she felt that there was a babe within herself.

A‘pī ·i·dạc cayīgwa wānīgi·ā·wạsut, pînäwạn nî‘tạm kīnīgiwạn ga‘kina tạc ạnōdc päbāmisätcig ändạswäwānagiziwāt - pînäwạg ga‘kina gayä pinäsiwạg.

Apii dash zhayiigwa waa-niigi'aawasod, binewan nitam gii-niigiwaan gakina dash anooj bebaamisejig endaswewaanagiziwaad - binewag gaye binesiwag.

And when the time came for her to be delivered, there was born first of all a ruffed grouse, and then all the various creatures of the air, as many as there were, - ruffed grouse and all the birds.

Mīwạni’u kānīgi·ā·t ga‘kina ogī·a·ninạgạnigō, mīyä‘ta pînäwạn, kāwin ugīnạgạniguzīn.

Miiw aniw gii-niigi'aad gakina ogii-ani-naganigoo, miiy eta binewan, gaawiin ogii-naganigoosiin.

Now, by all those to whom she had given birth was she forsaken as fast as they came, save only by the ruffed grouse, by it was she not abandoned.

‘Aga’u bînä gī‘kito: “Kāwīn nīn wī‘kā ninganạgạnāsī waga’u kigạnān; a‘pạnägu mōnjạg pä’cu ningạtayā tibitci·a·yāgwän kigạnān.”

A'aw bine gii-kido: "Gaawiin niin wiikaa ninga-naganaasii wa'aw giganaan; apane go moozhag besho ningad-ayaa dibi ji-ayaagwen giganaan.

The Ruffed Grouse spoke, saying: "Never will I leave this mother of ours; for always will I be near by, no matter at what place our mother may continie."

Mīdạc ‘igi’u ā‘pidci wändciwângawizit ‘aga’u pînä.

Mii dash i'iw aapiji wenji-waangawizid a'aw bine.

Such is the reason why so very gentle a ruffed grouse is.

Minawā ninguding ugi‘kändān abinōdcīyạn ayāwāt.

Miinawaa ningoding ogikendaan abinoojiiyan ayaawaad.

Another time she felt that she was with child.

A‘pī ·i·dạc minawā wädcidcisänig tcînīgi·ā·wạsut, minawā ugīnigi·ā·n ga‘kina ändaswäwānạgisinit awänsīyạn.

Apii dash miinawaa wejijisenig ji-niigi'aawasod, miinawaa ogii-niigi'aan gakina endaswewaanagizinid awesiiyan.

And when the time was come again for her to be delivered, again she gave birth to all the game-folk, as many as there were.

Mīgō·i·’u mīnawā kā ·ạ·nījinạgạnigut ka‘kina, mīyä‘ta wâbōsōn, kāwīn uginạgạnigusīn.

Mii go iw miinawaa gaa-ani-izhinaganigod gakina, miiy eta waaboozoon, gaawiin ogi--naganigoosiin.

Now, by them all, too, was she forsaken as fast as they came, save only by the hare, she was not deserted by it.

Kī ·i·‘kitō ‘aga’u wâbōs: “Kāwīn wī‘kā nīn ningạngạnāsī waga’u kigạnān,” kī·i·‘kidō.

Gii-ikido a'aw waabooz: "Gaawiin wiikaa niin ninga-naganaasii wa'aw giganaan," gii-ikido.

Said the Hare: "Never will I leave this mother of ours," he said.

“Mī·o·mān pạnä tcînạmạdabiyān”.

"Mii omaa pane ji-namadabiyaan."

"Here in this place will I always sit."

Ạsîn idạc wâbōzunk ijināguzitug; mī·i·’u äjini’kādägwän ī·i·mān wâbōs nạmạdabit.

Asin idash waaboozoong izhinaagozidog; mii iw ezhinikaadegwen i'imaa waabooz namadabid.

There was a rock, probably in the likeness of a hare; accordingly it may have been called by the name of A-Hare-that-is-seated-here.

Mōnjạg īgi’u anicinābäeg ugītîbādotānāwa ‘igi’u wâbōs nạmạdabit ijini‘kātäg.

Moozhag igiw anishinaabeg ogii-dibaadodaanaawaa i'iw waabooz namadabid izhinikaadeg.

Always have the people referred to what was called The-hare-that-is-seated.

Mī·i·dạc ‘aga’u wâbōs mōnjạg wändcipimādisiwād anicinābäeg; usāgi·ā·n īni’u ugīn, ‘aga’u wâbōs.

Mii idash a'aw waabooz moozhag wenji-bimaadiziwaad anishinaabeg; ozaagi'aan iniw ogiin, a'aw waabooz.

Therefore such is why the hare is always around where dwell the people; he loved his mother, the hare (did).

Mīdạc mīnawā kī·a·i·ndāt ‘aga’u udāwā‘kwä.

Mii dash miinawaa gii-ayindad a'aw odaawaakwe.

And so there continued Ottawa-Woman.

Ninguding mīnawā ugi‘kändān ayāwāt abinōndcīyan.

Ningoding miinawaa ogikendaan ayaawaad abinoojiiyan.

Another time she felt that she was with child.

A‘pī mīnawā nāgi·ā·wạsut kīngōnyag ugīnīgi·ā·g, ga‘kinagu ändaswäwānạgisiwād kīngōnyag.

Apii miinawaa naagi'aawasod giigoonya' ogii-niigi'aa', gakina go endaswewaanagiziwaad giigoonyag.

When the time was come for her to be delivered, to fishes gave she birth, to all kinds of fishes, as many as there were.

Mīgu menawā gakina gī·a·ninạgạnigut unīdcānisag mīyä‘ta ạdi‘kamägwạn kāwīn ugīnạgạnigusīn.

Mii go miinawaa gakina gii-ani'naganigod oniijaanisa', miiy eta adikamegwan, gaawiin ogii-naganigoosiin.

So again by all her children was she forsaken as fast as they came, save only by the whitefish, she was not left by it.

Mī·i·’u kā·i·‘kitot ‘aga’u adi‘kamäg: “Kāwīn nīn wī‘kā ninganạgạnāsī ‘aga’u kîgạnān.

Mii iw gaa-ikidod a'aw adikameg: "Gaawiin niin wiikaa ninga-naganaasii a'aw giganaan.

For this was what Whitefish said: "Never will I leave this mother of ours.

Ka‘kina miziwä a‘kīng tîbisāga·i·gạn tcî·a·yāgwän, pō‘tcîmān ningạtayā,” kī·i·’kidō.

Gakina miziwe akiing dibi zaaga'igan ji-ayaagwen, boozh imaa ningad-ayaa," gii-ikido.

In every place upon earth wherever a lake may be, even there will I be," he said.

Mīdạc iu kaega‘t äjiwäbạ‘k, miziwa ayāwāt kīngōnyạg ka‘kinagu sāga·i·gạnīng kīngōni‘kāwạn.

Mii dash geget ezhiwebak, miziwe ayaawaad giigoonyag gakina go zaaga'iganing giigoonyikaawan.

And that, sure enough, has come to pass, everywhere are there fishes, and in all the lakes are there fishes.

Mīdạc minawā ạnōdc kägō inạnu‘kīgubạnän.

Mii dash miinawaa anooj gegoo inanokiigobanen.

Thereupon she took up her work again, making all sorts of things.

‘Aga’u odāwā‘kwä änāwindubạnän ku‘kumisinān.

A'aw odaawaakwe enaawindobanen gokoomisinaan.

Ottawa-Woman was the name that our grandmother was called.

Ānīc mī ä‘kosit.

Aaniish mii ekoozid.

Well, that is as far as (the story) goes.