Dééł Biyiin – Laura Tohe – Navajo

Nakai bikéyadi

kéyah be’elyaaígíí ‘ąą’anáádayiilaa

Ni’ Hodootł’izhdi ba’alyaa

Dootłizh bee ńdeezdiín dóó bizhí dootłizh

Dééł biyiin yída hołąą’dóó kéyah be’elyaaígíí dayiizhi’

Ni’ Hodootł’izhdi Dééł Niyol yił daa’oolzhiizh

Niyol Dééł bił nizhóní

Áko Niyol Dééł bits’iis nizhónígo yáʼayiilaa

Náhodiina ‘go Ni’ Hodootł’izhdi ałhinaadiijéé

Dééł dabiyiin dóó dabi kéyah be’elyaaígíí ndeidiinil

só jígo adaazt’a

Ni’ Hodisęsgó

Amásání léi’ tahdidíín nayiinííł

‘Atsá Biyáázh bichť anáánaalzhiizhgo

Déél tooh ńlínígo ‘anáá’iisdee”

Dá’ák’eh dóó tìis biládi

Atíín dóó béésh na’aztű biládi

K’ad dashijoozhí

Moonshell tooh ńlínídidéé’

Áko Deeł bikéé’yishaał tohgi

Niyol k’az bii’sézí

‘ĺlik’ehgo

Díí shaa’alyaa

Biniinaa ‘ákó sézí

Map Songs of the Sandhill Cranes – Laura Tohe – Translated by Herself

in Mexico

they laid open the maps again

written for them in the 2nd world

in blue light spoken with blue voices

they learned songs that would guide them through all the

worlds to come

songs they placed in the spiral of their throats and called

them maps

in the blue world they danced with Wind 

who liked these feathered beings 

so Wind molded and formed their bodies 

and taught them to ride on its breath 

when the fights and the quarrels broke the blue world apart

the cranes gathered their songs and dances and maps

and flew towards the stars 

turned their bodies and broke 

through a hole in the sky 

into the Glittering World

where a grandmother sprinkles corn pollen for their return

each year

in the month of The Eagle’s Young they find their way to the 

river that ribbons

past cornfields and cottonwood trees

near the highway and electric wires

they are calling me now

back to the land of the moonshell river 

so I follow their tracks to the water

I stand in the cold wind 

in awe and humility 

because they have made this journey for me too