nôhtâwiy opîkiskwêwin ~ Father Tongue

I read about the -ikawi suffix

and the unspecified actor form,

wonder about the curiosities

of active or passive voice in Cree,

but mostly I yearn to learn

real Cree words, am eager to hear

nêhiyawêwin itwêwina in the air.

Want to hear your voice.

Food words like bread and tea

and water —

pahkwêsikan, maskihkîwâpoy,

êkwa nipiy.

Words for tree and bud and leaf —

mistik, osimisk, êkwa nîpiy.

Seasonal words for winter, spring,

summer, and fall —

pipon, miyoskamin,

nîpin, êkwa takwâkin.

Weather words like snow and rain,

sunshine and wind —

mispon êkwa kimiwan,

wâsêskwan êkwa yôtin.

More food words like cookie,

tomato, and cheese —

wîhki-pahkwêsikanis,

kihci-okiniy, êkwa

âpakosîsi-mîciwin.

Nature words for lake, mountain,

prairie —

sâkahikan, asinîwaciy,

paskwâw.

How to say picnic and camping —

papâ-mîcisowin êkwa kapêsiwin.

How we always picked bottles

when we went picnicking or camping —

kâkikê ê-kî-môsâhkinamâhk

môtêyâpiskwa ispî

kâ-kî-papâ-mîcisoyâhk

ahpô ê-nitawi-kapêsiyâhk.

How the sky is blue just now,

when it’s been grey for so long.

sîpihkonâkwan mêkwâc kîsik

mâka kinwês ê-kî-pihkonâkwahk.

I want to hear words for car and canoe

and toboggan and cradleboard —

sêhkêpayîs êkwa cîmân

napakitâpânâsk êkwa tihkinâkan.

Baby, boy, girl, man, and woman —

oskawâsis, nâpêsis, iskwêsis, nâpêw, êkwa iskwêw.

Boyfriend and girlfriend —

nîcimos êkwa nîcimos.

Kinship terms like mother and father —

nikâwiy êkwa nôhtâwiy.

Grandmother and grandfather —

nôhkom êkwa nimosôm.

My little siblings, sister and brother —

nîcisânak, nimis êkwa nistês.

Auntie and uncle —

nikâwîs êkwa nôhcâwîs.

If only I had stopped long enough

to say “my girl” or “my boy” —

“nitânis” êkwa “nikosis.”

Words for old woman and old man —

nôcokwêsîs êkwa kisêyinîs

Words for hard and soft,

loud and quiet —

ê-maskawâk êkwa ê-yôskâk

ê-sôhkihtâkwahk êkwa

ê-kâmwâtahk.

Words for the ground is hard —

ê-maskawahcâk,

the silence is loud —

ê-sôhkihtâkwahk kipihtowêwin,

your voice soft and quiet —

ê-miyotâmoyan êkwa ê-kâmwâtahk.

You always spoke so softly

like a steady rain on parched land.

kâkikê ê-kî-manâcimiyâhk

tâpiskôc kimiwan,

ê-pahkipêstâk

itê ê-pâhkwahcâk.

Maybe that’s why you sound

so far away now —

kiyâwihtâkosin êkwa anohc.

Verbs for listening and persevering —

ê-nitohtawiyan êkwa ê-âhkamêyihtamohiyan,

and loving and raising children —

ê-kî-sâkihiyâhk êkwa

kiya êkwa nikâwînân

ê-kî-nihtâwôsêyêk.

Words for birth and death and funeral —

ê-kî-miyo-pimâtisiyan, mâka

ispîhk ê-kî-kisipipayiyan

êkwa kikî-âstêsinin kitaywêpiwinihk.

Verbs for kind and just

and humble and soft-spoken —

ê-kî-kisêwâtisiyan

êkwa ê-kî-kwayaskwâtisiyan,

ê-kî-tapahtêyimisoyan

êkwa ê-kî-pêyâhtakowêyan.

The verb for soft-hearted —

ê-kî-yôskâtisiyan,

and how you had a soft spot

in your heart for all

Cree people —

ê-kî-yôskitêhêstawacik

kahkiyaw nêhiyawak.

Verbs for generous and caring —

ê-kî-sawêyimacik êkwa ê-kî-nâkatêyimacik.

Words for thoughtful and oh,

such good Cree speech —

ê-kî-kâh-kakihcihiwêyan,

ê-kî-miyo-tôtaman

tahtwâw ê-kî-nêhiyawêyan.

Words for being so good

at so many things —

ê-kî-nahîyan mistahi kîkway.

Words for sadness and regret —

nipîkiskâtisin êkwa kikîsinâtêyihtamâtin.

Because sickness stole your speech

and I came too late to listen —

osâm kitâhkosiwin

kipîkiskwêwin ê-kimotamâkoyan

êkwa ê-kî-mwêstasisiniyân

ka-nitohtâtân.

Yet now you’re whispering

and I’m listening —

mâka êkwa anohc âta ê-kîmwêyan

kina-nahihtâtin.