The Evergreen Tree
Translation from Joanne Shenandoah's English version into Tuscarora
~Duane Brayboy-Williams
When the Creator made the earth
Kanyúʔ haʔ Rawetyáhnę· wahré·tiʔ
haʔ yękwaʔę úʔwneh
All kinds of trees were planted
Čwekaręʔá·kye wahrayę́·thuʔ
The maple, birch, oak, hickory, apple, pear
Haʔ učikhéʔtaʔ, uná·kyeh, rà·ruh, rúʔtaʔwr, θwahyù·waʔ, uhčíhręʔ
And nut trees and so on.
Tíhsnęʔ awę́ʔreh tikaręʔúʔnę· teʔtéʔ
The Creator had to tend to other realms
Haʔ Rawetyáhnę· wahruʔrihwá·yę̀·θ ahručtehríhsnę·k naʔ héʔuiʔ uʔwnehkę́·haʔnęʔ
So he asked the trees to watch over the earth
Tyuh hésne·, waʔkayęʔnaʔnahrù·yęʔ ha urę́ʔeh akakawęnęthyá·ra·k haʔ yękwaʔę úʔwneh
All trees promised they would watch over the land
Thwé·ʔn haʔ urę́ʔeh kakuʔrihwíhsʔę akakawęnęthyá·ra·k haʔ yękwaʔę úʔwneh
The trees waited and waited
Haʔ uręʔehkę́·haʔnęʔ waʔkayehrę́hwaʔ thwaʔuʔtyá·tih
For the Creator’s return
Haʔ Rawetyáhnę· ęθahratíhuʔ
They waited many days
Waʔkayehrę́hwaʔ kwà·nęʔ tiwęʔná·kye
And they waited many nights.
Tíhsnęʔ waʔkayehrę́hwaʔ kwà·nęʔ tiwahθęʔná·kye·
The trees began to get tired
Haʔ uręʔehkę́·haʔnęʔ waʔkayęhθá·ʔwʔa·ʔ nakayeʔnéhreʔ
And they started to fall asleep
Tíhsnęʔ waʔkayęhθá·ʔwʔa·ʔ akakú·tʔuh
They forgot the promise they had given to Creator
Θakakuʔtikęhré·ʔnęʔ haʔ tawę́·te kayęʔnaʔná·wi· haʔ Rawetyáhnę·
Only the evergreen trees remained awake
Účʔaht haʔ ukhręwehkę́·haʔnęʔ čwé·ʔn kayeyehwáʔnahk
Keeping watch over the earth
Akakawęnęthyá·ra·k haʔ yękwaʔę úʔwneh
When the Creator returned
Kanyúʔ haʔ Rawetyáhnę· θahratíhuʔ
Only the evergreen trees were still awake
Účʔaht haʔ ukhręwehkę́·haʔnęʔ čwé·ʔn kayeyehwáʔnahk
As a reminder to everyone to keep their word
Akayęʔnaʔnehyarhúhkęʔ haʔ thwé·ʔn akayęʔnwętayè·rik haʔ tikakuʔrihwíhsʔę
During every fall and winter
Tyutyá·tihθ haʔ Rahθéʔkye tíhsnęʔ Kuhsérhę tičú·ʔnęʔ
All trees lose their leaves
Thwé·ʔn haʔ uręʔehkę́·haʔnęʔ kaʔęhráhrihč
Except the evergreen trees.
Účʔaht haʔ ukhręwehkę́·haʔnęʔ.
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