Hemach Nyaatuy 'Emaay 'Ehaa Kuwaayk
Nyatenaym matsay peyaach mat uunimp 'Aakuull 'ehpaa huuchaap 'uuch pehemach kwenmesaap esally weyuuw Nyahunnm 'uuchuch nyaamatvech tuulyis Hemach nyaatuy 'emaay 'ehaa kuwaayk Wal wiich naam maaykaam aayaaps. Nyipaches. By dusk the desert stirs As saguaro awake from somnolence to silhouette the stars. By dark soft blossoms bloom Beneath the midnight sky Then swiftly disappear with dawn. 'aakuull : yucca aayaap : is together with 'ehpaa : prickly pear cactus 'emaay 'ehaa : the sky (lit. "high water") esally : his hand hemach nyaatuy : in the middle of the night huuchaap : pl. of hechap, wakes up kuwaayk : from beneath (-k suffix, "from") kwenmesaap : star maaykaam aayaap : together with the morning mat uunimp: shakes self matsay : desert (dry land) nyahunnm : when it's dark, at night nyatenaym : when it's late nyipaches : that's all peyaa : this tuulyis : begins to set fruit 'uuch pehemach : sleeping, slumber 'uuchuch nyaamat : everything, all the things wal wii : is quick, does quickly weyuuw : takes, grabs, gets Poem written by Ted Couro, published in Let's Talk 'Iipay Aa (1975) |