Mësinkw . . . Told by Ollie Beaver Anderson to Bruce Pearson in 1969, and edited by Ives Goddard

The Mesinkw

English:

Now I want to talk again about what

Lenape:

Yukwe shè làpi nkata ahkënutëmën

English:

I used to hear them say

Lenape:

ehëlìstaok nikahke nkikayuyëminka

English:

about what happened to them in the direction

Lenape:

èhëlinamihtit hùnt wëntahkwi ënta

English:

from which they came because they were very afraid back then.

Lenape:

wënchi pahtit nìke èli òhsami wishasihtit.

English:

The earth always quaked, and they say the stars fell [meteor showers].

Lenape:

Nkëmee kwchùkhòkehële, òk hùnt pënihëleyok nèk alànkok.

English:

Those Delawares were all afraid they say

Lenape:

Wishas'hatëwàk hùnt nèk Lënapeyok

English:

because many fell in there where

Lenape:

èli amànkèli ìkali pënihëleyok në ënta

English:

the ground split when the earth quaked.

Lenape:

khìkhakehëlak nah ënta kwchùkhòkehëlak.

English:

And, they say, suddenly lo-and-behold here came that person

Lenape:

Òk hùnt wèxkaochi kèku wa na ìka pòn na awèn

English:

they called him Mësinkw.

Lenape:

èhëlëwihëlahtit Mësinkw.

English:

The Mesinkw said to them, "This is what you should do,

Lenape:

Tëlan hunt na Mësinkw, "Shè a yu ktënnëmëneyo,

English:

you should always pray, you should shake hands with each other,

Lenape:

kpatamahëmo a nkëmee, kònkùntihëmo a,

English:

[and] all day long and all night you [should] sit up.

Lenape:

kwëni-kishùkw òk òpani këlëmatahpihëmo.

English:

You [should] think of all the good things you could do.

Lenape:

Wèmi kèku wëlëtëk kpënaelëntàmëneyo, kèku a kèski lìsièkw.

English:

That’s what you should do, you shake hands with each other."

Lenape:

shè a në ktënnëmëneyo, kònkùntihëmo."

English:

Because they were all afraid

Lenape:

Yuhèe yuni wishas'hatëwàk

English:

they all cried, because those stars fell.

Lenape:

hùnt-ànkw lëpàkhatëwàk, èli nèk alànkòk pënihëleyok.

English:

Then that is what they did. When that person came there

Lenape:

Na hùnt yukwe në shè tënnëmëneyo. Enta ìka pat na awèn,

English:

he told them, "You should do this.

Lenape:

tëlaneyo, "Shè a yu ktënnëmëneyo.

English:

You would perhaps not be afraid if you all pray."

Lenape:

Xu a tamse kènu mata kwishasihumo patamaèkwe."

English:

That is what they say the Big House church comes from.

Lenape:

Na yukwe hùnt në wënchixën yu Xinkwikaon.

English:

Finally when the Delawares all began to leave there,

Lenape:

Xantki ënta ìka wënchi alëmultihtit nèk Lënapeyok,

English:

over towards what is called Indiana.

Lenape:

wëntahkwi Indiana në luwènsik.

English:

That is why left that place.

Lenape:

Na hùnt në wënchi nkathakhatineyo.

English:

That is when they came here.

Lenape:

Na yukwe yu shè pòneyo yukwe yu she.

English:

There wasn't anyone around then; there wasn't anyone

Lenape:

Ku hùnt ahpii awèn nike, ku awèn yu

English:

anyone here when they arrived. Now they say that

Lenape:

tòpiwën ënta pahtit. Na yukwe në she hùnt

English:

it is Fall again it is time to set up the Big House church.

Lenape:

làpi ënta tahkokik, na hùnt ulixtuneyo në Xinkwikaon.

English:

They say the Mesinkw is always there. He said to them, "This is what you do

Lenape:

Na hùnt na Mësinkw nkëmee ìka. Tëlan hùnt, "Shè yu ktënnëmëneyo

English:

that is where you will pray, for twelve days,

Lenape:

nàch në ktënta patamaneyo, tèlën òk nisha txukwëni.

English:

and do everything thing you can,

Lenape:

òk wèmi kèku kàski lìsineyo,

English:

[and] our Creator will take pity on all of you.

Lenape:

xu këtëmakelëmùkëwa na Kishelëmùkònk.

English:

Our Creator exists. It is He who takes care of us.

Lenape:

Kishelëmùkònk ta ahpu. Nàl na kenahkihkuna.

English:

If you are able to pray, properly,

Lenape:

Xu kènu kèku patamaèkwe kàski, wëli,

English:

you will get something good."

Lenape:

kpatatuhëmòch kèku wèltëk."

English:

That is the only reason, they say, why this place where one prays [the Big House Church] was set up.

Lenape:

Nà në shùk shè hùnt wënchi në wëlixën në yukwe yu shè ënta patamànk.

Shè Yu Wëski Kèku

Alahòtuwàk

Mikwëna Tëlekhikàn Pwètanehëmaok Lënapeyunkahke

Moni Ta Nëni

Wàni Lënape Elixsit

Na Lënu Òk Nèl Mwekaneyëma