Ni Ta Nkàski Sukëlanhe

I Can Make It Rain. . . Told by Freddie Washington to Bruce Pearson in 1971.

English:

My late grandfather George Falleaf (1862-1939) told me this,

Lenape:

Naka kënu nëmuxumsa George Falleaf ntihëlùkwën yuni,

English:

it came from the saying that when the sharp-cracking thunder

Lenape:

wënchixink në luwèn hànk ènta sisalàxki pèthakhònk

English:

it is said a boy went with these thunders when he wanted it to rain.

Lenape:

luwèn hùnt pilaechëch wite yuk she pèthakhuweyok ènta kahta sukëlank.

English:

It is said that boy's grandmother

Lenape:

Luwèn hùnt nàni pilaechëch uhëma

English:

he stayed with her and he was an orphan he didn't have

Lenape:

witaemao nàl na wikin òk shikwine ta ku wëlahëlei

English:

his parents had died then

Lenape:

kènu kwikayuyëma wèmi nëkahke palilinamunka në

English:

he became an orphan so he went to live with his grandmother

Lenape:

nèka wshikwinèn nalna she uhëma nàlna tìli wikin

English:

and he stayed with her because he couldn't do anything because he was about seven years old.

Lenape:

witaema nashe ta ku kènu kàski kèku èli ahpami èt nishash kahtënamu

English:

Once when it was dry weather when the Delawares lived

Lenape:

Nëshè në hùnt kahapàn kwëtën wikhatihtit nèk Lënapeyok

English:

now this was in the east, but I do not know where because my grandfather didn't tell me.

Lenape:

yukwe yu wëntahkwi wèhènchiopànk, ta ku nkàski watun tëta èli ku ntëlku naka nëmuxumsa.

English:

Perhaps now this is named the state of Ohio or of Indiana perhaps since that time.

Lenape:

Konait yukwe yushe luwènsik në state Ohio shìta na Indiana konait në òsi lìkhìkwi.

English:

But that is what he had told me, he told me that now it comes from this boy when he was there

Lenape:

Shùk na yukwe nëni ntihëlùkwën, ntëlùkw she lah ne yukwe wënchixën yuni ènta në pilaechëch witèt.

English:

because it is said that it was dry weather, many things

Lenape:

èli kènu hùnt yukwe në kènu lìkhìkwi kahapàn, xaheli kèku

English:

burned, it did not ever rain. Then the Delawares were bewildered - where they lived

Lenape:

lutè ta ku hàshi sukëlanu. Na kwilalelìntàmëneyo yuk lënapeyok, nal na wikhatihtit

English:

they certainly lived together. Then they began to be bewildered, then the elders began to visit each other

Lenape:

mayay wikhatuwàk. Na shè në kènu tòlëmi kwilalelìntàmëneyo, na alëmi kiikàntuwàk nèk kìkayàk

English:

they visited the boy's grandmother for many days.

Lenape:

kiikàmëwa nèl na yukwe na pilaechëch uhëma xelukwëni.

English:

Then they were bewildered because already everything had burned up and everything began to be dry.

Lenape:

Na kwilalelìntàmuk mèchi wèmi kèku lute òk alëmi kaxkte wèmi kèku.

English:

Then the boy told his grandmother, “I really can make it rain.”

Lenape:

Na na pilaechëch tëlao nèl uhëma "Ni a ta nkàski sukëlanhè."

English:

Oh, he was simply told, “You can’t do anything, go on off,

Lenape:

E, ksini lan, "Ta ku ki kèku kàski lësi, may ikali a kta

English:

you even have difficulty walking around much less making it rain.

Lenape:

ìli hùnkw ahachinki kènu kpëpamska na xa ta kata sukëlanheyàn.

English:

You can’t do anything.” So she chased him off.

Lenape:

Ta ki ku kàski kèku lësi." Ksini ikali lëskao.

English:

Then it is said that the boy left and he went eastward to where

Lenape:

Na shè hùnt tòlëmskan na pilaechëch, na në wèhènchiopànkw na në

English:

there were big trees and when he got there he sat down.

Lenape:

amànkakòk, në tòpin nal në mòy lëmatahpin.

English:

Then after he had been there for a while he came back again and again he told the elder,

Lenape:

Natënëshè na mata nake na làpi kwëtkin làpi mòy tëlao nèl kìkaya,

English:

“I am the one my friend I can make rain."

Lenape:

"Ni ta nchu nkàski sukelanhe."

English:

So then his grandmother was told by the other elder,

Lenape:

kwëti (ka) mèli uhëma nèli òk në takòk hùnt kìkay luwe,

English:

“You leave your grandson alone, whatever he does We will see if he can make it rain.”

Lenape:

"Kwënalinao na kuxwis, kèkushta èlaihòsit kaxënèch ta kàski sukëlanhe.

English:

Then he (the boy) turned around again, and again he went to the East and four times he whooped.

Lenape:

Na làpi kwëlpin, làpi wèhènchiopànkw tòn, newën pòkaluhwin.

English:

Then when he finished hooping the four times a cloud came up in the West.

Lenape:

Na kìshi newën pòkaluhwin na pèchi àspihële kùmhòkw yu èhëliwsikakw.

English:

Finally after a while it began to rain, it rained hard.

Lenape:

Xantki matanake na pèchi sukëlan, ahkëshilan.

English:

That elder, “truly, my friend, the house, the bark house, that was made from sheets of bark, began to leak.”

Lenape:

Nàni kìkay, "Mayay, nchus, nàni wikit, nàni hòkèsikaon, nàni wëntpe nàni kènu

English:

that bark house, that was made from sheets of bark, began to leak.”

Lenape:

nàni hòkèsikaon nëni wënchitawnu yul hòkèsa nëni na wënchi wëntpe.

English:

She (the grandmother) told her grandson, “You want to stop it already, there is already enough!”

Lenape:

Tëlao nèl uxwisa, "Mèchi a në kata naxkënëmën, mèchi tèpi!"

English:

Then it began to stop raining. It didn't even rain a little bit.

Lenape:

Na shè na hùnt alëmi alalan. Ta ku hàshi alëmi tkaiti alalan.

English:

These thunder beings began to fly and they flew way off.

Lenape:

yuk pèthakhuhweyok tkaiti alëmi òhëlëmi ahpamihëleyok.

English:

Then it is said the boy went outside and when he returned again he told his grandmother

Lenape:

Hunt në kwëchin na pilaechëch na tëlan nèl uhëma ènta ktëkit làpi pèchi

English:

when he came back. He said, “Now I definitely cannot live with you, now I myself am leaving.

Lenape:

kwëlëpit. Tëlao, "Mèchi ta ku nkàski kènu witawsuhulhùmo, mèchi ta nèpe ni ntayalëmska.

English:

Then I will go with my friends the thunder beings. Those are my friends.

Lenape:

Na nën newitèn yuk shè nitisàk shè pèthakhuhweyok. Ni ta nèk nitisàk.

English:

Perhaps at some time I will come again. I can come to see you

Lenape:

Xu xanè xu wixkaochi làpi mba. Pèchi may pënul

English:

but I can never see you people because those old ones are going.

Lenape:

shùk ta chich kàski ni newùluhùmëna chich èli në ta eyahtit nèk shè

English:

those old ones. The Delawares called those old thunder beings the old ones.

Lenape:

xuwihëleyok. Tëlawihëlawo yuk Lënapeyok nèk xuwi pèthakhuhweyok xuwihëleyok.

English:

Then I too will go with with them wherever. Then when he left then

Lenape:

Na në nèpè nëwiten tëta eyahtit na në ntan. Na shè ènta ntalëmskat na

English:

she told her fellow tribesmen, “Now this grandson of mine has left and we will never see him again

Lenape:

Na she na na kìkay tëlao nèl withakeyo, "Mèchi ta wa nuxwis alëmske, ta chich knineiowënanà,

English:

It is said that when the sharp cracking thunder when there is strong lightning

Lenape:

nal hùnt luwèn na yukwe nàni tìli witèn ènta sësalàxki pèthakhònk wèmi kèku

English:

when the sharp cracking thunder it is said that is the boy.

Lenape:

ènta ahkëshehëlak luwèn hùnt nal nàni nal nashe pilaechëch.

Na Òkwës Òk Na Chëmamës Achimëwakàn

Këkhìtkil Hùnt Na Xanikw

Nushhùkòwën Ta Ni

Xkweyok Enta Naxkuhëmënt Enta Këntkahtit

Xkweyok Enta Naxkuhëmunt Enta Këntkahtit - 2

Weòpsichik Pèchi Witawsumku