ts’iitum tu skweyul | Thank you to the day (song)

by

Eugene Harry

Recorded on October 20, 2012
Transcribed and translated by Donna Gerdts

  1. tu slolum ni’ tst hakwush ’u tuna’ kweyul kwus ni’ ni’ ts’iitum tu skweyul.
    1. The song that we used today is a thank you to the day.
  2. meen’ tu slheni’allh ni’ ’u kw sqwuha’mush, meen’ tu smustimuhws.
    1. One young woman from sqwuha’mush was very weak, her body was very weak (paralyzed).
  3. sisuw’ xeem xeem xeem kwuyuxum tu shqwaluwuns tu stutiwuns ’um’i’muths.
    1. And she cried and cried and cried (and it turned into a song) and it stirred the hearts and minds of her nieces and nephews and grandchildren.
  4. sisuw’ tseelqum ’u tu q’uwut, tseelqum kwus ni’ tsuy’win’.
    1. And they followed along on the drum, following along with her spirit song.
  5. tus nuts’umat ’u tu st’ilum syuwuns.
    1. They got her song, her spirit cry, going all together as one.
  6. sisuw’ qw’uyilush.
    1. And she danced.
  7. tu ni’ xwum xwum yuw’en kwus ni’ hulithut tu smustimuhws, kweyuxum.
    1. And the first part was very fast, and her body got healed and was moving.
  8. sisuw’ ’unuhw sisuw’ snuts’nuts’ehw tu q’uwut ’i’ ni’ ch qw’uyilush st’e ’u niihw kwen’hwus tu qulaan.
    1. And she stopped and then the drum went to a slow beat (one beat at a time) and when she danced the impairment fell off of her.
  9. sisuw’ yu thuthi’ tu smustimuhws ’i’ ni’ hwu xwum tu q’uwut.
    1. And her body got better and the drum got faster.
  10. kwus ni’ xwum tu q’uwut ’i’ ni’ ’usup’ tu syuwun ’i’ ni’ tl’ulnutstum.
    1. And when the drumbeat got fast, her spirit cry was finish and xxxx.
  11. sts’uyulhnamut ’u tu skweyul ’u tu s-hwuhwa’us kwus ni’ hulithut tu smustimuhws.
    1. She was showing gratitude to the day and to the thunder and her body healed.
  12. sht’ees tu s’ul’eluhwulh kwus ni’ hakwusush tu shqwaluwuns.
    1. That’s how our old people would use their hearts and minds.
  13. ’uwu ch kwun’etuhw tu sxeem.
    1. You don’t take the crying.
  14. ha’ ch hakwush ’i’ ni’ ch tl’uw’ he’ulithut.
    1. You use it to heal yourself.
  15. nilh ni’ sht’ees kwus ts’iiyulh ’u tu skweyul, s(hw)uhwa’us kwus ni’ t’umutum tu q’uwut t’emutum tu q’uwut.
    1. And that’s showing appreciation to the day and the thurnder when you are beating on the drum, beating the drum.
  16. ’i’ yelhs tus tu s-hwuhwa’us.
    1. And the thunder will then appear.
  17. hay ch q’a. hay ch q’a. hay ch q’a.
    1. Thank you, thank you, thank you.