198. FIRST SONG OF THE FIRST DANCERS.

Qaniè qaò yaè, qaniè qaò yaè

Qaniè iè oayè oayè.

1. Qadjinäìa qaò yaè,

2. Kaç dsil ¢ilhyíli qaò yaè,

3. `Çaltsoï tsèë qaò yaè,

4. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.

Náhi ìni èhi oayè, náhi ini èhi oöhè.

5. Niqoyastcàdje qaò yaè,

6. Kaç dsil çolíji qaò yaè,

7. Kini bitsèë qaò yaè,

8. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.

Náhi ìni, etc.

9. Qadjinäìa qaò yaè,

10. Kaç dsil litsòï qaò yaè,

11. Bitselitsòï qaò yaè,

12. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.

Náhi ìni, etc.

13. Niqoyastcàdje qaò yaè,

14. Kaç dsil lakàie qaò yaè,

15. A`a`i tsèe qaò yaè,

16. Cija cigèlgo qaò yaè.

Náhi ìni, etc.

199. _Translation._--1, 9. Qadjinàï, "Place-where-they-came-up,"

a locality in the San Juan Mountains where, according to their

mythology, the Navajo emerged from the lower world to this. 5, 13.

Niqoyastcàdje, another name for Qadjinàï. 2, 6, 10, 14. Kaç, now; dsil,

mountain; ¢ilhyíli, black; çolíji, blue; litsòï, yellow; lakàie, white.

These verses refer to four mountains surrounding Qadjinàï, which are

designated by colors only to indicate their topographical positions.

3, 7, 11, 15. `Çaltsoï = aça litsòï, "yellow wing," a large bird of

prey; kini, hen hawk; bitselitsòï, "yellow tail," a bird of undetermined

species; a`a`i, magpie; tse, a tail; bitse, its tail. 4, 8, 12, 16.

Cija, my treasure; cigèl, my desideratum, my ultimatum, the only thing I

will accept. When supposed to be said by a god, as in this song, it

means the particular sacrifice which is appropriate to him. In this case

probably the feathers spoken of are "cigèl" and the mountains "cija."

The refrain "qaò yaè" is a poetic modification of qaa`, it looms up, or

sticks up, said of some lofty object visible in the distance, whose base

cannot be seen.