CHANT OF PROPHECY

{Shaman}

The Sun never grows cold.

The Sun Man is like the Sun.

His anger never grows cold.

The Sun Man will return.

The Sun Man will come back from the Sun.

{People}

The Sun Man will return.

The Sun Man will come back from the Sun.

{Shaman}

There is a sign.

As the water burst forth when he rose into the sky,

So will the water cease to flow when he returns from the sky.

The Sun Man is mighty.

In his eyes is blue fire.

In his hands he bears the thunder.

The lightnings are in his hair.

{People}

In his hands he bears the thunder.

The lightnings are in his hair.

{Shaman}

There is a sign.

The Sun Man is white.

His skin is white like the sun.

His hair is bright like the sunlight.'

His eyes are blue like the sky.

{People}

There is a sign.

The Sun Man is white.

{Shaman}

The Sun Man is mighty.

He is the enemy of the Nishinam.

He will destroy the Nishinam.

{People}

He is the enemy of the Nishinam.

He will destroy the Nishinam.

{Shaman}

There is a sign.

The Sun Man will bear the thunder in his hand.

{People}

There is a sign.

The Sun Man will bear the thunder in his hand.

{Shaman}

In the day the Sun Man comes

The water from the spring will no longer flow.

And in that day he will destroy the Nishinam.

With the thunder will he destroy the Nishinam.

The Nishinam will be like last year's grasses.

The Nishinam will be like the smoke of last year's campfires.

The Nishinam will be less than the dreams that trouble the sleeper.

The Nishinam will be like the days no man remembers.

I am the Shaman.

I have spoken.

_(The People set up a sad wailing.)_

{War Chief}

_(Striking his chest with his fist.)_

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

_(The People cease from their wailing and

look to the War Chief with hopeful

expectancy.)_

{War Chief}

I am the War Chief. In war I command.

Nor the Shaman nor Red Cloud may say me nay

when in war I command. Let the Sun Man

come back. I am not afraid. If the foxes snared

him with ropes, then can I slay him with spear-

thrust and war-club. I am the War Chief. In

war I command.

_(The People greet War Chief's pronouncement

with warlike cries of approval.)_

{Red Cloud}

The foxes are cunning. If they snared the Sun Man

With ropes of sinew, then let us be cunning

And snare him with ropes of kindness.

In kindness, O War Chief, is strength, much strength.

{Shaman}

Red Cloud speaks true. In kindness is strength.

{War Chief}

I am the War Chief.

{Shaman}

You cannot slay the Sun Man.

{War Chief}

I am the War Chief.

{Shaman}

The Sun Man fights with the thunder in his hand.

{War Chief}

I am the War Chief.

{Red Cloud}

_(As he speaks the People are visibly wan by

his argument.)_

You speak true, O War Chief. In war you

command. You are strong, most strong. You

have slain the Modoc. You have slain the Napa.

You have slain the Clam-Eaters of the big water

till the last one is not. Yet you have not slain

all the foxes. The foxes cannot fight, yet are

they stronger than you because you cannot slay

them. The foxes are foxes, but we are men.

When the Sun Man comes we will not be cunning

like the foxes. We will be kind. Kindness and

love will we give to the Sun Man, so that he will

be our friend. Then will he melt the frost, pull

the teeth of famine, give us back our rivers of

deep water, our lakes of sweet water, take the

bitter from the buckeye, and in all ways make

the world the good world it was before he left us.

{People}

Hail, Red Cloud, the first man!

Hail, Red Cloud, the Acorn-Planter!

Who showed us the way of our feet in the world!

Who showed us the way of our food in the world!

Who showed us the way of our hearts in the world!

Who gave us the law of family,

The law of tribe,

The law of totem,

And made us strong in the world among men!

_(While the People sing the hillside slowly

grows dark.)_

The Acorn-Planter A California Forest Play (1916) · 第 11 / 16 题