unelanvhi uwetsi / ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏪᏥ

The Cherokee translation of Amazing Grace is much more than a hymn. It was sung on the Trail of Tears, and has been sung countless times since then, to the point where it has become a sort of Cherokee national anthem. Here it is, in Cherokee:


unelanvhi uwetsi
igaguyvheyi
hnaquotsosv wiyulose
igaguyvhonv.

aseno yiunetseyi
iyuno dulenv
talinedv tselutseli
udvne yunetsv


ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎤᏪᏥ
ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎮᏱ
ᎿᏉᏦᏒ ᏫᏳᎶᏎ
ᎢᎦᎫᏴᎰᏅ.

ᎠᏎᏃ ᏱᎤᏁᏤᏱ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᏚᎴᏅ
ᏔᎵᏁᏛ ᏤᎷᏤᎵ
ᎤᏛᏁ ᏳᏁᏨ


I'm thinking of translating it into Udugi. This will be a challenge because, first of all, the meaning is different in Cherokee. For example, the first line does not mean "amazing grace," it means "child of the Lord, or God's child." Secondly, the Udugi version has to be just as singable as the Cherokee. Wish me luck!

Here is a link to the song, with lyrics, good pronunciation, and some English:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAb4bhnQ6aI

Here is a more beautiful and fuller version, sung by Walela (Rita Coolidge and her family):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_-GBZ4UZk8

Enjoy!

unelanvhi dikanogidv 121:1-2 / ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᏗᎧᏃᎩᏛ 121:1-2 / Psalm 121:1-2

aya asaladodose aqua agadolidine
gadusidi didla, hatlv nidvlenvda
aqua alisdelvdo nvlase.
aqua alisdelvdo nvlase
unelanvhi nidvlenvda,
na gotlvdise galvladi-tsosvne
ale elohine.

ᎠᏯ ᎠᏌᎳᏙᏙᏎ ᎠᏆ ᎠᎦᏙᎵᏗᏁ
ᎦᏚᏏᏗ ᏗᏜ, ᎭᏢ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ
ᎠᏆ ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎸᏙ ᏅᎳᏎ.
ᎠᏆ ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎸᏙ ᏅᎳᏎ
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ,
Ꮎ ᎪᏢᏗᏎ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ-ᏦᏒᏁ
ᎠᎴ ᎡᎶᎯᏁ.


Here is the Cherokee, for comparison:

gadusi widigagani nahna
tsvdidalehvsga aqualinigo-hisdisgi
unelanvhi agisdelisgi nasgi
uwesvnvhi galvladi
ale elohi.

ᎦᏚᏏ ᏫᏗᎦᎦᏂ ᎾᎿ
ᏨᏗᏓᎴᎲᏍᎦ ᎠᏆᎵᏂᎪ-ᎯᏍᏗᏍᎩ
ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᎠᎩᏍᏕᎵᏍᎩ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎤᏪᏒᏅᎯ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ
ᎠᎴ ᎡᎶᎯ.


And the English:

I will lift up my eyes
to the hills, from where
my help comes.
My help comes
from the Lord,
who made heaven
and earth.

ᎠᏓᏙᎵᎩᏔ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏂᎯ, ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ

ᎠᏓᏙᎵᎩᏔ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏂᎯ, ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ,
ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᎡᏆ-ᎡᎶᎯ ᎥᎿᎢ,
ᎧᎪᎢ ᎠᏓᏁᏤᏗᏎ ᎢᏧᎳᎠᏴ
ᎠᏥᏍᎸᏍᎩ ᎤᎧᎾᏫᏗᏁ
ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ ᎢᎦ ᎥᎿᎢ.

Curmudgeons

Curmudgeons understand
each other,
yes we do.
But with you gone,
who
can I curmudge
with?

(There is a minimum
age requirement
for true
curmudgery.)

Donald Jacobson Traxler
Oct. 5 2018