West River Eagle

“It was Cloudy: Aabjito’ikidowinan 2/Used Words 2”


PHOTO BY STEPHEN GASSMAN Return of the Thunder Beings/Wakíŋyan Aglípi: Lightning over Sylvan Lake, Black Hills, South Dakota, August 2011.

 

Cloud beings come laughing, comical,

Aanakwadoog bidaapiwag, wawiyadenimwaad,

They come singing through the clouds:

Biidnagamowaad, zhiibaanakwad

morning white clouds, a good color.

Minowaabishkaanakwad bidaabanong.

Springtime is a comedy.

Ziigwan gagiibaadaatesemagad.

Cloud beings come telling news,

Aanakwadoog biidaajimowag,

clouds come as wind from a certain place.

ondaanimaanakwad.

Cloud beings come to sit comfortably,

Aanakwadoog biindigewag, minwabiwaad,

companion

wiijii’iwewaad,

in Summer.

niibinong.

Red clouds come, colored a certain way:

Biidaanakwadoog, miskwaazhe.

copper coins, hot coals, they come with a light.

miskwaabikizhooniyaansag,

gizhokakanzhean,

biidaazakwanenjigewaad.

Fall dark clouds come into view.

Makadeyaanakwad binaagwad daagwaaging.

They come in anger, storm clouds,

Biijigidaazowag, zegaanakwadoog,

a ball-headed club, a war club, coal again, coffee.

biwaakwado-bagamaagan, bagamaagan,

kakanzhean miinawaa,

makademashkikiwaaboo.

Winter comes, contests annually.

Biboon bakinaage apane.

This is a poemeo animated by Jonathan Thunder, written in English by Heid E. Erdrich, translated to the Ojibwe language by Margaret Noodin. It is best experienced here: movingpoems.com/2016/09/it-was-cloudy-aabjitoikidowinan-2-used-words-2-by-heid-e-erdrich/

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