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Home : Songs : Kiowa Ghost Dance Song Lyrics

 
Kiowa Ghost Dance Song Lyrics


These song lyrics were originally documented and translated by James Mooney in 1894. If you notice an error or have a suggestion how to make these better, please contact us.

 
1. Da'ta-i So'da'te

Da'ta i so'da'te,
Da'ta i so'da'te.
Do'm ezä'nteda'te,
Do'm ezä'nteda'te.
De'ǐmhä'da'te,
De'ǐmhä'da'te.
Be'a'ma'nhäyi',
Be'a'ma'nhäyi'.

Translation:

The father will descend,
The father will descend.
The earth will tremble,
The earth will tremble.
Everybody will arise,
Everybody will arise.
Stretch out your hands,
Stretch out your hands.


2. Da'k'i'ñago (ǐm) Zä'nteähe'dal

Da'k'i'ñago (ǐm) zä'nteähe'dal,
Da'k'i'ñago (ǐm) zä'nteähe'dal,
De'dom ezä'nteähe'dal,
De'dom ezä'nteähe'dal.
De'ǐmgo (ä-)dä'tode'yo',
De'ǐmgo )ä-)dä'tode'yo'.
De'beko'datsä',
De'beko'datsä'.

Translation:

The spirit army is approaching,
The spirit army is approaching,
The whole world is moving onward,
The whole world is moving onward.
See! Everybody is standing watching,
See! Everybody is standing watching.
Let us all pray,
Let us all pray.


3. Gu'ato Ädâ'ga

Gu'ato adâ'ga nyä'ongu'm,
Gu'ato adâ'ga nyä'ongu'm,
Go'mtäyä' ätso'dalsâdal,
Go'mtäyä' ätso'dalsâdal.
Ä'nyä'gâlo'nte,
Ä'nyä'gâlo'nte.
Tä'lyi ǐmhä'go,
Tä'lyi ǐmhä'go.

Translation:

I scream because I am a bird,
I scream because I am a bird,
I bellow like a buffalo,
I bellow like a buffalo.
The boy will rise up,
The boy will rise up.


4. Da'ta-i Nyä'hoănga'mo

Ä'häyä' Ehä'eho'! Ä'häyä' Ehä'eho'!
E'häyä' Ehä'eho'! E'häyä' Ehä'eho'!
Da'ta-i nyä'hoănga'mo,
Da'ta-i nyä'hoănga'mo.
Äde'tepo'nbä,
Äde'tepo'nbä,
Ä'guănpo'nbä,
Ä'guănpo'nbä.

Translation:

Ä'häyä' Ehä'eho'! Ä'häyä' Ehä'eho'!
E'häyä' Ehä'eho'! E'häyä' Ehä'eho'!
The father shows me the road,
The father shows me the road.
I went to see my friends,
I went to see my friends,
I went to see the dances,
I went to see the dances.


5. Dak'i ñ'a Bate'yä

Dak'i ñ'a bate'yä',
Dak'i ñ'a bate'yä.
Guăto ton nyäâmo,
Guăto ton nyäâmo.
Ähi ñ'äih nyäă'mo,
Ähi ñ'äih nyäă'mo.

Translation:

The spirit (God) is approaching,
The spirit (God) is approaching.
He is going to give me a bird tail,
He is going to give me a bird tail.
He will give it to me in the tops of the cottonwoods,
He will give it to me in the tops of the cottonwoods.


6. Na'da'g Äka'na

Heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ' Äho'ho'!
Heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ' Äho'ho'!
Na'da'g äka'na,
Na'da'g äka'na,
De'gyägo'mga da'tsä'to,
De'gyägo'mga da'tsä'to.
Äo' ñyo, Äo' ñyo.

Translation:

Heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ' Äho'ho'!
Heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ'heyĕ' Äho'ho'!
Because I am poor,
Because I am poor,
I pray for every living creature,
I pray for every living creature.
Äo' ñyo, Äo' ñyo.


7. Ze'bät-gâ'ga Igu'ănpa'-ima'

Ze'bät-gâ'ga igu'ănpa'-ima',
Ze'bät-gâ'ga igu'ănpa'-ima'.
Bälä'gâ'ga na'ta'dălgo'ma,
Bälä'gâ'ga na'ta'dălgo'ma.
Tä'lyiă be'pe'te,
Tä'lyiă be'pe'te.

Translation:

He makes me dance with arrows,
He makes me dance with arrows.
He calls the bow my father,
He calls the bow my father.
Grandmother, preserve,
Grandmother, preserve.


8. Be'ta! To'ngyä-gu'adăl

Be'ta! To'ngyä-gu'adăl äto'tl-e'dal,
Be'ta! To'ngyä-gu'adăl äto'tl-e'dal.
Bä'ate'ñyi, Bä'ate'ñyi.
Da'te gyäko'm ä'omhe'dăl,
Da'te gyäko'm ä'omhe'dăl.

Translation:

Now I understand! Red Tail has been sent,
Now I understand! Red Tail has been sent.
We cry and hold fast to him,
We cry and hold fast to him.
He was made to live a long time,
He was made to live a long time.


9. Da'ta'-i Änka'ñgo'na

Da'ta'-i änka'ñgo'na,
Da'ta'-i änka'ñgo'na.
Da'mânhä'go, da'mânhä'go
Ka'ante da'mânhä'go,
Ka'ante da'mânhä'go.

Translation:

My father has much pity for us,
My father has much pity for us.
I hold out my hands toward him and cry,
I hold out my hands toward him and cry.
In my poverty I hold out my hands toward him and cry,
In my poverty I hold out my hands toward him and cry.


10. Da'ta-i Iñka'ñtähe'dal

Ähä'yä Ehä'eho',
Ähä'yä Ehä'eho'.
Da'ta-i iñka'ñtähe'dal.
A'da'ta-i dä'sa,
Ä'da'ta'-i mâ'nsâ'dal,
Ä'da'ta'-i to'ñsa'dal,
Ä'da'ta'-i o'mda.

Translation:

Ähä'yä Ehä'eho',
Ähä'yä Ehä'eho'.
My father has pity on me.
I have eyes like my father’s,
I have hands like my father’s,
I have legs like my father’s,
I have a form like my father’s.


11. Dak'i ñ'ago Äho'ähe'dal

Dak'i ñ'ago äho'ähe'dal,
Dak'i ñ'ago äho'ähe'dal.
Gâ'dal-gâ'ga äho'ähe'dal,
Gâ'dal-gâ'ga äho'ähe'dal.
Do'm-gâ'ga äho'ähe'dal.

Translation:

The spirit host is advancing, they say,
The spirit host is advancing, they say.
They are coming with the buffalo, they say,
They are coming with the buffalo, they say.
They are coming with the (new) earth, they say,
They are coming with the (new) earth, they say.


12. E'hyu' ñi Degi'ăta

E'hyu' ñi degi'ăta,
E'hyu' ñi degi'ăta.
Tsä'hop ä'ä'he'dal,
Tsä'hop ä'ä'he'dal.
Na de'gu'ănta, de'gu'ănta; Na de'gu'ănta, de'gu'ănta;
Gâ'dal-gu ñ t'a ñ'gya deo'ta,
Gâ'dal-gu ñ t'a ñ'gya deo'ta.
Go' dehi'äta, dehi'äta,
Go' dehi'äta, dehi'äta.

Translation:

I am mashing the berries,
I am mashing the berries.
They say travelers are coming on the march,
They say travelers are coming on the march.
I stir (the berries) around, I stir them around;
I take them up with a spoon of buffalo horn,
I take them up with a spoon of buffalo horn.
And I carry them, I carry them (to strangers),
And I carry them, I carry them (to strangers).


13. Go'mgyä-da'ga

Go'mgyä-da'ga,
Go'mgyä-da'ga,
Do' nyä'zä'ngo,
Do' nyä'zä'ngo,
Go' da'gya i ñhä'po,
Go' da'gya i ñhä'po.

Translation:

That wind, that wind,
Shakes my tipi, shakes my tipi,
And sings a song for me,
And sings a song for me.


14. Dak'i ñ'a Daka' ñtähe'dal

Dak'i ñ'a daka' ñtähe'dal,
Dak'i ñ'a daka' ñtähe'dal.
Tsi'sûs-ä daka' ñtähe'dal,
Tsi'sûs-ä daka' ñtähe'dal.
Da'gya nyäpa'de,
Da'gya nyäpa'de.
Da'gya i ñatä'gyi,
Da'gya i ñatä'gyi.

Translation:

God has had pity on us,
God has had pity on us.
Jesus has taken pity on us,
Jesus has taken pity on us.
He teaches me a song,
He teaches me a song.
My song is a good one,
My song is a good one.


15. Anso' Gyätä'to

Anso' gyätä'to,
Anso' gyätä'to;
Â'dalte'm ga'tä'dalto'-o',
Â'dalte'm ga'tä'dalto'-o';
Änǐmhä'go, Änǐmhä'go.

Translation:

I shall cut off his feet,
I shall cut off his feet;
I shall cut off his head,
I shall cut off his head;
He gets up again, he gets up again.