The Path on the Rainbow: Songs of the Ghost Dance Religion

The Path on the Rainbow, edited by George W. Cronyn, [1918], at sacred-texts.com

SONGS OF THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION

ARAPAHO

My children, when at first I liked the Whites,
My children, when at first I liked the Whites,
I gave them fruits,
I gave them fruits.

My children, my children,
The wind makes the head-feathers sing—
The wind makes the head-feathers sing.
My children, my children.

My children, my children,
I take pity on those who have been taught,
Because they push on hard,
Says our Father.

How bright is the moonlight!
Tonight as I ride with my load of buffalo beef.

I circle around
The boundaries of earth,
Wearing the long wing feathers as I fly.

My children, my children,
Look! the earth is about to move.
My Father tells me so.

I fly around yellow,
I fly with the wild rose on my head,
On high—He’e’e’!

My children, my children,
It is I who wear the morning star on my head;
I show it to my children,
Says the Father.

Father, have pity on me,
Father, have pity on me;
I am crying for thirst;
All is gone—I have nothing to eat.

Father, the Morning Star!
Father, the Morning Star!
Look on us, we have danced until daylight,
Take pity on us—Hi’i’i!

I am coming in sight—
I bring the Whirlwind with me—
That you may know one another.

We shall live again,
We shall live again.
The sun's beams are spreading out—He’e’yo’!
The sun's yellow rays are spreading out—Ahi’ni’yo’!

The cottonwoods are growing tall,
They are growing tall and verdant.

A slender antelope,
A slender antelope
He is wallowing upon the ground.

Whirlwind! Whirlwind!
The snowy earth comes gliding, the snowy earth comes
gliding.

There is dust from the whirlwind,
There is dust from the whirlwind,
The whirlwind on the mountain.

The rocks are ringing.
The rocks are ringing,
They are ringing in the mountains.

The snow lies there—ro’rani!
The snow lies there—ro’rani!
The milky way lies there!

This is my work—Yo’yoyo’!
All that grows upon the earth is mine—Yo’yoyo’!
Says the Father—Yo’yoyo’!
E'ya Yo’yoyo’!

Mother, come home; mother, come home.
My little brother goes about always crying,
My little brother goes about always crying.
Mother, come home; mother come home.

He! They have come back racing,
Why, they say there is to be a buffalo hunt over here,
Why, they say there is to be a buffalo hunt over here,
Make arrows! Make arrows!
Says the Father, says the Father.

The whole world is coming,
A nation is coming, a nation is coming,
The Eagle has brought the message to the tribe.
Over the whole earth they are coming;
The buffalo are coming, the buffalo are coming,
The Crow has brought the message to the tribe.

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

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

My Father has had 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.

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

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

Come on, Caddo, we are all going up,
Come on, Caddo, we are all going up
To the great village—He’e’ye’!
To the great village—He’e’ye’!
With our Father above,
With our Father above when he dwells on high—He’e’ye’!
Where our Mother dwells—Hhe’e’ye’!
Where our Mother dwells—Hhe’e’ye’!