Faith in the Divine: American First Nation Songs and Chants, Part 2 of 2

Let’s continue with selections from “The Mountain Chant of the Navajo,” a work of the Navajo, or Diné, First Nation people of the Southwestern United States.

THE MOUNTAIN CHANT OF THE NAVAJO A PRAYER FOR SECOND DAY OF THE NIGHT CHANT

“Talking God sits with me. House God sits with me. Pollen Boy sits with me. Grasshopper Girl sits with me.

Beautifully white corn to me is restored. Beautifully yellow corn to me is restored. Beautifully blue corn to me is restored. Beautifully corn of all kinds to me is restored. In beauty may I walk. All day long may I walk. Through the returning seasons may I walk. On the trail marked with pollen, may I walk. With grasshoppers about my feet, may I walk. With dew about my feet, may I walk. With beauty may I walk. With beauty before me, may I walk. With beauty behind me, may I walk. With beauty above me, may I walk. With beauty below me, may I walk. With beauty all around me, may I walk. In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk. In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk. It is finished in beauty. It is finished in beauty.”

NIGHT CHANT FOR THE NINTH SONG

“[…] Happily, I recover, Happily, I become cool, My eyes regain their power, my head cools, my limbs regain their strength, I hear again. Happily for me, the spell is taken off, Happily, I walk; impervious to pain, I walk; light within, I walk; joyous, I walk. Abundant dark clouds I desire, An abundance of vegetation I desire, An abundance of pollen, abundant dew, I desire. Happily may fair white corn, to the ends of the Earth, come with you, Happily may fair yellow corn, fair blue corn, fair corn of all kinds, plants of all kinds, goods of all kinds, jewels of all kinds, to the ends of the Earth, come with you. With these before you, happily may they come with you, With these behind, below, above, around you, happily may they come with you, Thus, you accomplish your tasks. […]”