San Juan Quiahije Chatino

[IJAL Texts On-Line, vol. 1, number 1, August 2015]
LA⁴² QIN⁴ KCHIN⁴ ‘Prayer for the Community’
recited by Simón Zurita Cruz

Hilaria Cruz
University of Kentucky
This text is a prayer in San Juan Quiahije Chatino (SJQ) recited by city hall officials and elders in their official capacity as representatives of the community. It was recited by Simón Zurita Cruz, a member of the elder’s council, at 5:00 a.m., on June 24, 2009, in the Catholic Church in San Juan Quiahije. The recording of this prayer took place as the event transpired. The recitation was performed in the presence of municipal officials, elders, and community members.
As is the case with all the prayers conducted by elders and officials in the city hall of San Juan Quiahije, a group of city hall envoys paid a visit to selected elders of the community, including Simón Zurita Cruz, the night before, inviting them to join the municipal officials in carrying out the Prayers for the Community. The elders who agree to accompany the authorities are instructed to come to the city hall at around 4:15 a.m. to begin the event. A total of six elders participated in this ceremony. The elders began to arrive at city hall at 4:00 a.m. At 5:00 a.m., the group walked together from the city hall to the church. Upon arriving at the doorstep of the church, they all knelt and crossed themselves. The officials and the elders then proceeded to walk on their knees to the main altar with their offerings (candles, flowers, leaves, and water) in their hands, saying this prayer aloud. The supplicants walked on their knees for approximately three to four minutes to reach the main altar.
Zurita Cruz’s prayer is one of several prayers that were recited on this particular occasion. In order to record Zurita Cruz, the author knelt next to him and recorded the prayer on the way to the main altar. At 6:00 a.m., upon completion of the prayers, everyone returned to city hall for coffee and bread.
Ndiyo²⁰si¹⁴ Sa³nta²⁴ Ay³ma²⁴
ndiyo¹⁴si⁰ sa³nta²⁴ ay³ma²⁴
ndiyo²⁰si¹⁴
sa³nta²⁴
ay³ma²⁴
god
saint
soul
‘God, saint, soul.’
Qyu¹ kla²⁴, qan¹ kla²⁴, no⁴ yqu², no⁴ ylu³, no⁴ nsuq³, no⁴ nsen⁴²
qyu¹ kla⁴, qan¹ kla⁴, no⁴ yqu², no⁴ ylu³, no⁴ nsuq³, no⁴ nsen⁴²
qyu1
kla²⁴
qan¹
kla²⁴
no⁴
yqu²
no⁴
ylu³
no⁴
nsuq³
no⁴
nsen⁴²
male
old
female
old
the.one
cpl:survive
the.one
cpl:thrive
the.one
cpl:mature
the.one
cpl:multiply
‘Forefathers, foremothers, those who survived, those who thrived, those who matured, those who multiplied.’
No⁴ ya⁴² tykwi⁴, no⁴ ya⁴² nyi⁴, no⁴ ya⁴² ykwa⁴, no⁴ yan⁴² lo⁴ kwan⁴, yan⁴² lo⁴ xa³, yan⁴² lo⁴ xa1-liyu³²
no⁴ ya⁴² tykwi⁴, no⁴ ya⁴² nyi⁴, no⁴ ya⁴² ykwa⁴, no⁴ yan⁴² lo⁴ kwan⁴, yan⁴² lo⁴ xa³ yan⁴² lo⁴ xa⁴-liyu³²
no⁴
ya⁴²
tykwi⁴
no⁴
ya⁴²
nyi⁴
no⁴
ya⁴²
ykwa⁴
no⁴
yan⁴²
lo⁴
kwan⁴
yan4²
lo⁴
xa³
yan⁴²
lo⁴
xa¹–liyu³²
the.one
cpl:go.away
entire
the.one
cpl:go.away
straight
the.one
cpl:go.away
even
the.one
cpl:come.away
to
sunlight
cpl:come.away
to
light
cpl:come.away
to
light–earth
‘Those who lived entirely, those who lived a righteous life, those who lived evenly, they came to the sunlight, they came to the light, they came to the world.’
Sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹⁴ kqu0, sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹⁴ klu⁰, sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹⁴ ksuq⁰, sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹⁴ kxin⁰, tyi²⁰ ton¹⁰, tyi²⁰ kqan²⁴
sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹⁴ kqu¹⁴, sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹⁴, klu¹⁴ sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹⁴ ksuq¹⁴, sa⁴-kwa²⁰ nya¹1⁴ kxin¹⁴, tyi²⁰ ton¹⁰ tyi²⁰ kqan⁴
sa⁴–kwa²⁰
nya¹⁴
kqu⁰
sa⁴–kwa²⁰
nya¹⁴
klu⁰
sa⁴–kwa²0
nya¹⁴
ksuq⁰
sa⁴–kwa²⁰
nya¹⁴
kxin⁰
tyi²⁰
ton¹⁰
tyi²⁰
kqan²⁴
so.to
appear
pot:grow
so.to
appear
pot:thrive
so.to
appear
pot:mature
so.to
appear
pot:multiply
pot:aux.to
stand
pot:aux.to
sit.on.ground
‘So too may they survive, so too may they thrive, so too may they mature, so too may they multiply, may stand up (as a force), may sit down (as a force).’
No⁴ kwiq², no⁴ kneq¹, no⁴ ntsu³², no⁴ ndla³², nka⁴² sten⁴, nka⁴² yqan²⁰, nka⁴² sten⁴ renq⁴ ndiyo¹⁴si⁰, in²⁰
no⁴ kwiq², no⁴ kneq¹, no⁴ ntsu³², no⁴ ndla³², nka⁴² sten⁴, nka⁴² yqan²⁰, nka⁴² sten⁴, renq⁴ ndiyo¹⁴si⁰ in²⁰
no⁴
kwiq²
no⁴
kneq¹
no⁴
ntsu³²
no⁴
ndla³²
nka⁴²
sten⁴
nka⁴²
yqan²⁰
nka⁴²
sten⁴
renq⁴
ndiyo¹⁴si⁰
in²⁰
the.one
baby
the.one
young
the.one
prog:sprout
the.one
prog:born
prog:be:2sg
father:1sg
prog:be:2sg
mother:1sg
prog:be:2sg
father
of.them
god
intj
‘The ones that are newborn, the ones that are young, the ones that are sprouting, the ones that are being born, you are my father, you are my mother, you are their father, God!’
Santo Patron San Juan Bautista
Santo patron san juan bautista
santo
patron
san
juan
bautista
saint
patron
saint
john
the.baptist
‘Patron Saint John the Baptist.’
Nqwen⁴ nka⁴² re¹⁴ qya⁰, nqwen⁴ nka⁴² re¹⁴ kchin⁰
nqwen⁴ nka⁴² re¹⁴ qya² nqwen⁴ nka⁴² re¹⁴ kchin⁴
nqwen4
nka⁴²
re¹⁴
qya⁰
nqwen⁴
nka⁴²
re¹⁴
kchin⁰
2sg
prog:be:2sg
king
mountain
2sg
prog:be:2sg
king
community
‘You are the king of the mountains, you are the king of the community.’
Nqwen⁴ tyon⁴², nqwen⁴ tyqwi⁴², sqwa²⁰ yaq⁰, sqwa²⁰ skon⁰, tyon⁴² lo⁴, tyon⁴² chonq⁴², qne²⁴ kqu¹ qne²⁴ kjoq²⁰ no⁴ ntsu³² no⁴ ndla³²
nqwen⁴ tyon⁴², nqwen⁴ tyqwi⁴², sqwa²⁰ yaq¹, sqwa²⁰ skon¹, tyon⁴² lo⁴, tyon⁴² chonq⁴², qne²⁴ kqu²⁴ qne²⁴ tjoq⁴² no⁴ ntsu³² no⁴ ndla³²
nqwen⁴
tyon⁴²
nqwen⁴
tyqwi⁴²
sqwa²⁰
yaq0
sqwa²⁰
skon⁰
tyon⁴²
lo⁴
tyon⁴²
chonq⁴²
qne²⁴
kqu¹
qne²⁴
kjoq²⁰
no⁴
ntsu³²
no⁴
ndla³²
2sg
pot:stand:2sg
2sg
pot:exist:2sg
pot:put:2sg
hand:2sg
pot:put:2sg
arm:2sg
pot:stand:2sg
ahead
pot:stand:2sg
back
pot:do:2sg
care.for
pot:do:2sg
strong
the.one
prog:sprout
the.one
prog:born
‘You shall stand, you shall exist, give a hand, give an arm, stand before them, stand behind them, take care of them, make them strong, those being sprouting, those being born.’
Ntyqan²⁴ qya² ntyqan²⁴ kchin¹ nka⁴² sten⁴ nka⁴² yqan²⁰ nka⁴² sten²⁴en³²
ndiyo¹⁴si¹⁰
ntyqan²⁴ qya² ntyqan²⁴ kchin⁴ nka⁴² sten⁴ nka⁴² yqan²⁰ nka⁴² sten⁴ ndiyo¹⁴si⁰
ntyqan24
qya²
ntyqan²⁴
kchin¹
nka⁴²
sten⁴
nka⁴²
yqan²⁰
nka⁴²
sten²⁴en³²
ndiyo¹⁴si¹⁰
all
mountain
all
community
prog:be:2sg
father:1sg
prog:be:2sg
mother:1sg
prog:be:2sg
father:1INCL
god
‘In the whole community you are my father, you are my mother, you are our father, God.’

Acknowledgments

I owe thanks to Simón Zurita Cruz and Wenceslao Cortés Cruz, members of the Elders Council of San Juan Quiahije, for their collaboration, and to Ryan Sullivant, Anthony Woodbury, Eric Campbell, Jeff Rasch, Michael Abramov, Gerónimo Barrera de la Torre, and Emiliana Cruz. Finally, thanks go to Brook Danielle Lillehaugen, David Beck, Donna Gerdts, Alma Dean Kolb, and an anonymous reviewer for IJAL for commentary and editing.