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From “Gold in the Desert”
In the Land of the Dacotahs | |
| The voice of a youth crying, | |
| As it were a thin blue smoke | |
| Ascending: | |
| Great Mystery, | 5 |
| Do thou partake of this food | |
| And still be gracious; | |
| Make it unto me sinew of flesh, | |
| Sinew of arm and the strong heart! | |
| Thou who paintest the mountains black— | 10 |
| Behold, they stand as flint; | |
| Thou who singest to the four winds— | |
| And lo, they dancing, sing: | |
| Partake of this food and be thou gracious! | |
| O great sheet of blue sky, | 15 |
| See me standing here, | |
| Hear me crying here! | |
| I have heard the voice of my fathers, | |
| I have recited the deeds of my fathers, | |
| I have done the commands of my fathers— | 20 |
| Be thou gracious, | |
| Unto me give the heart of my fathers! | |
| My limbs—they are the deer’s— | |
| I have not smoked the fragrant plant; | |
| My limbs—they are the brown deer’s— | 25 |
| I have not eaten the broth of weakness; | |
| My limbs—they are the fleet brown deer’s— | |
| I have not sung the love song. | |
| O thou holy and great Mystery, | |
| Be thou gracious!— | 30 |
| Give unto me the heart of flint— | |
| I have spoken with the straight tongue; | |
| Give unto me the heart of deer— | |
| I have spoken with my timber brothers; | |
| Give unto me the heart of flowers— | 35 |
| I have spoken with the sprig of sage. | |
| Thou who hidest the nest of the moon, | |
| Give unto me the heart of eagle: | |
| That my people may find me filled | |
| In my days of fasting; | 40 |
| That my enemy find me valiant | |
| In my days of combat; | |
| That thou find me reverent | |
| Before the east wind, | |
| Before the south wind, | 45 |
| Before thee, O sheet of blue sky. | |
| Behold, I stand, | |
| My face uplifted, | |
| My hands up-raised, | |
| My soul in nakedness before thee! | 50 |
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| As it were a smoke ascending. | |
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