Last year (2007), a very good friend in the Cherokee Community sent me a gift which included the novel “Thirteen Moons” by Charles Frazier. With this book came a companion book with the Cherokee translation by  Myrtle Driver Johnson. The translation only covers pages 173-273 of the English version novel, covering the Indian Removal period back in the 1830’s. The book contains the translation in the Cherokee script on the left side, and the Cherokee language in the Roman script on the right side.

 

       

 

Two days ago, Christmas Eve (2008), as I was getting ready for work, the postman dropped off an unexpected package for me. I opened it and was amazed to discover that I had again been gifted! This time with the set of 5 CD’s with the translation from Thirteen Moons recited in Cherokee by Myrtle Driver Johnson, a fluent Cherokee speaker.

 

I wanted to share a sample of this with others. If you really find this of interest, you can get your own copies from:

 

Museum of the Cherokee Indian

PO Box 1599

Cherokee, NC 28719

Ph: 828-497-3481

Fax: 828-497-4985

 

Proceeds go to help preserve the Cherokee language.

Not just another endangered language, but part of our American heritage!

 

This is just a sample to pique your interest. As far as I know, this is the first major literary creation translated into a Native American language.

 

First is the English version…

 

 

Then the Cherokee version written in Roman script…

 


** Click image to hear this spoken in Cherokee **

 

Then the Cherokee written in modern Cherokee script…

 


** Click image to hear this spoken in Cherokee **

 

And finally, my own rendition of this same section written in “the old script.”

You will not find this script in your standard academic books…

 


** Click image to hear this spoken in Cherokee **

 

 

I find it interesting that Cherokee words & phrases tend to be so long and seemingly

convoluted. However, the language tends to “paint” with words. So in the long run

you end up saying less, yet describing more.  I doubt that I will ever really grasp the

language fully, but I am constantly amazed and intrigued!

 

And finally … I am attaching a part of the 2nd sound track from the first CD which

Is recited by Myrtle Driver Johnson in Cherokee so you can hear the language spoken

and get a feel of the rhythm and cadence.

 

I hope you found this interesting and educational. In the future I am hoping to create my

own sound file in my own voice repeating the above excerpt. Wish me luck! Lol… It is NOT

an easy language. But it is an amazing and beautiful one…

 

Lew Lewis

(aka Li Luyi)

 

Li Luyi

Ꮅ ᎷᏱ ᏓᏩᏙᎠ

 

 

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