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Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

See below for more information.

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation © by Thomas F. Schubert (b. 1961)

To the Great Chief at Washington
Language: English 
     and to the Chiefs of Peoples across the Great Water
     by Hiamovi, Chief among the Cheyennes and the Dakotas
 
Long ago the Great Mystery caused this land to be,
and made the Indians to live in this land.
And well has the Indian fulfilled all the intention of the Great Mystery. 
 
Once only Indians lived in this land. 
Then came strangers from across the Great Water.
No land had they; we gave them of our land. 
No food had they; we gave them of our corn.
They have become many and they fill all the country. 
The dig gold - from my mountains.
They build houses - of the trees of my forest.
They rear cities - of my stones and rocks.
None of the things that make their riches did they bring with them
from beyond the Great Water;
all comes from my land, 
the land the Great Mystery gave unto the Indian. 
 
And when I think upon this I know 
that in the heart of the Great Mystery it was meant
that stranger-visitors, my friends across the Great Water, 
should come into my land;
that I should bid them welcome;
that all men should sit down with me and eat together of my corn.
It was meant by the Great Mystery 
that the Indian should give to all peoples. 

There are birds of many colors - 
red, blue, green, yellow - yet it is all one bird.
There are horses of many colors - 
brown, black, yellow, white - yet it is all one horse.
So all living things - animals, flowers, trees.
So men: in this land where once were only Indians are now men of every color --
yet all ONE PEOPLE. 

That this should come to pass was in the heart of the Great Mystery.
This is right. And everywhere shall be peace.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Thomas F. Schubert (b. 1961), "To the Great Chief at Washington", from Circle of Life - Songs and Hymns based on Spiritual Texts, Wisdom and Poetry of the Native American People, no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Thomas F. Schubert) , "An den grossen Häuptling in Washington", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Maria Nimmerfall

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-05
Line count: 34
Word count: 300

An den grossen Häuptling in Washington
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
    und an die Häuptlinge der Völker auf der anderen Seite des Großen Wassers
    von Hiamovi, Häuptling der Cheyenne und Dakota Stämme
 
Vor urlangen Zeiten erschuf das Große Mysterium dies Land 
und gab es den Indianern, um dort zu leben. 
Und die Indianer befolgten alle Gebote des Großen Mysteriums. 
 
Einstmals lebten nur die Indianer in diesem Land. 
Dann kamen Fremde über das Große Wasser herüber. 
Sie besaßen kein Land: wir gaben ihnen von unserem Land.
Sie hatten keine Nahrung: wir gaben ihnen von unserer Ernte.
Es wurden ihrer immer mehr und nun bevölkern sie das ganze Land. 
Sie schürfen Gold -- aus unseren Bergen.
Sie bauen Häuser -- aus dem Holz unserer Wälder.
Sie richten Städte auf -- aus unserem Stein und Fels.
Nichts von alledem, was jetzt ihren Reichtum ausmacht, haben sie mit sich 
über das Große Wasser gebracht.
Alles kommt von unserem Land, dem Land, 
welches das Große Mysterium den Indianern gegeben hat. 
 
Uns wenn ich darüber nachsinne, weiß ich, 
dass es im Herzen des Großen Mysteriums vorbestimmt war, 
dass die Fremden, unsere Freunde von der anderen Seite des Großen Wassers, 
 in unser Land kommen würden, und wir sie willkommen heißen sollten. 
Dass alle mit uns zusammensitzen 
und wir gemeinsam von unseren Früchten essen sollten. 
Es war vom Großen Mysterium vorbestimmt, 
dass der Indianer allen Völkern gegenüber freigebig sein sollte. 

Es gibt Vögel verschiedener Farbe: 
rot, blau, grün, gelb -- dennoch ist es ein VOGEL.
Es gibt Pferde verschiedener Farbe: 
braun, schwarz, gelb, weiß -- dennoch ist es ein PFERD.
So alle Lebewesen: Tiere, Blumen, Bäume.
So auch der Mensch: in diesem Land, in dem es einst nur Indianer gab,
wohnen nun Menschen verschiedener Farbe: dennoch EIN VOLK. 

Dass dies so geschehen sollte war vom Willen des Großen Mysteriums bestimmt.
Dies ist gut. Und überall soll Frieden sein.

Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas F. Schubert (b. 1961), "An den grossen Häuptling in Washington", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]


Researcher for this page: Maria Nimmerfall

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-05
Line count: 34
Word count: 295

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