XLII. Speech For Good Trading

Songs of the Tewa, by Herbert Joseph Spinden, [1933], at sacred-texts.com

XLII

SPEECH FOR GOOD TRADING

Now round about I guess you are,
You enemy peoples of strange speech
Such as you O Utes, such as you, O Kiowas,
Such as you O Comanches, such as you O Cheyennes,
Such as you O Pawnees, where you are,
Such as you, O warring peoples all!

So now from here I think of you,
From here I call aloud your names,
With money to trade for your good work
Of aching backs and sweating brows.
And when your village we have reached,
And you have something not for sale,
Easily may it come into our hands!

That is what we wish and therefore
I speak now that this to us may happen!