This term is taken as the basis of the cereal chorus or corn song, as sung by the northern Algonquin tribes. It is coupled with the phrase Paimosaid,—a permutative form of the Indian substantive made from the verb, pim-o-sa, to walk. Its literal meaning is, he who walks, or the walker; but the ideas conveyed by it, are, he who walks at night to pilfer corn. It offers, therefore, a kind of parallelism in expression, to the preceding term. The chorus is entirely composed of these two terms, variously repeated, and may be set down as follows:
|
Wagemin, Wagemin, Paimosaid. Wagemin, Wagemin, Paimosaid. |
When this chant has been sung, there is a pause, during which someone who is expert in these things, and has a turn for the comic or ironic, utters a short speech, in the manner of a recitative, in which a peculiar intonation is given, and generally interrogates the supposed pilferer, as if he were present to answer questions, or accusations. There can be no pretence, that this recitative part of the song is always the same, at different times and places, or even that the same person should not vary his phraseology. On the contrary, it is often an object to vary it. It is a perfect improvisation, and it may be supposed that the native composer is always actuated by a desire to please, as much as possible by novelty. The whole object indeed is, to keep up the existing merriment, and excite fun and laughter.
The following may be taken as one of these recitative songs, written out, on the plan of preserving the train of thought, and some of those peculiar interjections in which these languages so much abound. The chorus alone, it is to be observed, is fixed in its words and metre, however transposed or repeated, and, unlike an English song, precedes the stanza or narrative.
CORN SONG.
| Cereal chorus. | Wagemin! wagemin! Thief in the blade, Blight of the cornfield Paimosaid. | ||
| Recitative. | See you not traces, while pulling the leaf, See you not traces, while pulling the leaf, Plainly depicting the TAKER and thief? See you not signs by the ring and the spot, How the man crouched as he crept in the lot? Is it not plain by this mark on the stalk, That he was heavily bent in his walk? Old man be nimble! the old should be good, But thou art a cowardly thief of the wood. | ||
| Cereal Chorus. | Wagemin! wagemin! Thief in the blade, Blight of the cornfield Paimosaid. | ||
| Recitative. | Where, little taker of things not your own— Where is your rattle, your drum, and your bone? Surely a Walker so nimble of speed, Surely he must be a Meta[13] indeed. See how he stoops, as he breaks off the ear, Nushka![14]he seems for a moment in fear; Walker, be nimble—oh! walker be brief, Hooh![15]If it is plain the old man is the thief. | ||
| Cereal Chorus. | Wagemin! wagemin! Thief in the blade, Blight of the cornfield Paimosaid. | ||
| Recitative. | Wabuma![16] corn-taker, why do you lag? None but the stars see you—fill up your bag! Why do you linger to gaze as you pull, Tell me, my little man, is it most full? A-tia![17] see, a red spot on the leaf, Surely a warrior cannot be a thief! Ah, little night-thief, be deer your pursuit, And leave here no print of your dastardly foot. | ||
[13] A Juggler.
[14] A sharp exclamation quickly to behold something striking.
[15] A derogatory exclamation.
[16] Behold thou.