Bi′taa′wu′ da′naa′bäna′wa He′eye′!
Translation
O, my children! O, my children!
Here is another of your pipes—He′eye′!
Here is another of your pipes—He′eye′!
Look! thus I shouted—He′eye′!
Look! thus I shouted—He′eye′!
When I moved the earth—He′eye′!
When I moved the earth—He′eye′!
This opening song of the Arapaho Ghost dance originated among the northern Arapaho in Wyoming and was brought down to the southern branch of the tribe by the first apostles of the new religion. By “another pipe” is probably meant the newer revelation of the messiah, the pipe being an important feature of all sacred ceremonies, and all their previous religious tradition, having centered about the sĕicha or flat pipe, to be described hereafter. The pipe, however, was not commonly carried in the dance, as was the case among the Sioux. In this song, as in many others of the Ghost dance, the father or messiah, Hesûna′nin, is supposed to be addressing “my children,” nänisa′na. The tune is particularly soft and pleasing, and the song remains a standard favorite. The second reference is to the new earth which is supposed to be already moving rapidly forward to slide over and take the place of this old and worn-out creation.