Audio Translations

This page features audio recordings of translators reading their translations of lines from Li Keur, Riel's Heart of the North. 

Jules Chartrand 

J1: C’est ca, just a little up beat... Ci ca, aink

J2: Well done... Ben fette

J3:Twenty-three... Vingt-trwa

J4: If you pay attention... Si ti fait attention

J5: Hmm depression... Hmm, la dipression

J6: But hey... Mi donc

J7: Oh I know her... Oh, j’la connais elle

J8: Where should I start? Ivo j’i divrai...

J9: I understand... J’y comprens

J10: After all, ma p’tchit... Après toute

J11: No, no... Non, non, j’t’agasse pas

J12: Sois patient, ma belle... Patiente donc

J13: Ma belle, comme j’ai dit... Ben, ma belle

J14: I remember a story... J’y’m rappel

J15: Yes, he speaks of the homeland... Oui, y parle d’noutte...

J16: Ok, once in awhile he slips north... Ben oui, di temps en temps

J17: One night, near Pembina... Enne soiri

J18: It’s a day, a beautiful spring day... Ci t’aine si belle

J19: Each cart has... Chaque charrette

J20: So many fine ponies... Quels beaux jwoos

J22: Alors, it’s that old horse’s... Ben, ci la première

J23: You sound just... Ti sonne pareille

J24: And free people! Ipi li gens libres!

J25: Ah yes, see my great-grandmother... Ah, oui, r’gade mon

J26: How do I make these little people... Coument j’fais cacher

J27: Yes, I remember it now... Oui, j’ i’m rappel...

J28: Two black geese! Deux zoutardes nwaire!

J29: I remember this dance... J’y ‘m rappel s’ danse là

J30: No, no, that’s Mabby... Non, non, ca

J31: Mabby has fallen... Mabby y’a tombi

Verna de Montigny 

V1.1: We sew... Kaashkikwaashonaan

V1.2: Wild roses... Lii roozh faroosh...

V1.3: Brilliant blue, green... Vraa bleu

V1.3a: All that we sew glitters... Kahkyow

V1.4: We embroider... Li brojeurii

V1.5: Chokecherries... Lii takwahiminana

V1.6: Soft summer and strong... L’itii yooshkow

V1.7: Sweet, the beautiful times... Sweet, lii bon

V1.8: Canned (in bottles)... Li kanni

V1.9: We make fires to smoke... Li feu di ooshitanaan

V1.10 : We make fires to smoke, to preserve moose hide... Li feu di ooshitanaan chi la bookaanitahyk

V1.11: After the hunt, after the blood... Apre maachiwiin

V1.12: We return home... Ka-pay-kiiwayyak

V1.13: We sing the buffalo herd... Nakamonaan lii baan

V1.14: It takes the buffalo... vaen zhoor li buffalo

V1.15: Heave, breathe... Shooki pakitatamoo

V1.16: Our lives, our souls... Nootr vie, nootr naan

V1.17: We are the finest... Niiyanaan li miyeur

V1.18: We are the restless ones! Niiyanaan papa-mayanaan

V1.19: We are les bois-brûles... Niiyanaan lii bois-bruiles

V1.20: We travel through coulees... itootaynaan shapoo

V1.21: Hunt, trade, navigate... Maachinaan, mayshkitonikaynaan

V1.22: Oh the prairie sun... Oh li salay di

V1.23: the sun entices us... Li salay

V1.24: the nights are soft... Li nwit yooshkawa

V1.25: like my husband... Sikom mon marii

V1.26: Light the candles... Shashkahaa lii

V1.27: It’s our time at last! Nutr taan aen fahn!

V1.28: I sing, I am nervous... Ni nakamon

V1.29: Of this life with him... La vie oma avek wiiya

V1.30: . But I must enter... Maaka sapraan

V1.31: the land of destiny... La tayr di destinii

V1.32: Our home is in our rootlessness... nikiinaahk aashtew

V1.33: Blue flax, green and blue water... Li flax bleu, vayr pi

V1.34: Needles, thread, scissors... Li nihjwii, li fil

V1.35: Maamaan, Paapaa... Mamaa, papaa

V1.36: His eyes light up... Sii zyeu

V1.36a: waashkopahinwaa

V1.37: He sees me... Niwaapamihk

V1.38: I have a sense that together... Ni-itayhitaan enn

V1.39: Let me dance with him... Kihyaam itaymin

V1.40: Types of Clothing pt. 1

V1.41: Types of Clothing pt. 2

V1.42: Types of Clothing pt. 3

V1.43: Clothing and Birds pt. 1

V1.44: Birds pt. 2

V2.1a: Turn your head ma belle... kwayshkitikwanayii ma belle

V2.2: Turn your head towards me... kwashkitikwanayii taykaan niiya.

V2.2b: Turn your head towards me... kwashkitikwanayii taykaan niiya. (fast)

V2.3: That man over there, beware (of him)... Ana li nom naytay, aashweyim

V2.4: He is crazy... Kiishkwew

V2.6: Turn your face towards me... Kwayshkikwayii taykaan niiya

V2.7: Marguerite, so beautiful, so soft/lovely... Marguerite katawashishiw

V2.8: The black geese... Lii zway nwayr

V2.9: Turn your head ma belle, (my lovely one)... Kwashkitikwanayii ma belle

V2.10: 10. Towards me, no... Taykaan niiya, no

V2.11: No, turn your head towards me... No, kwashitikwanayii taykaan niiya

V2.12: The one who is named Louis... Ana Louis ka-ishinikasho’ot

V2.13 & V2.13b: He’s crazy, he’s not right in the head... Kiishkwew, manoo

V2.14: He’ll drag you... Laanfayr

V2.15: He’ll drag you through pain and sorrow... Ka-pimitapahtik shapoo lii pwayn

V2.16: No!... Non!

V2.17: Look at him... waapum, namoya

V2.18: He is three quarters.. Trwaa kaar

V2.19: And only one quarter Michif... pi haynk aen kaar Michif

V2.20: Louis, Take my hand!... Louis, ma maen ootina!

V3.1: What land is this, our hunger march?... Kaykway la tayr oma, nutr noteh-kataywin maarsh?

V3.2: Li Bon Djeu... Li Bon Jeu

V3.3: Yet all we are is sick... Kiyapit kahkiyow ki-aakoshinaan

V3.4: Our horses gone... Nutr zhoo aspin

V3.5: Our beaded clothes... Nutr bitaen garnicheur

V3.6: Flour for moccasins... La farrin por lii

V3.7: Even les oiseaux, les abeilles escape prairie fires... Ahpoo lii nwayzoon

V3.8: We make peace with the enemy... La paay ki-ooshitanaan

V3.9: We make the Blackfoot angry... Lii pii-nwayr kishiwaashiwahk

V3.10: … we do not have enough food … namoya kitaypi piehinaan li maanzhii

V3.11: Maman, pappa, is this hunger march... Mamaa, papaa, noteh-kataywin maarsh

V3.12: our forever home?... Nutr kiikiwaahkinaan por toozhoor chiin?

V5: The Buffalo Hunters of Pembina

Debra Beach Ducharme and Donna Beach 

S1: We sing the North... Ni naa kaa moo min

S2: After the hunt... Ish -kaw nandawenjige

S4: That we will come back again... Niinawind chi giiwe

S5: Sweetgrass, I smell it... Wiigashk gojimaandan

S6: The scent of rebirth... Nitaawigiwin izhimaagot

S7: You’re a fool... Gi giigiibaadiz

S8: I’ve seen her do this... Niin kii waabaama

S9: I find it strange... Ni mayagenimaak

S10: My sister, Josette... Ni shiime, Josette

S11: I’m here, I hear you breathe... Omaa di yaa

S12: It’s Marie, you’re safe... Niin Marie, omaa di

S13: I’ll take care of you... We we ni Ki

S15: I can never repair... Kawin kaa ki ski

S16: And my dress... Dago Maa goode

S17: You deserve to lose her... Kawin ki kaa ayaaw

S18: Ah the flowers of my youth... Apii kii oshkiiaadiziian

S19: Summer of this life... Niibin pimatizii

S20: That summer of lupins... Api niibin bagaanug atisowat.

S21: Blue prairie skies... Ozhaawaa mashkode giizhig

S22: That summer of crackling grass... Apii niibin mashkosiwan

S23: So beautiful were we long ago... Gii onizhishimin mewinzha

S24: I find it strange... Ni maang ka denimaak

S24a: I repair the wound... Ni naanaaitoon ka ki inaapininde

S24b: Just like I sew a dress... Taa pi skoo makode

S25: Just like fighting each other... Taa pi skoo mii

S26: I light the smudge... Zaka’ayang nookwezan

S27: From Creator’s garden... Onji Manitoo kitigewaa

S28: Make offering of tobacco... Bindaakoojigen

S29: Burn all jealousy... Jaagizan kaa kin

S30: Creator’s medicines... Oo weh Manitoo mashkikiwan

S36: The fighting of men... Inninii wak

S31: We women... Ikwewak niinawind

S32: Sew and smudge... Ga Gishkiwaaso min

S33: Take scraps of life and create... Oo taa pi naan

S34: Tell me... Wiindamaw I shin

S35: This is strange... Ni mayagenimaak

A37: All I can say to you... I ta goo ki’ naa da da

Dr. Lorraine Coutu-Lavallee, Dr. June Bruce and Dr. Agathe Chartrand 

F1-L: We sew wild roses... On ko di roz savaj

F2-L: Glass beads... Li perl en

F3-June: L’été douce... L’iti do pi for

F4-June: Sweet, les beau temps... Agryab, li bo ten

F5-A: And doe skin... Ipi la po d’bish

F6-A: Après la chasse... Apray la shas

F7-L: After the dust... Apray la posyayr

F8-L: Blue flax... L’flax blu

F9-June: Le renard traverse... L’rnawr y pas

F10-June: Pots, pans, baskets... Sospan, plaw, pagni

F11-A: Mesdames apportez... Madam enmen

F12-A: Bring the priest... Enmen li payr

F13-L: Let them show us... Les li ki sa no

F14-L: Then out we’ll bring... Pi on vaw sorchyr

F15-June: Bring out your beadwork... Enmen ton ovraj

F16-June: Those leggings for your André... Ti leggings ta fayt powr

F17-A: Is that the best... S’chi l’miylewr

F18-A: Bon shaans... Bon shawns

F19a-L: What land is this... Kel tayr si saw

F19b-L: Li Bon Djeu promises... LBon Djyu, y promin

F19c-June: Yet all we are is sick... Enkor, on y tot malad

F19d-June: Our horses gone... No shfo son parchi

F19e-A: Our beaded clothes... Not linj di perl

F19f-A: Flour for moccasins... Faryn powr li mokasin

F19g-L: What land is this... Kel tayr si saw

F19h-L: Maman, pappa, is this hunger march... Mawmaw, pawpaw, si chi la marsh di fin?

F19i-June: Our forever home?... Not shino powr tolten?

F20a-June: Ah les roses... Ah, li roz

F20b-A: Les fleurs... Li flewr

F20c-A: L’été de ma vie... L’iti di ma vi

F20d-L: Les tourneselles... Li sunflower

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