  D Downward through the evening twilight, In the days that are forgotten, In the unremembered ages, From the full moon fell Nokomis, 5Fell the beautiful Nokomis, She a wife but not a mother. She was sporting with her women, Swinging in a swing of grape-vines, When her rival, the rejected, 10Full of jealousy and hatred, Cut the leafy swing asunder, And Nokomis fell affrighted Downward through the evening twilight, 15On the Muskoday, the meadow, On the prairie full of blossoms. "See! a star falls!" said the people; "From the sky a star is falling!" There among the ferns and mosses, 20There among the prairie lilies, On the Muskoday, the meadow, In the moonlight and the starlight, Fair Nokomis bore a daughter. And she called her name Wenonah, 25As the first-born of her daughters. And the daughter of Nokomis Grew up like the prairie lilies, Grew a tall and slender maiden, With the beauty of the moonlight, 30With the beauty of the starlight. And Nokomis warned her often, Saying oft, and oft repeating, "Oh, beware of Mudjekeewis, Of the West-Wind, Mudjekeewis; 35Listen not to what he tells you; Lie not down upon the meadow, Lest the West-Wind come and harm you!" But she heeded not the warning, 40Heeded not those words of wisdom. And the West-Wind came at evening, Walking lightly o'er the prairie, Whispering to the leaves and blossoms, Bending low the flowers and grasses, 45Found the beautiful Wenonah, Lying there among the lilies, Wooed her with his words of sweetness, Wooed her with his soft caresses, Till she bore a son in sorrow, 50Bore a son of love and sorrow, Thus was born my Hiawatha, Thus was born the child of wonder; But the daughter of Nokomis, Hiawatha's gentle mother, 55In her anguish died deserted By the West-Wind, false and faithless, By the heartless Mudjekeewis. For her daughter, long and loudly Wailed and wept the sad Nokomis; 60"Oh that I were dead!" she murmured, "Oh that I were dead, as thou art! Wahonowin! Wahonowin!" By the shores of Gitche Gumee, 65By the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood the wigwam of Nokomis Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis. Dark behind it rose the forest, Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees, 70Rose the firs with cones upon them; Bright before it beat the water, Beat the clear and sunny water, Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water. There the wrinkled old Nokomis 75Nursed the little Hiawatha, Rocked him in his linden cradle, Bedded soft in moss and rushes, Safely bound with reindeer sinews; Stilled his fretful wail by saying, 80"Hush! the Naked Bear will hear thee!" Lulled him into slumber, singing, "Ewa-yea! my little owlet! Who is this, that lights the wigwam? With his great eyes lights the wigwam? 85Ewa-yea! my little owlet!" Many things Nokomis taught him Showed him Ishkoodah, the comet, Ishkoodah, with fiery tresses; 90Showed the Death-Dance of the spirits, Warriors with their plumes and war-clubs Flaring far away to northward In the frosty nights of Winter; Showed the broad white road in heaven, 95Pathway of the ghosts, the shadows, Running straight across the heavens, Crowded with the ghosts, the shadows. At the door on summer evenings Sat the little Hiawatha; 100Heard the whispering of the pine-trees, Heard the lapping of the waters, Sounds of music, words of wonder; "Minne-wawa!" said the pine-trees. "Mudway-aushka!" said the water. 105Saw the fire-fly, Wah-wah-taysee, Flitting through the dusk of evening, With the twinkle of its candle Lighting up the brakes and bushes, And he sang the song of children, 110Sang the song Nokomis taught him: "Wah-wah-taysee, little fire-fly, Little, dancing, white-fire creature, Light me with your little candle, 115Ere upon my bed I lay me, Ere in sleep I close my eyelids!" Saw the moon rise from the water Rippling, rounding from the water, Saw the flecks and shadows on it, 120Whispered, "What is that, Nokomis?" And the good Nokomis answered: "Once a warrior, very angry, Seized his grandmother, and threw her Up into the sky at midnight; 125Right against the moon he threw her; 'T is her body that you see there." |
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