ə
iʔ‿
ʷnim 1
Songs for Beginners
in Colville-Okanagan
by Sarah Peterson
2nd Edition
ə
ʔ‿
ʷnim 1
Most of the songs in this collection were translated from English and are based on
traditional Euro-American melodies. Two of the songs are traditional Syilx melodies. All of
the songs were translated or transcribed and sung by Sarah Peterson. Tish Elkink (Lower
Similkameen) and LaRae Wiley (Lakes) also sing a version of the numbers song.
Thanks and recognition are given to Pauline Flett (Spokane) for the concepts behind the
songs, Where is Coyote? and the Numbers Song. Her recordings and transcriptions in
Spokane Salish have been an inspiration for many.
All of the songs were recorded by Christopher Parkin, from August of 2004 thru March of
2005. Publication of the audio CD and lyrics has been supported by The Center for
Interior Salish (now Salish School of Spokane), The Paul Creek Language Association, and the
Lower Similkameen Indian Band.
This second edition has been reformatted using the Aboriginal Unicode font and includes
spelling revisions by Christopher Parkin of Salish School of Spokane.
USA ©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane
Canada © 2004–13 The Paul Creek Language Association
No copyright is asserted for the melodies included in this song collection.
Interested persons may duplicate these materials for NON-COMMERCIAL purposes as long
as credit is given to the author.
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
1
ə
ʔ‿
1.
ʷnim 1
ʔ kn‿
2.
to the tune of skip to my lou
ʔ
to the tune of where is thumbkin?
3.
4.
naqs ʔ
5.
iʔ‿nʕ
to the tune of twinkle little star
ʷ
to the tune of the Barney song
6.
traditional
7.
8.
əkł
ba ba
mary had a little lamb
ʷʕ
9.
baa baa black sheep
ʔł
head, shoulders, knees and toes
10.
traditional
11.
kaʔł
12.
ʕ
13.
ʔ‿ ʷ ʷxʷnaʔ
ʔ tə‿
ʔ
14.
kłʔ
15.
iʔ‿sxʷ
ʔ
ʷ cə
ʕ
three blind mice
to the tune of skip to my lou
ʔt skʷəkʷ
‿ ł ʷutn
ʷyaʔ
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
twinkle little star
ten in the bed
the ants go marching in
Revised June 16, 2013
2
1. ʔ kn‿
ʔ ʷ‿ ast ?
ʔ ʷ‿ ast ?
ʔ ʷ‿ ast ?
ha ʔ ʷ‿ ast ʕ
wa
ʔ
ʔ
‿
ʔ
‿
ʔ
‿
‿
ʕ
ʔ ?
ʔ.
Hello, how are you (x3)
How are you today?
Hello, I am fine (x3)
I am fine today.
2.
ʔ
ʔ
‿
,
ʔ
ʔ
‿
ʔ
ʔ
ʕ
ʔ
ʔ kn‿
yalt, yalt
Where is Coyote? (x2)
Here I am (x2)
How are you today?
I am fine, thank you
Run away (x2)
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
3
ʔ (name),
t
ʔ (name),
wa
Here is (name), it's easy to say
Here is (name), tell them hello
Hello
4. naqs ʔ
naqs, ʔ
l
l, kaʔł
kst,
ʔ
kst, naqs
ʔ
kst
, timł,
ə
‿ʔ
kst
‿ʔ
one, two, three, four, five
six, seven, eight, nine
ten, one to ten
ten, one to ten
5. iʔ‿nʕ
ʷ
(Barney song)
ʷ‿
ʷ ‿
ʷ ‿
ł ʷ ‿
ʷ ‿
ʷ
ʷ
ł ł
uc caʔ ʷ
ʕasntsn
ʷ ‿
I love you, you love me
We are family, we are happy
We hug and we kiss
won't you say you love me
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
4
6.
u···la
iʔ‿
ł
ʔ
ʷ
uuu la la my older brother
got his stomach stepped on
by mountain sheep (ram)
praying mantis, praying mantis
7.
ə
ə ł
,
ə ł
iʔ‿
ts piq
ł ə‿
yʕat taʔ
ł ‿
ʷ
yʕat taʔ
ł ‿
ʷ
iʔ‿
ʔ
ʷ
ʷ
ʷ
ʔ
Mary had a sheep, sheep, sheep
Mary had a sheep
It's fleece as white as snow
Everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went
Everywhere that Mary went
The sheep did too.
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
5
8. ba ba
ba ba
ʷʕay
ʷʕay
ha ʷ_kł
t
wa ł ʔł
naqs
ʷ
naqs
‿ə
ə
ʔ‿
ʷʕay
ʔ ʷ
ł
ʷ ł
ł ʔł
Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool
Yes, yes, I have three
One for the boss, one for the dame
One for the boy who live in the lane
Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool
Yes, yes, I have three
9.
ʔ
ʔł
ʔ ʔ
ʔł
ʔł
ʷ
ʷ
ʔ
spsaqs naʔł
Head and shoulders
Knees and toes
Head and shoulders
Eyes, ears
Nose and mouth
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
6
10.
,
ʔ
ʔ‿
ʷ
ʷʔ
ʔ
ʔ‿
ʔ‿
ʷ
ʷʔ
ʔ iʔ‿
ʔ iʔ‿
ʔus iʔ‿
ʔus iʔ‿
ʔ‿
Monster is coming (x2)
Big teeth has the monster (x2)
Monster is coming (x2)
Sharp teeth has the monster (x2)
Monster is coming (x2)
Big ears has the monster (x2)
Monster is coming (x2)
Big eyes has the monster (x2)
Monster is coming (x2)
11. kaʔ
ʔ‿ ʷ ʷ ʷ
kaʔł
ʔ‿ ʷ ʷ ʷ
ł ‿
ə
ʔ‿
ʔ
ʔ, kaʔł
ʔ‿ ʷ ʷ ʷ
ʔ
ł ‿
ʷ
ʷ iʔ‿
ʔ‿tə‿ ʷ
ha put cwikst ʷ
ł
ʷ
ʷ
ʔ‿
ʔ
kaʔł
ʔ‿ ʷ ʷ ʷ
ʔ
kaʔł
ʔ‿ ʷ ʷ ʷ
ʔ
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
7
Three blind mice (x2)
Look how they run (x2)
They chase after the chief's wife
She cuts off their tails with her sharp knife
Did you ever see anything like that
Three blind mice (x2)
12. ʕ
ʔ tə‿
ha cmis
ʷ
ʕ
ʷ
ʕ
ʷ
ʕ
ʕ
ʔ
ʷ
...ʕ
ʔ sʔ
...ʕ
ʔ skaʔł
...ʕ
ʔ
...ʕ
ʔ
...ʕ
ʔ
...ʕ
ʔ skʕ
ʕ
ʕ
ʕ
.
ʕ
ʕ
ʕ
ł ʔ
ʕ
ʕ
Do you know what day it is? (x3)
Today is Monday.
Today is Tuesday.
Today is Wednesday.
Today is Thursday.
Today is Friday.
Today is Saturday.
Today is Sunday.
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
8
13.
ʔ
ʔ
ʔ
ʔ
ʷ ə
ʷ ə
ʔ
ʔ
‿
ʷə ʷ
ʷə ʷ
ʷ‿
ł
‿
ł
ʔ
‿
‿
ʔ
ʔ
ʷ ə
ʔ ʷ‿
ʔ‿ ‿
ʔ
‿
ʷə ʷ
ʷ‿
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
So high in the sky you sit
Like something shining in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
14.
ʔ
‿
łʔ
‿ ł ʷ
iʔ‿
cut
ʷ
uł yʕayʕ
uł
ə
ʷ ʔ‿knaqs
ł ə
‿ ł ʷ
...
ł ‿ ł ʷ
‿ ł ʷ
...
...
‿ ł ʷ
‿ ł ʷ
...
...
kmusmə
‿ ł ʷ
...
tkaʔkaʔł
‿ ł ʷ
...
ʔ
‿ ł ʷ
iʔ‿
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
9
uł yʕayʕ
uł
ə
ʷ ʔ‿knaqs
‿ ł ʷ
iʔ‿
‿
‿
ʷə ʷʔac
There were ten (nine, eight, seven, etc) in the bed
And the little one said
Y'all roll over (x2)
And they all rolled over
And out fell the little one
There were two in the bed
And the little one said
Roll over, you (x2)
And they all rolled over
And out fell the little one
There was one in the bed
And the little one said
I'm lonely (x2)
Good night!
15. iʔ‿ ʷ
ʷ
ʔ
ʔ‿ ʷ
ʷ
ʔ ʔ
ʔ‿ ʷ
ʷ
ʔ ʔ
iʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ ł
ł ʕ
ʔ
ʔ ʷə
ʔ ʔ
ł
ə
ʔ‿
ə
‿
bum, bum, bum, bum
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
10
ʔ
ʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
tkaʔkaʔł
ʔ
ł ʕacʕ
ʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ
ł
kmusməs... iʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ
ł
ʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ
iʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ł
ə
kʔ
ʔ‿ ʷʔ ł...
ə‿
ł ʔł
ʔ
ʔ
...
ə‿
ł ʷ...
ʔ...
ł łə
ł
ʷ
ʷ ‿
ʷ
ʔ‿kilxs...
ʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ
ł
ʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ
ł ʕaʔlʕaʔ
ʔ‿ ʷə ʷ
ʔ
ł
ʔm
One ant followed
My goodness (x2)
One ant followed
My goodness (x2)
The little one stopped to suck her thumb
They all went into the ground to get out of the rain
And they all followed, boom, boom, boom
Two ants... the little one stopped and tied her shoes...
Three ants... the little one stopped and rode on a bee...
Four ants... the little one stopped and drank some water
Five ants... the little one stopped and ate some sarvice berries
Six ants... the little one stopped and jumped in the lake
Seven ants... the little one stopped and licked her hand
Eight ants... the little one stopped and kicked up her feet
Nine ants... the little one stopped and put on her shoes
Ten ants... the little one stopped and put on her coat
©2004–13 Salish School of Spokane et al.
Revised June 16, 2013
11