Suaréjnacaríde Chijñecare
Suaréjnacarídé Sings:
I feel sad when I sing. I sing when I hunt turtles. I’ll put to one side my being a warrior, and sing now. I have no confidence, but here goes, I’m going to sing.
I sing wherever I go. And I sing here on my honey hunts. I was once confident but Cojñoi took away my confidence when I started missing Cojñoi and the others, and Ipesudidaté. I really miss her, so, I’m singing about her as I go about hunting for honey. I put aside my state of being one to fear because of Cojñoi and the rest of you.
(Inamía means little sister. It is an endearing name that a man uses for the woman he loves.) Inamia has taken away all my anger. I have no more fierceness. I just miss her. I just miss the little girls’ mother. I miss my little sister. I keep thinking about my little sister and holding her close and then I don’t miss the mother of the little girls. I said long ago that I would kill a white person to have Inamía back. And I did what I said I would do. I killed a white man who was a full grown man and I now I will take Inamía back. I kept my word. I took Inamía back.
Suaréjnacaríde – Tobité, Bolivia – 1965.
Transcribed by: Joyce Davis Buchegger.
Translated to English by: Maxine Morarie.
