Yaqui

15 Flower World Variations

o flower fawn

about to come out playing

in this flower water

out there

in the flower world

the patio of flowers

in the flower water

playing

flower fawn

about to come out playing

in this flower water 

. 

in wilderness I am

that only melon

flowering

& splitting

sending vines out

everywhere

you are

in wilderness

I am that only

melon flowering

& splitting

sending vines out

in the flower world

out there

under the dawn

a pale blue cloud

will be grey water

at its peak

the mist will reach

will rain down

on the flower ground

& shining

reaching bottom

where you are

in wilderness

that only melon flowering

I am

& splitting

sending vines out

everywhere 

. 

when the fresh night comes

o night hawk

you fly up

o night hawk

out there

in the flower world

under the dawn

the light beyond us

you fly up

o night hawk

from a branch of mesquite

you fly up

o night hawk 

. 

(where is the rotted stick that screeches lying?)

the screeching rotted stick is lying over there

(where is the rotted stick that screeches lying?)

the screeching rotted stick is lying over there

there in the flower world

beyond us

in the tree world

the screeching rotted stick

is lying

over there the screeching

rotted stick is lying

over there 

. 

ah brother

look at you

a deer with flowers

brother

shake your antlers

little brother

shake your antlers

deer with flowers

why not let your belt

your deer hoofs

shake? why not vibrate

cocoons

strapped to your ankles

brother

shake them

little brother

shake & roll 

. 

in one tree

one stick

who makes the sound of cracking

cracking wood?

in one tree

one stick

who makes the sound of cracking

cracking wood?

there in the flower world

the tree world

you do not have my

long grey body

in one tree

one stick

who makes the sound of cracking

cracking wood? 

. 

what's this tree bent down with

flowers?

surely

it's this flower stick

bent down

with flowers surely

what's this tree bent down with

flowers?

surely

it's this flower stick

bent down with

flowers surely

out there

in the flower world

the floral world

among the sagebrush

there's a flower bush bent down with

flowers

surely it's this flower stick

bent down with flowers

surely 

. 

out in the mountain there

these look like

doves

& in the flower water

three of them

are grey & bobbing

three of them are walking

grey & side by side

there in the flower world

the dawn

out in the flower water

three of them

are grey & bobbing

in the mountain there

these look like doves

out there

& in the flower water

three are grey

& bobbing

three of them are walking

grey & side by side 

. 

you

like a mountain squirrel

old enchanter

sounding large

& like a mountain squirrel

old enchanter

there in the flower world

the dawn

there in its light

that big place over there

that mountain canyon

sounding large

& like a mountain squirrel

old enchanter

sounding large 

. 

to sleep in

these flowers

to crawl there

I who am flower-world creeper

who sleep there

who crawl in these flowers

out there

in the tree world

climbing this branch

I crawl up it

to sleep in

these flowers

I who am flower-world creeper

who sleep there 

. 

where are you standing

in the wind

dead grasses

grey & shaking in the wind

dead grasses

where are you standing

in the wind dead grasses

grey & shaking in the wind

dead grasses

there in the wilderness

the flower world

a pale blue cloud

will be grey water

at its peak

the mist will reach

will rain down

on the flower ground

& shining

reaching bottom

where you are

where you are only

standing in the wind

dead grasses

grey & shaking in the wind

dead grasses 

. 

ah brother

they want us to kill

this beaver

they want us to kill

ah brother

this beaver

this beaver

ah brother

they want us to kill

with a bow & arrow

they want us to kill it

ah brother

with hair standing up

they were waiting

& ran from us

broke down their doors to get in

now they want us

to kill it

ah brother

with a bow & arrow

ah brother

they want us to kill it 

. 

flower

with the body of a fawn

under a cholla flower

standing there

to rub your antlers

bending

turning where you stand to rub

your antler

in the flower world

the dawn

there in its light

under a cholla flower

standing there

to rub your antlers

bending turning where you stand

to rub your antlers

flower

with the body of a fawn

under a cholla flower

standing there

to rub your antlers

bending

turning where you stand to rub

your antlers 

. 

Song of a Dead Man

I do not want these flowers

moving

but the flowers

want to move

I do not want these flowers

moving

but the flowers

want to move

I do not want these flowers

moving

but the flowers

want to move

out in the flower world

the dawn

over a road of flowers

I do not want these flowers

moving

but the flowers

want to move

I do not want these flowers

moving

but the flowers

the flowers

want to move 

. 

now the cloud

will break

the cloud will break

& now

the cloud will break

the cloud

will break

& now the cloud

will break

the cloud will break

there in the flower world

under the dawn

this pale blue cloud

will be grey water

at its peak

the mist will reach

will rain down

shining

& reaching bottom

now the cloud

will break

the cloud will break

& now

the cloud will break

the cloud

will break 

The Flower World settings were derived by Jerome Rothenberg from traditional Yaqui Deer Dance songs in literal translations by Carleton Wilder, et al.