Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1904-12-03
SONGS OF THE PUEBLOS
INTERESTING TRANSLATION AND
DESCRIPTION OF MUSIC or
These PRimtrIvE INDIANS.

tfrum Fridays Daily CINEFgI
Several % thc sousa sung by Ibe
women ui She Indian Pueblo iaruua.
while Swinging their corn have boon
transcribed and translated Cog thr
Craftsman tSymcuac. o. 50 M.sa
Natalie curtis contributes an interest
Iur account of visit to THESE Indian
women with ta appreciation of thoir
iuIk music The inllowIua n from hDr
article
suddenly voice rose mrh and
clear and sI The same time 3 caught
the rhythmic scmplnr sound uf tho
er.ndlnr STONE s0mr woman near a.
hand Was grinding corn ems aiuglnE
90 her a0rk Dc H thr custom of thD
Pueblo Indian. to frnB cora betecgu
two great fiuurH uun s a slab which
De- sol lniu fhe grinding trough 90 "a
blight auElo rby other Cubeliko. Dr.
rubhod hy thr Grinder up and down
over the cnru gpou tho undcrltuno.
with much che same motion that wg
uao loo rubbing CLOTHES upon e. wash.
board The grinding Irouehr tuo and
sometimes three iu number ace sea
into the n0or OF thr house They are
simply square France fo bold che un.
dorstone with CUTTERS uu each side uf
the Stone and 81 me nse for the
scnoplng up OF the corn. ana a rocop
tactic Cor the ground particle.
"As the women srIn6 with rhythmic
swing they HnF And the Heoot un
usual melodies. with the high acmp.ne
Accompaniment of the grindlng mako
/ music aa phantom strange t0 unac
/ cusiumod ears ar are. to the eye tho
I lilac mountain peaks and tlniod dos
ori wastes OF Nov Mexico.
/ "Tho voice sang and turned to
/ seek a. ! made ms way through thu
little streets with its terraces of roof
I The SONG seemed to come from the
upper section ~ the sr"gre white
house Lod hY Che aouu1 : climbed e.
I ladder tu tho ruuf uf iho nrsf story
which was at once tbo door OF the
balcony of Inc SECOND a. my comlnr
the aung ceased. ana Instead i heard
a rapid Whisper Alec 'Aic0 tAmor
ican) paused go the Opca donr OF
Inc upper chamber that lud upon tho
roof outside. ali was blue aky
within were GOODNESS. emptiness
bare whltowashrd walls Two Pueblo
women knolt OF the gr.u1ing troughs
me Younger grinding the corn 90 ihe
finest powder the eidor sitting ihe
ground meal through a seive They
laughed shyly as entered ami sat
down with them
who was the sinror7 Az tho
iquostion the elder pointed 10 the girl
I'd the srindlngtrough Tho maiden
flashed smile ~ J asked her 90 re-
peat the song silently she bent over
the work A few swlft sweeps VI tho
grinding stone and then. a. though
born Of The rhythm che clear voice
rose once more This was the orpla.
nation of the frat song. the music N
which was given to Misa Curtis by tho
elder woman
20 % about the water Do tho rocks.
After rain. water stands lu tue rocks.
and d la good fresh water medicine
wator And IN tho song W. say Took
Co the southwest look to the south.
east. enc clouds are coming toward che
spying the clouds win bring water
You see. W. usually get our rains from
the southwest and Che southeast That
Is the meaning of the song. bat % Or
hard 20 tell IN English
"rho woman said that tho songs
were very old. and that The words
used On them were words no longer
employed ln conversation
Translation.
fO.ho medicine water.
lo-h0. medicine water.
What iife now
Yondor southwest
Wonder southeast
What NE nov.
iOho. medicine water.
lohO uojiclne water.
What lIfc nov
A. an AID 10 the understanding 81
tins song Miss Curtis says that ho
need ~ All pusblo Indians d rain
Tho madeleine water s. caught In ,he
hollow rocks and o. regarded as De-
culiarlv haiihful aad lfeRvluE