Written by Hēmi Kelly. Muysc cubun translations & narration by Brenn Romero. English translations by Mariana Suarez. Illustrations by Munro Te Whata. English narration by Lizzie Dunn.
This story was brought to you by our amazing partners at Latin America CAPE. Find the full 'Legendary Links' project and other language combos for this story here.
Muysc cubun | English |
Quycaua azonuca iahaco nquyia ica Maori aquycaz, fihista cuhumin atye magueza yn aguezaz aguequan sas quyhyn aquyne. | The Māori creation story begins in the great expanse known as Te Kore (The Nothingness). |
Te Kore guy xis fihista cuhumin ahyca nga xis fihista cuhumin, asuhucaz aguezac aguequa, yn ipquabe azonuca chonga anquy com chonga aga. Ysn umza Te Pō ahycac guescac aga. Ys guy umza yn Ranginuis (Guatquycapaba) Papatūānukusaz (Quycauaia) aga. | Te Kore was the unlimited potential that led to the various phases of Te Pō (The Darkness), where Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) came to exist. |
Xis pabas uaiasa Umza Te Po ahycac guescana biza han ubin cam abquys han ubin es achos achahanzac chuta mabie abxiquy. | They held each other in a tight embrace in Te Pō and bore many sons. |
Achuta umzana, pabas uaiasa es achoquez quypqua atyemaguezac agaian achichy abizins, xis quypquaz apquyngugue npquaca, eba pquohoze asuhucucaz asuhucagonzinganuca guehesc aga. | The sons lived cramped in the darkness, squashed between their parents with little room to move. |
Ys nohocan ynacan, xis guasgua ebas apquyquysaz yc bgyis quycaua azonuca apaba auaian fac aguequa ica uca nynga cuhuc abga. | Time passed and as the sons grew so did their curiosity about the world that existed beyond their parents’ embrace. |
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Guias cuhubasaz ipquabie azonuca fac suza emzac abtyhyzas amihistyioa, iahaco abgas apaba auaia han ubin es bizan ianyngabe yc absuns eca acubuns abxy. | The brothers started to discuss how they might break free from their parents’ embrace in order to explore the outside world. |
Tūmatauenga, aguia acuhuba apquanuca quyhyc ai pquyquy iasca, quyi aguquys, chipabas chiuaiasaz angungazacan chiianynga chibgaz aquynza abga. | Tūmatauenga, the most fearsome of all the brothers, suggested the only way to escape was to kill their parents. |
Tāwhirimātea supquaguec apquys azazas, xis auaque uzaz hoc achuenza. Fan xis cuhuc chiaguequa xis achiquis chimucansan sas quyhyn chiaguequanucac chiguens chibquys chianyngaco abgas absoquy. | Tāwhirimātea quickly objected to this idea, insisting they leave them be and continue living the only way they knew how. |
Acubun bohoza abcaquys absoque. Nga güia ata güia ata cuhuba ata cuhuba ata ys ica yc sunsuca agusquan, Tānemahuta ipquabe uchas aguquy. Chie channyca chiita chichihiza bohoza chipaba chiuaia eban chibtanzingacan fac chizasquaza abga. | The great debate continued as each brother put forth his own idea until Tānemahuta proposed they separate their parents by force. |
Guia cuhuba apquanuca chusc ehe abga, Tāwhirimātea achyquis apquys azazas ehe abgaza. | This was agreed to by everyone except Tāwhirimātea. |
Tānemahuta, hatac achihizan mague, apaba auaia es biza eban tac aquysyns,
Tānemahuta, the strongest of all the brothers, set about separating his parents.
(agypqua hichas abtas) apquaqueba, chihiza cuhumin bohoza, Papatūānukus abtas, aquihichanxiez Ranginuis abta. | He lay on his back with his shoulders pressed firmly against Papatūānuku and his feet against Ranginui. |
Achihiza azonuca nga aquihicha bohoza, apaba zoc oban abgyis, apaba auaia es achoquyz amascao. | Using all his strength he pushed his father upwards with his feet, severing his parent’s tight embrace. |
Sihic abquynan, Te Pōz pquihiza fuyzac aga nga xis quycaua azonuca chinanuca yn chipquaoa, Te Ao Mārama, anquy. | As he did this rays of light flooded Te Pō forming the world of light we inhabit today, Te Ao Mārama. |
Tānemahutaz agocas ebasa yc ai absuhuquys etamuys Ranginui nga Papatūānuku yban abtas achahane. Sihic aguenpquaca pabas uaiasa ana biza ubin han eban antanan, xis tamata apquyquyz asucans, aiuz yn apquyquyne npquaca choc acons ai abga. | Tānemahuta continued to extend his legs and body until they were at full length completely separating Ranginui and Papatūānuku who cried and wailed in agony and sorrow. |
Ranginui upquaxiuz acosyns siuc aga nga ysz hichac atanan, Papatūānuku choc guec quisca xie guatoque sietoquec anquy. | The tears of Ranginui gushed forth forming the rain and as it fell upon the earth it created the freshwater rivers and streams that caress Papatūānuku. |
Papatūānuku acon mague afihizca guan ateucaz bahaoac agas abxy, ysz aiez aguezac hichan anyquys guatquycaca Ranginui muysa guat aza. | The mournful sighs of Papatūānuku began to form the mist that rose from the land drifting heavenward towards Ranginui. |
Guias cuhubasa muysquyn quycaua azonucan suza anyquyc aga. Xis chuta atabe auaia bohoza hichana quypquas aquyquy, chuta atabe uchas apaba hichcatan abizinioa guatquycaca ana. | The brothers became the guardians of the natural environment, some remained on land with their mother while others took to the sky to be nearer their father. |
Tūmatauenga muysc chunsua sab chunsuac aga Chiez achihiza achubac chiguene.
We descend from Tūmatauenga who became the god of mankind and warfare.
Tāwhirimātea, quycaua azonuca hichuba com chituc gaia chunsuac aga nga sa acuhuba aguia nxie ys achubac chiaguequa nxie amaisuca, apaba auaia eban abta npquaca. | Tāwhirimātea became the god of the weather and continues to harass his brothers and their offspring for separating his parents, lashing them with violent winds and storms. |
Fa nxie, guatquycan siuz hichac azas hichan suza bahaoaz zos azan pquynuca, xis quycaua chipquyn agasqua, Ranginuis Papatūānukusa han ubin yc tyzuca aquycaua. | Tānemahuta became the god of the forest and all life that exists within, including the giant trees that continue to separate sky and earth. Up until this day, we are reminded of the love and yearning Ranginui and Papatūānuku still have for each every time the rain falls from the sky and the mist rises from the earth. |
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