NIIZH IKWEWAG

Point to any part of the Ojibwe text below with your mouse and an appropriate grammatical/lexical note will appear just below the mouse.
English translation available here.
Story was told and taught by Earl Nyholm, Professor (now emeritus) of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, in his Advanced Ojibwe class.
This page created 17 October 1997, last updated 1 February 2012, by Brian Donovan with much-appreciated help by Tom Wurdock.

Aabiding gii-ayaawag niizh ikwewag: mindimooyenh, odaanisan bezhig.
Iwidi Chi-achaabaaning akeyaa gii-onjibaawag.
Inashke naa mewinzha gii-aawan, mii eta go imaa sa wiigiwaaming gaa-taawaad igo.
Mii dash iwapii, aabiding igo gii-awi-bagida'waawaad, giigoonyan wii-amwaawaad.
Mii dash gaa-zhi-maajaawaad, eni-onaagoshininig, gii-wi-inasaawaad iniw odasabiimiwaan.
Eni-gigizhebaawagadinig dash igo, chi-gigizheb, gii-maajaawag gii-pooziwaad ojiimaaniwaang.
Shke naa, wiigwaasijiimaan ogii-ayaanaawaa gii-aabajitoowaad imaa niibininig.
Megwaa dash igo bimishkaawaad, ogii-waabamaawaan waawaashkeshiwan bimaadagaanid, chi-ayaaben ingwana!
A'aw dash igo oshkiniigikwe gii-ikido: " Haaw Maam, daga nisaadaa."
" Haaw," ikido a'aw mindimooyenh.
Mii sa go baabige go gii-ni-maadakwazhiwewaad chi-enigok gii-pimishkaawaad.
Mii sa go gaawiin igo waasa imaa gii-ni-adimaawaad iniw chi-ayaaben.
Mii dash apii aw mindimooyenh gaa-zhi-debibinaad imaa odeshkaning gii-kondaabiiginaad imaa megwaa go bimishkaawaad.
Shke naa, gii-kichi-dimiimagad imaa naana'idaa.
Mii sa wa'aw waawaashkeshi imaa gaa-tanaabaawed gii-kibwanaabaawed.
Mii sa yo'ow weweni gii-maajiinaawaad igo, gii-agwaashimaawaad gii-izhiwinaawaad iwidi endaawaad igo.
Mii dash igo imaa gakina ingiw anishinaabeg gii-amwaawaad iniw waawaashkeshiwan.
Yo'ow isa waawaashkeshiwiwiiyaas chi-weweni ogii-ayaanaawaa gomaa go minik.
Mii sa go geget i'iw sa akeyaa gaa-izhichigewaad ingiw niizh ikwewag.
Geget igo ingiw anishinaabekweg gii-mino-bimaadiziwag sa go. Mii iw.