Creek Mary's Blood

(album: Once - 2004)

[Singing in Lakotan]

Soon I will be here no more
You'll hear the tale
Through my blood
Through my people
And the eagle's cry
The bear within will never lay to rest

Wandering on Horizon Road
Following the trail of tears

White man came
Saw the blessed land
We cared, you took
You fought, we lost
Not the war but an unfair fight
Sceneries painted beautiful in blood

Wandering on Horizon Road
Following the trail of tears
Once we were here
Where we have lived since the world began
Since time itself gave us this land

[Singing in Lakotan]

Our souls will join again the wild
Our home in peace 'n war 'n death

Wandering on Horizon Road...
Following the trail of tears
Once we were here
Where we have been since the world began
Since time itself gave us this land

[Poem in Lakotan:]
Hanhepi iyuha mi ihanbla ohinni yelo

Òn sunkmanitutankapi hena,
sunkawakanpi watogha hena,

oblaye t'ankapi oihankesni hena

T'at'epi kin asni kiyasni he
akatanhanpi iwankal

Oblaye t'anka kin
osicesni mitakuyepi òn

Makoce kin wakan
Wakan Tanka kin òn

Miwicala ohinni Hanhepi iyuha
kici Anpetu iyuha kici yelo

Mi yececa hehaka kin yelo, na
ni yececa sunkmanitutankapi

kin ka mikaga wowasaka isom

Uncinpi tuweni nitaku keyas ta k'u

Unwakupi e'cela e wiconi
wanji unmakainapi ta yelo

Anpetu waste e wan olowan
le talowan winyan ta yelo

Unwanagi pi lel e nita it'okab o'ta ye

Untapi it'okab o'ta

Na e kte ena òn hanska ohakap
ni itansni a'u nita ni ihanke yelo

[Poem English translation:]
"I still dream every night
Of them wolves, them mustangs, those endless prairies
The restless winds over mountaintops
The unspoilt frontier of my kith n'kin
The hallowed land of the Great Spirit
I still believe
In every night
In every day
I am like the caribou
And you like the wolves that make me stronger
We never owed you anything
Our only debt is one life for our Mother
It was a good day to chant this song
For Her

Our spirit was here long before you
Long before us
And long will it be after your pride brings you to your end "