Native American Poetry: "A Sioux Prayer" by Chief Yellow Lark

[ysabetwordsmith]

Native American religion is diverse in detail but unified in its underlying reverence for the natural world. Each tribe has its own cosmology, beliefs, and practices. These tend to form around the specific plants, animals, and geographic features important in their home territory. Humanity is seen as a part of nature, not as having dominion over it.

Poetry from these traditions reflects that perspective, even when translated into English. Most of it evokes images of sky and earth, spirit and animal. Here's an example from the Sioux.

A Sioux Prayer
Translated by Chief Yellow Lark - 1887

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds
Whose breath gives life to the world, hear me
I come to you as one of your many children
I am small and weak
I need your strength and wisdom

May I walk in beauty
Make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
And my ears sharp to your voice.
Make me wise so that I may know the things you have taught your children.

The lessons you have written in every leaf and rock
Make me strong!
Not to be superior to my brothers, but to fight my greatest enemy ... myself

Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes,
So that when life fades as the fading sunset,
May my spirit come to you without shame.

Comments

[bookblather]

This harkens back to A Forest Hymn, in its appreciation for nature and the way it finds divinity in everything. The red and purple sunset is a gorgeous image, and "Make my hands respect the things you have made" is just... wow. A lovely poem; thank you for sharing.

You're welcome!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'm glad you like this.

I think that people tend to write particularly well about what they live, and the Native American religions both grow out of and urge people into the natural world. So that makes for very numinous nature poetry.