The texts:
These are the nine texts set to music in Eighteen Echoes. All of the translations are by Sara Snyder Hopkins and Tom Belt, except for the “Letter to My Mother”, which is used by permission of the DAILP.
These recordings feature the Lebanon Valley College Chamber Choir with (mostly) digital temporary accompaniment. Eventually, we will record these pieces with a live orchestra. If you would like to add your voice to these recordings, send us a note and we will help you get started.
1938 — Love Letter No. 1
Literary translation:
Beloved, don’t leave me alone/forget me. Beloved, this is what I am thinking: send me letters for me to read your thinking. Could you send my dresses I will be looking for? Send them next week. Just don’t forget I am alive [though clearly I will die]. I want you and I to live together and make our own decisions.
Original Cherokee:
- Gvgeyui + hesdi + tsisginelvhi
- Gvgeyui + hia + tsigelia + goweli + tinvnvi + agigoliyedi + nelisgvi
- Gvgeyui + yidodasginvneli + diquasano + detsigadenohesdiquu + soi + walenvhvi + dodisginvnelvi
- hesdigwu + tsitsvkewisi + ayv + gevi + gvni + tsiyousvi
- Gvgeyui + aquaduli + ginvsa + ginaneladisdii + ginvsa + ginadanvtadi
Line by line translation:
- Beloved + don’t + leave·me·alone/forget me
- Beloved + this + I·am·thinking + paper + send·me + for·me·to·read + thinking
- Beloved + could·you·send·them·to·me + my·dresses + I·will·just·be·looking·for·them + next + when·it’s·beginning·[week] + send·them·to·me
- just·don’t + forget·it + I + am·living + my·life/clearly + I·have/will·died
- Beloved + I·want + you·and·I·alone + for·us·to·live·in·our·place·of·cohabitation + you·and·I·alone + for·us·to·think/decide
1939 — Love Letter No. 2
Literary translation:
I am happy I just saw you. You must get me my shoes, size six. Also my socks. I will be looking for them on Monday. I love you beyond limits. I am happy I just saw you.
Original Cherokee:
- Galieligi + tsigvgowata
- hiano + diqualasuwa + ka + sudali + digoweli + ase + desginvnelvi
- diqaliyono + nasquu
- detsigatenohesdi + unadodaquonvhigwu
- gvgeyui + utsasvsdiquo
- Galieligi + tsigvgowata
Line by line translation:
- I·am·happy + I·just·saw·you
- This + my·shoes + now six·[size] + it·is·written + must + you·get·them·for·me
- my·socks + those·also
- I’ll·be·looking·for·them + just·on·Monday
- I·love·you + beyond
- I·am·happy + I·just·saw·you
1893 — Letter from Tahlequah
Literary translation:
There is a sickness that happened to my friends all around here that makes one in a really bad way. But perhaps we are all headed that way. That sickness is climbing on me. [colloquial meaning “I’m getting sick”]
Original Cherokee:
- yvigvnadenv + digwalii + nulsdvnvi + ale + oyoitsv + nasgi + vtsvgi + tseha
- asedina + nigadi + widiti
- ayv + gesvi + agilidoha + nasgi + vtsvgi
- yvigvnadenv + digwalii + nulsdvnvi
Line by line translation:
- wide·area + my·friends + it·happened + and + one·bad + that + one’s·sickness + that·lives
- but·perhaps + everyone + we·are·headed·that·way
- I + it·is + it’s·climbing·on·me + that + sickness
- wide·area + my·friends + it·happened
1897 — Note from a Judge
Literary translation:
You should just forgive each other. Somewhere one can find it is possible that one can do that. Just accept each other. You two make this right. Perhaps someone comes to understand an expression like that when one has died. All that she wants is for you to forgive each other well and now the only thing that I want is for you two to make peace.
Original Cherokee:
- Disdadadolitsediquo
- hilvhitlv + yvgayvwatv + nasgi + igvwadvditi + gesvi
- Disda + nilvi[hna]siquo
- osdv + nisdvga
- Gilo + yigi + gvwatlisdi + nasgi + iyusdi + iyuwesdi + gvwagvti + udayohusedi
- Nigavquo + osdv + tsidadadolitseti + uduliha + ale + nasquo + ayv + gesv + nasgigwu + igai + agwaduliha + dohiquo + is[dv]ditiyi
Line by line translation:
- You·two·should·just·forgive·each·other
- somewhere + one·can·find·it + that + for·one·to·do·it + it·is
- just·accept·each·other
- right + you·two·make·it
- someone + can·be + for·one·to·understand + that + like + for·one·to·say + for·one·to·see + one·will·have·died
- All + well + forgive·each other + she·wants + and + now + I + it·is + that·also + quantity + I·want + peace + for·you·two·to·make·it
1897 — Letter to Remember By
Literary translation:
The ground shook. [1811 earthquake]
Stars fell. [1833 Leonid meteor shower]
Gold was discovered. [1828]
I wrote this to remember things that happened long ago.
The sun was hiding. [1831 solar eclipse]
Original Cherokee:
- Gadohi + ulitelanvi
- noquisi + uninvgosv
- adelv + dalonige + uniwadvhv
- ayv + gowelvga + hia + an’dadisdo + etiyu + nvdagvwadalenvdv
- Nvdo + adehaluge + nul(i)stanvi
Line by line translation:
- Ground + shook
- Stars + fell
- Money [gold] + yellow + was·found
- I + wrote + this + to·remember·with + long·ago + when·things·started
- Sun + was·hiding + it·happened
1902 — Note About a Runaway
Literary translation:
I was looking for her all day and night on Monday. And then after I had used up all day and night, I found her the next morning. “Come back now,” I told her. She is the guilty one.
Original Cherokee:
- Unadodaquonvhi
- Unadodaquonvhi + udodaquadv + tsiyohvgi
- unadodaquonvhi + udodaquadv
- nahiyui + unadodaquonvhi + udodaquadv + svnoyino
- Udodaquadv + tsiyohvgi + udodaquadv + svnoyino
- ulitsv + daquatvno + taline + iga + sunale + tsiwatvhvgi
- Tsiwatvhvgi
- dihatsvdina + agwadvnvgi + na(s)gino
- Tsiyohvgi. . . + tsiwatvhvgi
- iyuwanisanvhi + saquo + gesvi
Line by line translation:
- Monday
- Monday + all·day + I·was·looking·for·her
- Monday + all·day
- And·then + Monday + all·day + and·night
- All·day + I·was·looking·for·her + all·day + and·night
- When·it·came + I·had·used·them + second + day + morning + I·found·her
- I·found·her
- Be·coming·back + I·said·to·her + now
- I·was·looking·for·her . . . + I·found·her . . .
- S/he·is·to·blame + one + is
1951 — Letter to My Mother
Literary translation:
. . . Also, it rained here, surprisingly, but throughout this day, it was fair and warm. And truly, the day also passed by so long [slowly]. The month of April is not coming quickly enough. I am in such a hurry if there was anything I could do [about it]. But that’s the way it goes.
Original Cherokee:
- nasquv + usquanigodi + gohi + dagana + asehno + kohi + iga + udodaquv
- osda + ale + uganawiquv + gesv
- udohiyuquvdi + nasquv + ko‘ilaquv + aliyalisv + udodaquuquv
- nulaquv + nigesvna + kuwohni + ugalv‘isdihi + utsatiyehno
- agvnvga + gohusdi + gvdvnhdi + yigi
- asehno + nasgiquv + nigalisdiha
- nasquv + usquanigodi + gohi + dagana . . .
- osda + uganawiquv
Line by line translation:
- Also + surprisingly + a·while·ago + it·rained + but + this + day + all·day
- Fair + and + warm + it·was
- Truly + also + as·it·is·coming·to·pass + it’s·passing·by + the·whole·day
- hurry + without + April + to·make·an·appearance + much
- I’m·in·a·hurry + anything + for·me·to·do + if
- but + that + (is what) happens
- Also + surprisingly + a·while·ago + it·rained
- Fair (weather), + warm . . .
1938 — Love Letter No. 3
Literary translation:
Truly, send me my shoes, size six and a half. Also my silk socks. I will be looking for them Saturday. I love you.
Original Cherokee:
- Udohiyu + desginvnelvi
- Udohiyu + diqualasuwa + sudali + ayeli + digoweli
- Udohiyu + diliyono + disiligi
- unadodawidenagwu + detsigadenohesdi
- Gvgeyui
Line by line translation:
- Truly + send·them·to·me
- Truly + my·shoes + six + half + written
- Truly + also·socks + silk
- Saturday + I·will·be·looking·for·them
- I·love·you
1873 — Letter from Asheville
Literary translation:
This is for me to write: I am here in Ashville. I have been here for a long time. There is nothing to be done. (This is for me to write.)
Original Cherokee:
- Ka + aquowelodi + nvgalisda
- hani + atokiyasdiyi + gedoha
- Asequoquo
- nigohigi + geda + hani + tsa + gohusdi + digalvwisdanediyigi
- Ka + aquowelodi + nvgalisda
Line by line translation:
- This + for·me·to·write + it·happened
- Here + Asheville + I·am·here
- . . . because . . .
- A·long·time + I·am + here + not·something + for·me·to·work
- This + for·me·to·write + it·happened