The Blessingway Twelve Word Song

Haiya naiya yana,
I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye lana heya 'eye,

I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[1.] Neya, now, Darkness, 'iya,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, it is blessed,
Behind him, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[2.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye, Dawn, 'iye,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before her, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo, Behind her, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, it is blessed, Before her, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye,
I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come up on blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye l ana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[3.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Afterglow, woye,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before her, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before her, it is blessed,
Behind her, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[4.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Sun, 'iye,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, it is blessed,
Before him, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye,
I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[5.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, now Talking God, 'iye,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, it is blessed,
Behind him, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[6.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, now Calling God, 'iye,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, it is blessed,
Before him, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye,
I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[7.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Coming with a Turquoise Boy, 'iye,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, it is blessed,
Behind him, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[8.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye, Coming with a Corn Kernel Girl, 'eye,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before her, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, it is blessed,
Before her, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye,
I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come up on blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye l ana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[9.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, White Corn Plant Boy, 'iye,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, it is blessed,
Behind him, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye,

[10.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye, Yellow Corn Plant Girl, 'eye,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before her, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, it is blessed,
Before her, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye,
I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come up on blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye l ana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[11.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Pollen Boy, 'iye,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind him, from there, ye, Sa'ah naaghéi,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before him, it is blessed,
Behind him, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

[12.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye,Harvest Fly Girl, 'eye,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Before her, from there, ye, Bik'eh hózhoo,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, from there, ye, Sa'ah naagheacute;i,
She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
Behind her, it is blessed,
Before her, it is blessed,
Beneath her, it is blessed,
Above her, it is blessed,
All around her, it is blessed,
Everywhere, it is blessed, neya 'eye, lana heya 'eye,

I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,

People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na'eye lana heya 'eye, holaghei.

From Navajo Blessingway Singer, the Autobiography of Frank Mitchell, 1881-1967 edited by Charlotte J. Frisbie and David P. McAllester © 1978, University of Arizona Press

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