The first part is the original English version.  The next is the Cherokee with a word-for-word translation.  I changed everything to present tense to make it easier.  Please email any suggestions or corrections you may have to pricetesc@earthlink.net.  Let me know if you need the Cherokee font and I will email it to you or you can download it from here. Wado.

Bob

Birdman, Born of Mockingbird-Lizard

Lizard and Mockingbird lived worlds apart.  One being was of the Sky and the other was of the Earth and both had very little understanding of each other.  Mockingbird loved the freedom of the open sky and the security of a nest on a high tree branch.  Lizard loved the cool dampness of her hole in the Earth, her mother.  She would sometimes bask in the Sun’s rays while lying with her belly against her mother.  She did not know that the Sun was her father.  All the earth beings admired Lizard for the way she moved.  Her dancing seemed to blend the movements of the everything around her.  One could watch her without seeing her and feel themselves slip into another world while their breathing and the beating of their hearts seemed to pulse with hers.

Mockingbird was also praised but by a society that Lizard could not have known.  Mockingbird’s art was done with eyes closed.  He sang songs and his songs seemed to encompass and contain everything.  All the other birds and most other creatures learned their songs from him.  Each would receive their song as from an oracle and would then go away in order to pratice and perfect it.  Mockingbird never sang the same song twice.

One day Lizard did something she had never done before.  She could hear the distant voice which seemed to come from the sky.  She ventured a little ways up a tree in order to hear better.  Mockingbird also did something he had never done before.  While he was singing he opened his eyes.  Lizard could feel herself being seen in his music.  She blushed to the color of the tree but he could still see her movements.  He was entranced by the complexity of one pattern which was moving against the bark in sympathy with his song which was also his soul.  In this way both souls were joined and out of Lizard’s egg, out of the Earth, Birdman was born.

_CjaCsb      (zd#   EE        ac+b
Tsi’-s-qua-a-s-ga-ya Ti-yoha?-li Hu-hu           a-yv’-wi-(ya)
Birdman                   Lizard       Mockingbird  originates (truly)
 
 

(zd#   a3 EE       {83    `r@ a%c+ b
Ti-yo-ha?-li a-le Hu-hu            tsu-de-le e-lo-hi’ a-ni-yv’-wi-(ya).
Lizard          and Mockingbird different  worlds  had their orgin from.

k}    `m~  sFr@    ac+b
Sa’-wu e-hna?-i Ga-lv’-lo:-(hi) a-yv’-wi -(ya)
One       animal   Sky                  had its origin from

a3 i~    `r@  ac+b
a-le so?-i        e-lo-hi a-yv’wi -(ya)
and the other  Earth   had its origin from

a3 ~{f  ~Sk    Z ayfs
a-le  i-tsu-la  i-gv-sa       tla   a-no’-l’-ga.
and  both      each other  not they understand.

EE       aOl3C*   Q/h sFr@     Ql1xd
Hu-hu           a-du-da-le-s-di u-ta-na    ga-lv’-lo:-(hi) u-da-ge-yu-ha
Mockingbird freedom            big         sky                 he loves

a3 alGCs   n5Cl  ZD~  sFf*  QvhsL   Ql1xd
a-le   a-da-nv-s-ga ka-ne-s-dah tla-hv?-i ga-lv-la-di u-wa’-n--ga-tlv u-da-ge-yu-ha.
and   order             nest                           high           branch               he loves.

(zd#    QcV   Q]8+l     a/3J~
Ti-yo-ha?-li u-hyv:-dla u-wo-deh-wi-da a-ta-le-sv?-i
Lizard           cold          damp                  hole

`r@  Q_      Ql3xd
E-lo-hi’, u-?-tsi,        u-da-ge-yu-ha.
Earth,     her mother, she loves.

(zd#    xld~   Gl asCs al]a
Ti-yo-ha?-li yu-da-ha?-i nv-da a-ga-s-ga a-da-wo?-a
Lizard           sometimes  sun    rain         she bathes

@fc~   QC])    Q_F~    sQs
hi-la-yv?-i u’-s(n)?-wo:-tli u?-tsi-lv?-i      ga-n’-hga.
when          her stomach     on her mother she lies down.

(zd#    Gl  Qol   ZQG/
Ti-yo-ha?-li Nv-da u-do’-da   tla-u-nh’-ta.
Lizard          Sun    her father  she not knows.

%sl    `r@  a%`m~   (rd#   a#C!a  a%Ff*
Ni-ga-d(a) e-lo-hi’ a-ni-e-hna?-i Ti-yo-ha?-li a-l’-s-gi?-a    a-ni-lv’-la-di.
All             earth     animals          Lizard          dance           they honor.

a#C!a `#C* a#C!a %S~    hA  aIcCs
A-l’-s-gi?-a e-li-s-di    a-l’-s-gi?-a ni-kv?-i      na?-v a-su-yv-s-ga.
Dance          seem        dance          everything near   it mixes.

|%s#C*d6    !r Qs7C*  Z awv(d
Yi-n-ga-l’-s-di-ha-gwu ki-lo u-k’-se-s-di tla  a-go-wh-ti-ha
Anyone                                  watch          not s/he sees

a3 *V  i~    `r@  QlG/ Q#wDC*
a-le di-dla   so?-i      e-lo-hi’ u-da-nh-ta u-li-go-hv-s-di
and toward another world    feel             s/he fall

@fc~  Qy3 a3 apCs
hi-la-yv?-i u-no-le a-le  ah-lo-s-ga
when         air         and beat

Ohlho!     `#C* S*   Q(ho! apCs
du-n’-da-n’-to’-gi e-li-s-di     gv-hdi u-ti-n’-to’-gi ah-lo-s-ga.
their hearts            seem         with     her heart       beat.
 
 
 

CU  a%c+(zd#ZQG/       EE        a%f*
S-gwu a-ni-yv’-wi-Ti-yo-ha?-li-tla-u-nh-ta Hu-hu            a-ni--lv’-la-di.
Also     a people      Lizard          not know   Mockingbird they honor.

EE        G](   S*  ls/C*d  wLCs
Hu-hu            nv-wo-ti   gv-hdi da-k’-ta-s-di-ha go-hlv-s-ga.
Mockingbird  medicine  with     close eyes          he makes.

ny!C*C!    8ny!a    `#C* %S~     a%LCs  a3 a%G<d
Ka-no-gi:-s-di’-s-gi de-ka-no-gi?-a e-li-s-di     ni-kv?-i      a-ni -hlv-s-ga a-le a-ni--nh-tse-ha.
Songs                       sing                 seem         everything they cover       and they hold.

%sl     i~  _Cj
Ni-ga’-d(a) so?i   tsi’-s-qua
All               other birds

a3 %}  i~  `m~  *nysC*   a%8pja
a-le si?-wu so?i   eh-na?-i di-ka-no-gi-s-di a-ni-deh-lo-hgwa?-a.
and more    other animals  his songs            they learn.

&c+b   ny!C*C!   s5!a
Si-yv-wi-ya ka-no-gi:-s-di’-s-gi ga-ne-gi?-a
Each            hs/her song              s/he   gets

a3 h@x  }8#s       a3 anK3Cs
a-le na-hi-yu wu-de-li-ga          a-le   a-k’-tv-le-s-ga
and then         goes out of sight and   goes through

d3 l<Z   wLCs
a-le da-tse-hla go-hlv-s-ga.
and better        s/he makes.

EE       Qp|    ny!C*!   /# ~xvw*
Hu-hu            uh-lo-yi     ka-no-gi:-s-di’-gi ta’-li i-yu-wa-k’-di
Mockingbird  same kind song                      two  times

Z~F@x~    8ny!a
hla-i-lv-hi-yu(i) de-ka-no-gi?-a.
never                 he sings.
 
 
 
 

kU   ~s (zd#   wEC* aK5d
Sa-gwu i-ga Ti-yo-ha?-li go-hu-s-di a-dv-ne-ha
One       day  Lizard          something she does

~S|    h@x  Z ~F@b  aK5d
 i-gv-yi       na-hi-yu hla i-lv-hi-ya a-dv-ne-ha.
earlier than then        never             she does.

1~    Qycs    aK!a
Ge?-i:’ u-no-h’-yv-hga a-tv’-gi-(a).
Far off voice                 she hears.

`#C* sFr@    Yf
E-li-s-di   ga-lv’-lo:-(hi) nu-la.
Seem       sky                 come near.
 

aCsvf~   }C/  nhRCS~   LS  `s
A-s-ga-wa-la?-i wu’-s-ta   ka-na-lu-s-gv?-i tlu’-kv e:-ga
Short                  in length  uphill                  tree     she goes

a3 ]I  aK!a
a-le wo:-su a-tv’-gi-(a).
and  best     she hears.

EE       wEC*  aK5d
Hu-hu            go-hu-s-di a-dv-ne-ha
Mockingbird  something he does

~S|    h@x   Z ~F@b  aK5d
i-gv-yi        na-hi-yu hla i-lv-hi-ya a-dv-ne-ha.
earlier than then         never             he does.

@fc~   8ny!a
Hi-la-yv?-i de-ka-no-gi?-a
When          he sings

*no#   QVGl
di’-k’-to’-li u-dla-nv-da.
his eyes      he opens.

(zd#    QlG/
Ti-yo-ha?-li u-da-nh-ta
Lizard           she feels

EE        (zd#   aba  ny!C*!   aw(a
Hu-hu            Ti-yo-ha?-li a-ya?-a ka-no-gi:-s-di’-gi a-go:-ti-(a).
Mockingbird Lizard           inside    song                    he sees.

(zd#    a8eCs        aI+K   LS  s5)ca
Ti-yo-ha?-li  a-de-ho-s-ga              a-su-wi-t(v) tlu’-kv ga-ne-dli-yv?-a
Lizard           become embarrassed color             tree     she changes

a3 &  (zd#   a#C!a aw(a
a-le si    Ti-yo-ha?-li  a-l’-s-gi?-a  a-go-ti-(a).
but  still Lizard           dance          he sees.

EE        QcC8a
Hu-hu            uh-yv-s-de?-a
Mockingbird  gets drunk

kU   *)rCo*   sO  lI+s    aIcCs
sa-gwu di-tli-lo:-s-doh-di ga-du  da-su-hwi-ga a-su-yv-s-ga
one        pattern                 on top bark               it mixes

Qp~     *ny!C*C!    CU  al>@@a
u-tlo-yi        di-ka-no-gi:-s-di’-s-gi s-gwu a-da-we’-hi-hi?-a.
same kind   his song                        also     wise man/angel.

@a  ~xvw*   lsNC/G~
Hi?-a i-yu-wa-k’-di da-ga-tsv’-s-ta-nv-i
This   time                they were married

a3 o|  (zd#   Q>_
a-le do-yi   Ti-yo-ha?-li u-we-tsi,
and  out of  Lizard          egg,

o|  `r@
do-yi  E-lo-hi,
out of Earth,

_CjaCsb    ac+b
Tsi’-s-qua-a-s-ga-ya a-yv’-wi-(ya).
Birdman                    originates (truly).