I've Got a Desert High, Maysayn, 'Enyaa Nyip Techahaay (Kumeyaay)

by Mandy Curo (mandycuro@hotmail.com)

I love visiting new places and finding myself adventuring through not only this beautiful planet we have the privilege of calling home but also in the inspiration it brings. As a song writer, I find words in places where I can hear myself think, and a large amount of my content is nature or land based; not always relationship based. One thing I never tire of is long road trips passing places I have seen time and time again and remembering that there, right there while walking my dog is where I wrote “Once was lost” and an hour or two down the highway is where I found the words “it’s like a key to my own front door” or maybe it’s more likely the words found me. This translation is a song from over a decade ago. It was my first time in Palm Springs and I saw and felt so much beauty there, then I returned to my hotel and my old guitar and sang all about it. These words that started just by looking at the shadow of a Joshua Tree on a large rock are my souvenirs.

‘Iipay weyaay matetay wechur wemirr. ‘Iipay marwaymatsay weraaw wemirr. ‘Enyaach? Hewak ‘emirrs. Enyaa ‘ehin ‘aamp matsaym. Achwii. Maaych hepshiiw tawaa. ‘Il chewuuw nyapoom wetapch taayaw. Maaykally ‘uuywii. ‘Enyaa’ehanches. Nyapoom nyii aakily peyaa umaaw ‘eyip. Aach ‘iichaamweyiw. Emak telekwin kepech’uurr, nyÍpi ny’ewuuwm ‘echeyuwchwechuw lyemaachlly lyemaach. Peyaa’echeyuwch nyip ‘enyaa ‘ehan ny’iichaa. Mat ‘aaw hechap matsayrewii.