Photo: Doane Valley in Palomar Mountain State Park, one of the wetter, and snowier, parts of Kumeyaay Territory (aka San Diego County), by Pink Floyd Fan 101, Wikimedia Commons
RainSong / ‘Echeyuw‘Ekwii (Kumeyaay)
Synopsis: I’ve been writing songs since I was 17 and had my first guitar lesson. I write about just about anything. Many songs, as I have said in previous articles, are often inspired by nature, rain especially, or as the Kumeyaay call it; “‘ekwii”. When it rains, the Creator is blessing us by providing our biggest priority in Southern California. It’s a gift, and a cleansing, and a beautiful thing. When Maay ‘ehaa makes the clouds so heavy, they spill out onto the land washing away the dryness and clearing the skies. It’s the same with people. Sometimes you feel the need to cry out. Once you do, you feel a break in the clouds and you can see clearly, think clearly, and find the words and the way to continue on.
Chapuk matwam nya’kurr ‘Enyaa gitaarr enyaataat enyeweto.RainSong chuuhii. ‘Enyaa ‘iichaa nyip matwam ‘ekwii tewaa tewaa tewaa. ‘Enyaanyaamat; hun nyaamat ‘ekwii mat temur. ‘Ekwiivek, nyapuum ‘ewaam ‘Enyaa ekwaachnysiny hewak tenyeway. ‘Emaay tenay nyilly tewaa weyip ‘ehaa wechan teseyall‘ematm. Nyamu’yuuch, whuuluuk chepam. ‘Iipay chawuuw umaaw! Suunarr Videoumaaw! Nyapuum, uuch ‘uuwíph? RainSong ‘yuw. ‘Echeyuwch ‘uumall. ‘Echeyuwch“Rain Song” waayp wemiich ‘iiwaarm uuch wepay? ‘Emat perewii, nyamata aallehwasmayaap ‘emat perewii, nyamata purp rewii. ‘Ewup ekwach eyiw purp. ‘Emat nyahaypa’waa puknach ‘ekwii pam esimaay ha llye’up. Wenurch chehekaayp. Nyaamatmewuuw ‘ehanches puknaach ‘ekwii tewaa. ‘Iipay rewii. Nyaamat chehekaayp.‘Emaay ‘ehaa nyaamat iichaam. Eyaay han.
‘Ekwiich kaayiwk. Werap kaayiwk.
Peyaap ‘enyaa welliich aapsiiwm, ‘echeyuuwh.
‘Ewaam, maach ‘ehemay. Nyapuum ‘echeyuw ‘echeyuuwh.
Ya’suum, maach ‘enyaach maayaayp ‘enyeway nyip techaahaayh.
Hunch nya’waap nyewich
Yuully nyemsap maach ‘enyaach maayaayp ematm wenaakh. Maach‘Enyaa, nyáama emii ‘ekwii aapsíiw wechan.
Yuully nyemsap ‘enyaawapch nyechuuwiich
‘Echeyuw ‘ekwiim, yachish werap ‘aatuuk.
Nyamu’yuuch ‘ekany, ‘eshuy, ‘emii.
Maach Anyewaay kwa’hanches kwachepap
Enyamepeshuw maayum tuyou ‘ayiw enyemehenyaah.
Maay ‘nyachish werap uumannches.
‘Enyaach nyachepayh ‘iichaa ta’waa, enyemuuyaaw.
Nyáama enyemuuyaaw.
Nyip shuulluw, nyip ‘ekwii, nyip shuuluk
Ny’mat ‘aaw we’ip menkur aapsiiw.
Kweyuuwch, ‘ekwii aarp nyapuum tuuhwak.
Nyapuum haatuupitt wenaally.
Maayum eyiiw tesayches, uutull ‘ewuuw perewii.
Nyapuum ‘aa chepaa ‘ewillp.
Maach ‘Enyaa ‘echeyuw aahiirp
“Enyawapch ‘uumallh nyakur
‘Echeyuw ‘ekwiim, ‘yachish werap ‘aatuuk
‘Ekwiich kaayiwk. Werap kaayiwk
Peyaap ‘enyaa welliich aapsiiwm, ‘echeyuuwh.
‘Ewaam, maach ‘ehemay. Nyapuum ‘echeyuw ‘echeyuuwh.
Ya’suum, maach ‘enyaach maayaayp ‘enyeway nyip techaahaayh.
Mandy Curo, author
