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35th Translation Contest: "Once Upon a Myth" » English to Maltese » Entry #39007

Source text in English

Translation #39007

The Pima Indians of Arizona say that the father of all men and animals was the butterfly, Cherwit Make (earth-maker), who fluttered down from the clouds to the Blue Cliffs[…] and from his own sweat made men. As the people multiplied, they grew selfish and quarrelsome, so Cherwit Make was disgusted with his handiwork and resolved to drown them all.[…]

There was one Hauk, a devil of the mountains, who stole their daughters and slew their sons. […] He silently followed him into the Superstition Mountains; he drugged the cactus wine that his daughter was to serve to him; then, when he had drunk it, Suha emerged from his place of hiding and beat out the brains of the stupefied fiend. […]

So firmly do the Pimas rely on this prophecy that they will not cross the Superstition Mountains, for there sits Cherwit Make — awaiting the culmination of their wickedness to let loose on the earth a mighty sea that lies dammed behind the range.
L-Indjani Pima tal-Arizona jgħidu li missier il-bnedmin u l-annimali kollha kien farfett, Cherwit Make (ħallieq tad-dinja), li ttajjar ‘l isfel mill-isħab lejn is-sisien koħol […] u fassal il-bnedmin mill-għaraq tiegħu stess. Hekk kif in-nies bdew jiżdiedu, saru egoisti u ġellieda, għalhekk Cherwit Make stmerra xogħolu u iddeċieda li jgħerreqhom kollha. […]


Kien hemm ċertu Hauk, xitan tal-muntanji, li serqilhom l-ulied bniet tagħhom u qatlilhom l-uliedhom subien. […] Fis-skiet segwieh għal fuq il-Muntanji tas-Supertizzjoni; xeħet id-droga fl-inbid tal-kaktus li bintu kienet se sservih; imbagħad, wara li xorbu, Suha ħareg mill-moħba tiegħu u farrak moħħ id-dimonju sturdut. […]

Il-Pima tant jemmnuha bis-sħiħ din il-profezija li ma jażżardux jaqsmu l-Muntanji tas-Superstizzjoni, għax hemm joqgħod Cherwit Make – jistenna li jilħqu l-qofol tal-ħażen tagħhom biex jitlaq għal fuq l-art baħar enormi li kien miżmum minn lqugħ wara l-muntanji.