Yunt'untahaqenni uyuliigalasa laakitš'ilipia yaneqanoqiišuusail uitani ikiitšannilipia iluuliinng aakitš'ilaaq a'ušiišooq.
Most of them accepted namelessness with the perfect indifference with which they had always accepted and ignored their names.
astasatl'aq, a'assasayumaq, asangiikeqq, a'uunaqq yarhallii tataasail ušiisaš, matigalaasasii taniintalii astatliiš.
Whales, dolphins, seals, and otters agreed with particular alacrity, slipping into anonymity like into water.
Ayaak yaqrhaqenni atiyarhiišupai.
But a group of yaks protested.
Yaqq innantaraantlii haqaš, a'ama' ningaš ilaamatinipaš iinuliigaišoq.
Yak sounds right, they said, and almost everyone who knew about them called them that.
Aaq amapaanaškilii uiyatleeq uhah t’aparhaqq a’umaatanirhannipooq ariaak uliigaannilipia ap’atuu, yaqqit uliigang iinyooqaritlii haqaš.
Unlike the ubiquitous animals like rats and fleas who have had many names since we began to speak, yaks could really say they have a name.
Russ ntanaassii ngiiyuukaranngipia.
They discussed it all summer.
Uaašitš'iyuuaramb' astiiyap'ai anap uliigangit nngunng tliiyuurhinitaapia ayaak yaqqaayaasii haktambalaap'ayig uit arhilipia a'iintl'asili.
The council of elders finally agreed the name might be useful for others but from the perspective of yaks it was so redundant that they never said it themselves.
Aaq taaškinniš asaikitšavilapai, ataq uit uliigupiisuliaa nurhalipia.
Among domestic animals, horses never cared what they were called.
Peqilaq, ngiilakeqilaq, ušeeq, galaangqaak, haat'eq qagiililaaš, a'tataanasaak arhakit aatyooqilaniiši iluuligang hak’tliikitš'ooqyooqyatlipia kurumaš.
Cows, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, and geese all agreed enthusiastically to return the names to those to whom they belonged.
Aniš nuutl'ainni ngiitšinilassii haivalihiit.
A few problems arose with pets.
Taskaq, matitu, uitani uliigang yuutlaaq ayaak niit ikitš'uurhiniik aragaš uliigang matigaisaš arianuyasasii tahatliinilipia nuyaš ayaak uit uvihireq iluuliigang aatšatliilaatlii a'umunirak nahaviši iilaak hatliiš aariyii t'aparhaq yaneq.
Cats, of course, always denied ever having names aside from those self-given, unspoken, ineffable names, which they spend hours contemplating, but none of the contemplators have ever admitted that it is their names they contemplate and some have suggested they contemplate the perfect mouse.
taroq, a'umuhakarahaat'eq, ratliihaat'eq, tšoq, a'yayarh uking ikiitl'ipia.
Dogs, and some parrots, lovebirds, ravens, and mynahs had the problem.
Niit aaq araqqannatyaš iluuliigang nutiniit rhii talalaaq, a'mbihatl'akilaa.
These verbally talented animals insisted their names were important to them, and refused to part with them.
Ayaak uking itš'inniit ataš aaniig nkateeq eqaasaš a'anaq uliigumbingiigaa atahanniil laatim, ana t'aniš, ana luupeq, ana haat'eqim sauigutl'ipia yaneqaš, hatl'anniit ikiitš'akilaa uumbing amaaš tuunt'ilaaq.
But when they understood the problem was one of personal choice, and anyone who wanted to be called rover, or little-one, or shoulder-sitter, or birdie was perfectly allowed, they had no objections and so left the generic appellations behind.
Atataataš iluuliigassii aatlaatlii yuntunrhiiš a'up'anng anni at ngiinuyaš aaniig, tsiitlii, a'oqqatlii, a'mu'untlii, a'utšatlii, a'laapunantlii.
Insects parted with their names in great clouds of ephemeral sounds, buzzing, and stinging, and humming, and crawling, and tunneling away.
Initlii ast'aq iluuligang ngiigannisii ngiintuuiviitleeq ušamaš utluurhunngurhurakiringatuu'taanik'oq yahit, a'assisii tuunassit igaaš.
Regarding the fish, their names scattered through the ocean silently like black clouds of octopus ink, and floated away on the currents.
At'uveq uyuliigalakamiišutlii, a'ilaninrharaa astl'ii a'sakumbai, a'atatlii, a'ngiyuutšatlii intinngannisii ana intuutiyangusii uutlii ana ii'skalisa ana skaa'nutlisa ilaiyaq.
Now there were none to unname, and I felt close to them when I saw them swimming, and flying, and running, and crawling across my path, or over my skin or hunting me at night or walking beside me during the day.
At'raraa ninrhuntipai nuutaš iluuligang kutiyaangayuuntlungit aasili, nintlii nuutaš intiisung a'ilutiisung yahatiisungit uinilip'ia.
Now I felt much closer to them than when their names made an invisible barrier between us, so close my fear and their fear became the same fear.
Uiliinariit aria' raranninga, aatitš'ikunni ana ngiitšintlii, ngatantluviniik, a'tuutiyang, a' sakung, a'oqoqang, aatagutšikunni ngaranni a'nkunni, poqquhinga.
Many of us felt the change in the air, the desire to feel or caress one another’s scales, and skin, and feathers, and fur, the desire to taste one another’s blood and flesh, to keep each other warm.
Niit uiliinarik tiisungit at'amayat'aapia, ska' skala' laaqegalaisaakin, a'yahaš giil' giilalaat.
This change was now all one with the fear, the hunter cannot be told from the hunted, a so too, the eater from the eaten.
Nga asaitanng uutšaap ningaš, lurutunig nayulaaq ayaak at'asakitšagahiisa yaašagaaš.
This was more or less what I had wanted, it was more powerful than I had expected but I couldn’t now make an exception for myself in good faith.
Ayoqanni nu'mbitšaap atinaš, ata' šiita a'ara,
I resolutely put aside anxiety, went to Adam, and said,
"nigati ngaat inkitš'uutšiurhapia nngunngaag haqaš ayaak yaa'iinnataarha."
“You and your father gave this to me, it has been very useful but it doesn’t fit me well anymore.”
Laakitš'ing iinhak’iitš'uunntšatlig a'qqusaš a'uinuuš nooqagaa, a'imišiiyayoqquugaa. Ušaqigapaš, šaavilaaq, a'ariš ataš,
It is difficult to give back something given and not seem peevish and ungrateful, and I didn’t want to leave him this impression of me. He wasn’t paying attention, as it happened, and said only,
"iimbaambinoq niit, yanuunig?"
“Set it down over there, okay?”
hak'šavaapia šasulaaq.
And went back to what he had been doing.
Iiššaavvaiilaa aratlii šašatlariiri, ayaak ngii'ušayutaat'aasa.
I had done what I did because talk was getting us no where, but I was still disappointed.
Yuukaaravvupoqava, ahišaap iinušiaq tiniilariiš a'arusili.
I had been prepared to defend myself, and thought when he noticed he might be hurt and would want to talk.
Taniš kussuna a'huutš'ia, ayaak šaaqiiš a'ušitagaagaa.
I busied myself a bit, and waited about, but he continued what he was doing and heeded nothing else.
Atšiyara,
Finally I said,
"muum, laata, hašaq, ušaya liiuintšaak hakivaliig."
Well, goodbye, dear, I hope the key reappears.”
Šaaqiiš a’ariš haniiriiš,
He was working and said, without looking about,
“Yaag, giilitiaq?”
It is good, when are we eating?”
“Matigaa.” Ara,
“I don’t know.” I said,
“At’tšiup…” tutš’ia a’atsili
“I am going now with…” I paused and then said,
“tšiutšiingaa.” Asatsili.
“I am leaving with them.” And went out.
Haqaš, yaa’ušišaap ataš atlivalintšatl’ahitšiga.
Truly, I had just noticed how difficult it would have been to explain myself
Arat’agisa yahatuu, imanni nuutl’aat, iapaat, arapaat, uiitš’ip’aat ši’inngaš paššanišaap tinngannissii ngiirinnitaangaa hurahandanagiisii agilušanniip’ia kanašit’aalasasii.
I cannot chatter like I used to, my words must be slow, must be new, must be singular, must be tentative as my steps along the path between the dark-armed tall dancers motionless against the winter shining.
