Cherokee Riddle Song: A Poetic Puzzle About Love and Life

1. ᎣᏏᏲ ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ

2. ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎢᏓᎴᎾ- Let’s begin ᏣᎳᎩ ᎢᏗᏬᏂ- Let’s talk Cherokee

3. Riddle Song (14th c) Riddle Song (14th c) ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ I gave my love a cherry that had no stone. ᎣᎩᏂᎵᏈᏗ ᎩᏔᏯ ᏥᏁᎸ ᎤᎧᏔ ᏄᎾᏑᏴ. I gave my love a chicken that had no bone. ᎣᎩᏂᎵᏈᏗ ᏥᏔᎦ ᏥᏯᎧᏁᎸ ᎪᎳ ᏄᎾᏑᏴ. ᎣᎩᏂᎵᏈᏗ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎾᏠᏱᏍᎬᎾ ᏥᏯᎧᏁᎸ. I gave my love a baby with no crying. ᎣᎩᏂᎵᏈᏗ ᏥᏃᏎᎸ ᎾᏍᏆᏗᏍᎬᎾ ᎧᏃᎮᏓ. And told my love a story that has no end.

4. Riddle Song (14th c) Riddle Song (14th c) ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ How can there be a cherry that has no stone? ᎯᎳ ᎡᎵ ᎩᏔᏯ ᎤᎧᏔ ᏄᏑᏴ ᏱᎩ? How can there be a chicken that has no bone? ᎯᎳ ᎡᎵ ᏥᏔᎦ ᎪᎳ ᏄᏑᏴ ᏱᎩ? ᎯᎳ ᎡᎵ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎾᏠᏱᏍᎬᎾ ᏱᎩ? How can there be a baby with no crying? ᎯᎳ ᎡᎵ ᎧᏃᎮᏓ ᎾᏍᏆᏗᏍᎬᎾ ᏱᎩ How can you tell a story that has no end?

5. Riddle Song (14th c) Riddle Song (14th c) ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ A cherry when it’s blooming it has no stone. ᎤᎧᏔ ᏄᏑᏴᎾ ᎨᏐ ᎩᏔᏯ ᏯᏥᎸᏍᎦ. A chicken when it’s pippin’ it has no bone. ᏥᏔᎦ ᎤᏪᏥ ᏱᎩ ᎪᎳ ᏄᏑᏴᎾ ᎨᏐ. ᏱᎦᏟ ᎤᏍᏗ Ꮭ ᏯᏠᎯᎰ. A baby when it’s sleepin’ there’s no cryin’ ᎾᏍᏆᏗᏍᎬᎾ ᎨᏐ ᏱᎬᏃᏎᎸ ᎬᎨᏳᏒ. And when I say I love you, it has no end.

6. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Give me it ᎡᏍᎬᏏ ᎡᏍᎩᏯᎬᏏ ᎡᏍᎩᏁᎲᏏ ᎡᏍᎩᏗᏏ ᎡᏍᎩᏅᏏ solid alive liquid long flexible

7. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs ᏤᎩ, ᏱᏣᏚᎵ ᏣᏛᏗ, ᎠᏟᏰᏗ ᏍᎩᏗᏏ. Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Jack, give me the fiddle if you want to prosper. No, I won’t give my fiddle to any man alive. Ꮭ ᎡᎵ ᎩᎶ ᎠᏟᏰᏗ ᏱᏓᏥᏕᎵ If I should give you my fiddle they’ll think I’m mad. ᎠᏟᏰᏗ ᏱᎬᏕᎵ ᎾᏩᏓᎾᏛᎾ ᏯᏁᎵ. ᏍᏈᏍᏙᏌ ᎢᎦ ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎠᏟᏰᏗ ᎣᎩᏂᎶᏒ For many a joyful day my fiddle and I have had.

8. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving him something solid ᎢᏗᏁ ᎣᏥᏁ ᏥᏁ ᎯᏁ ᎦᏁ ᎢᏂᏁ ᎣᏍᏗᏁ ᏍᏗᏁ ᎢᏥᏁ ᎠᏂᏁ

9. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ gave him something solid ᎢᏗᏁᎸ ᎣᏥᏁᎸ ᏥᏁᎸ ᎯᏁᎸ ᎦᏁᎸ ᎢᏂᏁᎸ ᎣᏍᏗᏁᎸ ᏍᏗᏁᎸ ᎢᏥᏁᎸ ᎠᏂᏁᎸ

10. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᏥᏁ- I’m giving it to him ᎬᏁ- I’m giving it to you ᏍᏛᏁ- I’m giving it to the two of you ᎢᏨᏁ- I’m giving it to you all ᎦᏥᏁ- I’m giving it to them

11. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᏍᎩᏁ- you’re giving it to me ᎯᏁ- you’re giving it to him ᎢᏍᎩᏁ- you’re giving it to us ᎦᎯᏁ- you’re giving it to them

12. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎠᎩᏁ- he’s giving it to me ᏥᏁ- he’s giving it to you ᎠᏁ- he’s giving it to him (animate) ᎦᏁ- he’s giving it to him (inanimate) ᎩᏂᏁ- he’s giving it to you and I ᎣᎩᏂᏁ- he’s giving it to myself and another person ᎢᎩᏁ- he’s giving it to all of us ᎣᎩᏁ- he’s giving it to us but not you

13. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᏍᏗᏁ- he’s giving it to you 2 ᎢᏥᏁ- he’s giving it to all of you ᏕᎩᏁ- he’s giving it to them

14. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎡᏂᏁ- you and I are giving him something alive ᎢᏂᏁ- you and I are giving him something not alive ᎨᏂᏁ- you and I are giving them something alive ᏕᏂᏁ- you and I are giving them something not alive

15. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᏍᏛᏁ- another and I are giving it to you ᎣᏍᏗᏁ- another and I are giving it to him ᎢᏥᏁ- another and I are giving it to all of you ᎪᏍᏗᏁ- another and I are giving something alive to them ᏙᏍᏗᏁ- another and I are giving something not alive to them

16. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎡᏗᏁ- all of us are giving something alive to him ᎢᏗᏁ- all of us are giving something not alive to him ᎨᏗᏁ- all of us are giving something alive to them ᏕᏗᏁ- all of us are giving something not alive to them.

17. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎢᏨᏁ- we are giving it to you ᎣᏥᏁ- we are giving it to him ᎪᏥᏁ- we are giving something alive to them ᏙᏥᏁ- we are giving something not alive to them.

18. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᏍᎩᏂᏁ- you two are giving it to me ᎡᏍᏗᏁ- you two are giving him something live ᏍᏗᏁ- you two are giving him something not alive ᏍᎩᏂᏁ- you two are giving it to us two ᎢᏍᎩᏁ- you two are giving it to us. ᎨᏍᏗᏁ- you two are giving something alive to them ᏕᏍᏗᏁ- you two are giving something not alive to them

19. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎢᏍᎩᏁ- you all are giving it to me ᎡᏥᏁ- you all are giving him something live ᎢᏥᏁ- you all are giving him something not alive ᎢᏍᎩᏁ- you all are giving it to us. ᎨᏥᏁ- you all are giving something alive to them ᏕᏥᏁ- you all are giving something not alive to them

20. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎬᎩᏁ- they are giving it to me ᎨᏥᏁ- they are giving it to you ᎠᏂᏁ- they are giving it to him

21. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎨᎩᏂᏁ- they are giving it you and I ᎪᎩᏂᏁ- they are giving it to another and I ᎨᎩᏁ- they are giving it us ᎪᎩᏁ- they are giving it to us but not you

22. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving something solid ᎨᏍᏗᏁ- they are giving it you two ᎨᏥᏁ- they are giving it to all of you ᏓᏂᏁ- they are giving it them

23. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving him something alive ᎡᏓᎧᏁ ᎣᏣᎧᏁ ᏥᏯᎧᏁ ᎯᏯᎧᏁ ᎦᎧᏁ ᎡᎾᎧᏁ ᎣᏍᏓᎧᏁ ᎡᏍᏓᎧᏁ ᎡᏣᎧᏁ ᎠᎾᎧᏁ

24. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ gave him something alive ᎡᏓᎧᏁᎸ ᎣᏣᎧᏁᎸ ᏥᏯᎧᏁᎸ ᎯᏯᎧᏁᎸ ᎦᎧᏁᎸ ᎡᎾᎧᏁᎸ ᎣᏍᏓᎧᏁᎸ ᎡᏍᏓᎧᏁᎸ ᎡᏣᎧᏁᎸ ᎠᎾᎧᏁᎸ

25. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving him something liquid ᎢᏗᏁᏁ ᎣᏥᏁᏁ ᏥᏁᏁ ᎯᏁᏁ ᎦᏁᏁ ᎢᏂᏁᏁ ᎣᏍᏗᏁᏁ ᏍᏗᏁᏁ ᎢᏥᏁᏁ ᎠᏂᏁᏁ

26. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ gave him something liquid ᎢᏗᏁᏁᎸ ᎣᏥᏁᏁᎸ ᏥᏁᏁᎸ ᎯᏁᏁᎸ ᎦᏁᏁᎸ ᎢᏂᏁᏁᎸ ᎣᏍᏗᏁᏁᎸ ᏍᏗᏁᏁᎸ ᎢᏥᏁᏁᎸ ᎠᏂᏁᏁᎸ

27. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving him something long ᎢᏗᏕ ᎣᏥᏕ ᏥᏕ ᎯᏕ ᎦᏕ ᎢᏂᏕ ᎣᏍᏗᏕ ᏍᏗᏕ ᎢᏥᏕ ᎠᏂᏕ

28. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ gave him something long ᎢᏗᏕᎸ ᎣᏥᏕᎸ ᏥᏕᎸ ᎯᏕᎸ ᎦᏕᎸ ᎢᏂᏕᎸ ᎣᏍᏗᏕᎸ ᏍᏗᏕᎸ ᎢᏥᏕᎸ ᎠᏂᏕᎸ

29. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ Giving him something flexible ᎢᏗᏅᏁ ᎣᏥᏅᏁ ᏥᏅᏁ ᎯᏅᏁ ᎦᏅᏁ ᎢᏂᏅᏁ ᎣᏍᏗᏅᏁ ᏍᏗᏅᏁ ᎢᏥᏅᏁ ᎠᏂᏅᏁ

30. ᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ- - Verbs Verbs ᏐᏁᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ gave him something flexible ᎢᏗᏅᏁᎸ ᎣᏥᏅᏁᎸ ᏥᏅᏁᎸ ᎯᏅᏁᎸ ᎦᏅᏁᎸ ᎢᏂᏅᏁᎸ ᎣᏍᏗᏅᏁᎸ ᏍᏗᏅᏁᎸ ᎢᏥᏅᏁᎸ ᎠᏂᏅᏁᎸ