Dzahadu te mo
Dzahadu te mo
‘rópoto mono mono wa hã dzahadu te mo
‘rópoto mono mono wa hã dzahadu te mo
Dzahadu te mo
Dzahadu te mo
Wa ãma tsimei wê te wa dza ‘re wa to dza’ra
Wa ãma tsimei wê te wa dza ‘re wa to dza’ra
Wa ãma tsimei wê te wa dza ‘re wa to dza’ra
Wa ãma tsimei wê te wa dza ‘re wa to dza’ra
Wa ãma tsimei wê te wa dza ‘re wa to dza’ra
Wa ãma tsimei wê te wa dza ‘re wa to dza’ra
Dzahadu te mo
Dzahadu te mo
‘rópoto mono mono wa hã dzahadu te mo
‘rópoto mono mono wa hã dzahadu te mo
Dzahadu te mo
Dzahadu te mo
The Parinai’a still live in the ‘Ró
They still live in the ‘Ró
The ones who created the ‘Ró
The ones who created the ‘Ró
They still live in the ‘Ró
They still live in the ‘Ró
We celebrate to please them
We celebrate to please them
We celebrate to please them
We celebrate to please them
We celebrate to please them
We celebrate to please them
They still live in the ‘Ró
They still live in the ‘Ró
The ones who created ‘Ró
The ones who created ‘Ró
They still live in the ‘Ró
They still live in the ‘Ró
This song tells that the Parinai’a have not departed to live in the Village of the Dead; they continue to watch over and protect us. We perform many ceremonies to please them and the other spirits who live in the Cerrado, which we call ‘Ró.
Parinai’a are two mythological figures, who appeared and sang in Adão’s Sa’ãmri’s dream. They brought the Xavante world into being when they playfully transformed themselves into the plants and animals of the Cerrado. They created the Cerrado foods we eat: mo’õno roots, a’õ (jatoba), abaré (piqui), a’ódó (macauba), and many others.
Editor’s Note: This song is based on a dream by a Xavante named Adão Sa’ãmri , who narrated the dream to Hiparidi Top’tiro one afternoon as they exchanged thoughts about projects in Xavante communities. The English translation is not literal, but informed by Adão’s interpretation of his dream. An audio recording of this song can be found on the Cultural Survival website, www.cs.org. Music transcribed by T.M. Scruggs, Jr. Lyrics transcribed and translated by Laura R. Graham.
