Eulodia Dagua, "Toucan Song for a Girl No One Wants."

From interviews with Tod D. Swanson

Description

This song uses images from the life cycle of a toucan to create sympathy for a young girl who rejected in marriage. When baby toucans are inside their hollow tree nests they are dirty and often covered with worms. But when they learn to fly and wash in rainwater they become splendidly beautiful. In traditional times marriages were arranged when the girl was 8 or 10 (and consummated after puberty). Like the toucan the rejected girl is still in the nest but when she flies she too will be beautiful.

English Translation

A woman from my ayllu used to sing this but she has died now. She sang this because no men wanted to marry her daughter. Why didn't they want her daughter? They didn't want her because they thought she was still a child. So that is why she sang like this. (Like) toucans. Don't they look ugly when they are babies all covered with worms? Have you seen inside their holes (nests in hollow trees)? Have you ever seen them inside a hole (in the tree)? That is how they will be inside there all wormy. It's disgusting how the toucan (babies) live. So that's how they look when she is still a young child. But then they grow up quickly. But then just as the toucans become lovely when they grow up and are washed with pure rain water that is how she too will turn out to be. Will you want her when she is like that? I sing. Later she will turn out beautiful. Later when she has been washed by the rains she will turn out beautiful. Just as the toucan (chicks) turn out looking great. That is how she will turn out too. How old was her daughter then? She had a lot of daughters. Lots of daughters! About ten, all girls! Since that was the case and she had lots of daughter as they began to grow she wanted to give them to a husband [marry them off]. That is how she sang. That is what I will sing now. Toucan, toucan girl//Don't you desire her// //Little toucan girl// As she looks at you, living all alone there Don't you think she looks like a little ball of worms? //You don't want her// //The sky water will wash them off/ How beautiful she will looks then. She becomes like a toucan. That is how you will think. Was it you who did not want my daughter? Wasn't it you who did not want her when she was a child? When she looked like that? Like a toucan she will become a beautiful woman. Is it also you who will not want her when when is transformed? Will you not want her when she is like a toucan? I do not want her when she is in their nest (the hole in the tree) This, this is wat he said (then) they will say of me later. They will all look at her and say, "How lovely the toucan looks all washed with sky water!" Everyone will desire her when she is washed with sky water That is how she used to sing.

Kichwa Translation

Mashti shuk ñuka ayllu warmi cantagara pero wañushka man pay. Paywa ushushita kariguna mana apinaun nisha pay kasna cantagara. Imarasha mana munanauka paywa ushira Pay kuti wawa nisha mana munanaupi pay chasna cantagaraya. Sikuanga manazhu wawaybiga irizha rikurij kasna kuruybimi tiagan pay sikuanga wawaga Uktu ukuy rikujchangui kan? Kasnamaga ukuma kurumuyulla ruku an sikuangaga irizhi tiagan Chiga chasna kuinta irizha rikurin maun chara malata wawa, kunawa iñaun chiga ña pay win. Alli cielo yaku mayllashka imasna sikuanga munay rikurij tukun chasna kuinta tukujpiga. Munanguichichu chasna cantani nigaraya Washa alli tukunga. Washa cielo yaku mayllajpi alli tukun, sikuanga gustu rikurij tukugan, chi kuinta tukunga nisha. Imasna watara charika chibi chi payguna ushushi. Pay ashka ushushiyuj mara, ashka ushushita charira casi chunga tupu puro ushushi mara. Chasna ajpi ashka ushushita charisha payga ña wiñakta, wiñakta karima kusha nigaraya. Chi ushushigunataga chama kuinta tutayasha nijpi chi shuk runaga pay kusha nijpiga mana munashkaray. Chi chasna pay cantashka. Chita cantani kunan. Sikuanga, sikuanga warmita // manachuya munangui // // Sikuangalla warmita // Kanma rikujpigaya, payllaga tiaushkagaya. Kuru muyullayaman nishachuya manaya. // Manayari munangui // // Cielo yaku anzhuchin // Ima munay rikurij, sikuangalla tukunya. Nishka kuintak llatami yuyaringa raunguiya. Kanzhu ñuka ushushi mana munanguiyari. Manachuya munangui kunan wawa ashalla. // Kasna rikurijlla tiaun // Sikuanga shinamiya sumak warmi tukunga. Tukushkaybigayari kanzhu mana munangui. Kanzhu mana munangui sikuanga shinallaya. Payna wasibigaya mana munanichuya Kaytagaya, kaytaga nishka washay niwashia. Sikuangatagayari cielo yaku mayllashkay, ima munay rikurin, nisha rikuganauya. Tukuy munangaunaya cielo yaku mayllashkay. Chasna cantagara.

Spanish Translation

La esposa de un familiar sabía cantar pero ya falleció ella. Ella cantaba porque los hombres no querían casar con sus hijas. ¿Por qué no querían a su hija? Ella cantaba porque decían que su hija era muy niña para querer. ¿Has visto el tucán cuando es pequeño? Es feo y flaco, el tucán bebé. ¿Has visto su nido? Ahí dentro están sin plumas, flaco y feo están. Pues así feas se veían las niñas, aún en desarrollo estaban las niñas. Como si la lluvia les limpiara, se vuelven bonitas y se verán hermosas. Y cantaba diciendo: ¿ahí les querrán? Después se volverán lindas. Luego, cuando la lluvia les lava, se vuelven bonitos los tucanes, así se volverán, decía. ¿Cuántos años tenía la hija de ellos en ese momento? Ella tenía muchas hijas, como diez hijas creo que tenía. Como ella tenía muchas hijas, quería dar a los hombres apenas crecían. Ella quería obligarles a los hombres a que se juntaran con sus hijas pero ellos no las querían. Así ella cantaba. Eso canto ahora. Tucán, mujer tucán // acaso no me quieres // // Mujer tucán // Cuando te vi, solo has estado. Diciendo que estás desnuda, ¿o no? // No me quieres // // La lluvia me limpia // Qué hermosa me veré, como la mujer tucán me verás. Te acordarás de lo que digo. Tú serás el que no quiere a mi hija. No la quiere ahora porque es niña. // Así se ve ahora // Se volverá una hermosa mujer tucán. Cuando me vuelva hermosa será que no me quieras. ¿Será que tú no me quieras como al tucán? En su casa no la quiero. Después de esto, dirás. Piensa en el tucán que la lluvia lo limpió, qué hermosa se ve dirán mientras me vean. Todas me querrán cuando la lluvia me limpie. Así cantaba.

Analysis

Not available