The Blessingway Twelve Word Song

• Haiya naiya yana,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye lana heya ‘eye,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [1.] Neya, now, Darkness, ‘iya,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, it is blessed,
• Behind him, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [2.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye, Dawn, ‘iye,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before her, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo, Behind her, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, it is blessed, Before her, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come up on blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye l ana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [3.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Afterglow, woye,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before her, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before her, it is blessed,
• Behind her, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [4.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Sun, ‘iye,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, it is blessed,
• Before him, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [5.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, now Talking God, ‘iye,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, it is blessed,
• Behind him, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [6.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, now Calling God, ‘iye,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, it is blessed,
• Before him, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [7.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Coming with a Turquoise Boy, ‘iye,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, it is blessed,
• Behind him, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [8.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye, Coming with a Corn Kernel Girl, ‘eye,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before her, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, it is blessed,
• Before her, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come up on blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye l ana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [9.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, White Corn Plant Boy, ‘iye,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, it is blessed,
• Behind him, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye,

• [10.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye, Yellow Corn Plant Girl, ‘eye,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before her, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, it is blessed,
• Before her, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come up on blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye l ana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [11.]Neya, behind him, from there, ye, Pollen Boy, ‘iye,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind him, from there, ye, S’ah naaghéi,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• He comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before him, it is blessed,
• Behind him, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

• [12.]Neya, behind her, from there, ye,Harvest Fly Girl, ‘eye,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Before her, from there, ye, Bik’eh hózh,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, from there, ye, S’ah naagheacute;i,
• She comes upon me with blessing, wo,
• Behind her, it is blessed,
• Before her, it is blessed,
• Beneath her, it is blessed,
• Above her, it is blessed,
• All around her, it is blessed,
• Everywhere, it is blessed, neya ‘eye, lana heya ‘eye,
• I have come upon it, yo, I have come upon blessing, wo,
• People, my relatives, yowa lana, I have come upon blessing,
• People, my relatives, ya, blessed, na’eye lana heya ‘eye, holaghei.

From Navajo Blessingway Singer, the Autobiography of Frank Mitchell, 1881-1967 edited by Charlotte J. Frisbie and David P. McAllester © 1978, University of Arizona Press