Indian Prayers

I just found this prayer in Nur's blog, my blogger friend in UK. She posted this prayer in Bahasa version. It's so amazing to know how beautiful this prayer.

Please read the Sioux prayer in English version below.

A Sioux Prayer

Translated by Chief Yellow Lark - 1887

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds

Whose breath gives life to the world, hear me

I come to you as one of your many children

I am small and weak

I need your strength and wisdom

May I walk in beauty

Make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made

And my ears sharp to your voice.

Make me wise so that I may know the things you have taught your children.

The lessons you have written in every leaf and rock

Make me strong--------!

Not to be superior to my brothers, but to fight my greatest enemy....myself

Make me ever ready to come to you with straight eyes,

So that when life fades as the fading sunset,

May my spirit come to you without shame.

And this, I found another Indian's prayer.

Oh our Mother the earth, Oh our Father the sky,

Your children are we, and with tired backs

We bring you the gifts you love.

Then weave for us a garment of brightness;

May the Warp be the white light of the morning,

May the weft be the red light of the evening,

May the fringes be the falling rain,

May the border be the standing rainbow.

Thus weave for us a garment of brightness,

That we may walk fittingly where birds sing,

That we may walk fittingly where grass is green,

Oh our Mother Earth, Oh our Father Sky.

And also this one....

My grandfather is the fire

My grandmother is the wind

The Earth is my mother

The Great Spirit is my father

The World stopped at my birth

and laid itself at my feet

And I shall swallow the Earth whole

when I die

and the Earth and I will be one

Hail The Great Spirit, my father

without him no one could exist

because there would be no will to live

Hail The Earth, my mother

without which no food could be grown

and so cause the will to live to starve

Hail the wind, my grandmother

for she brings loving, lifegiving rain

nourishing us as she nourishes our crops

Hail the fire, my grandfather

for the light, the warmth, the comfort he brings

without which we be animals, not men

Hail my parent and grandparents

without which

not I

nor you

nor anyone else

could have existed

Life gives life

which gives unto itself

a promise of new life

Hail the Great Spirit, The Earth, the wind, the fire

praise my parents loudly

for they are your parents, too

Oh, Great Spirit, giver of my life

please accept this humble offering of prayer

this offering of praise

this honest reverence of my love for you.

You'll find others here.

Some of prayers, poetry and folklores has been known since the 16th century, indicating that Indian tribes already had literary culture, though still in the form of oral literature.

Most of their folklore, myths and legends were in the form of fable, or about man and nature, is also associated with spirits. Because they believe that whoever dies will be a spirit. The spirits that could be a protector, or can also be evil and annoying.

You know, since childhood I like Indians. Every time I play 'the cowboys and the Indians' with my male friends, I always forced them to allow me to be Indian. Hahaha...