Walking in Beauty, A Navajo Prayer

December 24th, 2009  |  Published in Culture, Education, Literature  |  8 Comments

Osiyo:
At this time of holidays and the New Year we here at Talking-Feather wanted  to send a special message to you. The following prayer is from the Navajo, and can be found in many places, one of which is the Museum at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, for the Anasazi.  Some say that reading the words bring  peace and calm. We find this to be true.
May your holidays be Happy and your New Year Prosperous!   
The Staff of Talking-Feather

Chaco Canyon, NM-photo: Philip Greenspan

Walking in Beauty:  Closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony

In beauty I walk

With beauty before me I walk

With beauty behind me I walk

With beauty above me I walk

With beauty around me I walk

It has become beauty again

Hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shitsijí’ hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shikéédéé hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shideigi hózhóogo naasháa doo
T’áá altso shinaagóó hózhóogo naasháa doo
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’

Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me

I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.

I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.

I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.

I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.

I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.

In beauty all day long may I walk.

Through the returning seasons, may I walk.

On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.

With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty before me may I walk.

With beauty behind me may I walk.

With beauty below me may I walk.

With beauty above me may I walk.

With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.

My words will be beautiful…

Comments

  1. marietta samz says:

    July 16th, 2010 at 5:22 pm (#)

    Absolutely profound!

  2. jim rennie says:

    January 29th, 2011 at 3:34 pm (#)

    May we all walk in beauty.

  3. Karen Phoenix says:

    May 4th, 2011 at 8:47 pm (#)

    My words will be beautiful….Thats Perfect!

  4. Flaminia Zeman says:

    May 26th, 2011 at 9:50 am (#)

    Thank you so much.
    This is the best version I’ve ever read. I was saying this in my heart as I walked through the woods with my dogs yesterday.
    Flaminia

  5. Jose Morgan says:

    November 27th, 2011 at 3:56 pm (#)

    So peaceful and beutiful.I want to say this pray when i rise in the morning.Thank you for the wisdom and love of the Indian nations and to John two birds,who in 1995 told me to walk in beauty.

  6. Jessica Castellanos says:

    December 1st, 2011 at 3:47 pm (#)

    Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! I’m going to make my own poster with this written on it and put it on my door to read every morning before I leave my house. Very uplifting :-)

  7. jeff rhodes says:

    December 8th, 2011 at 4:42 pm (#)

    be at peace

  8. Shelby says:

    April 1st, 2012 at 10:17 pm (#)

    May we all live in harmony.

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