I shall walk quietly the beautiful trail

 

Now Talking God

With your feet I walk.

I walk with your limbs

I carry forth your body

For me your mind thinks

Your voice speaks for me

Beauty is before me

And beauty is behind me

Above and below me hovers the beautiful

I am surrounded by it

I am immersed in it

In my youth I am aware of it

And in old age I shall walk quietly

The beautiful trail.

The mountains,

I become part of it . . .

The herbs, the fir tree,

I become part of it.

The morning mists, the clouds,

the gathering waters,

I become part of it.

The wilderness, the dew drops, the pollen . . .

I become part of it.

May it be delightful my house;

From my head may it be delightful;

To my feet may it be delightful;

Where I lie may it be delightful;

All above me may it be delightful;

All around me may it be delightful.

'Sa'ah naaghéi, Bik'eh hózhó

excerpts from the

Navaho Night Chant

art by Ted DeGrazia

The nine-night ceremony known as the Night Chant

 or Nightway is believed to date from around 1000 B. C. E.,

 when it was first performed by those who lived in Canyon de Chelly.

  It is considered to be the most sacred of all Navajo ceremonies

 and one of the most difficult and demanding to learn, 

involving the memorization of hundreds of songs,

 dozens of prayers, and several very complicated sand paintings.

At its core, the Night Chant is a healing ritual, 

aimed at curing the sick

 and restoring balance

 and harmony within the universe.