Ants Wax Manic: A Translation in Orature

In this study I examine a translation of the oral Ant Songs from ‘Akimel ‘O‘odham (Pima) to English, emphasizing the way obstacles to translation transfigure how they are rendered as literary works. An analysis of their performance, language, cultural codes, and orality illuminate a highly ambiguous territory. The study of this and other translations of orature, including the difficulties they give rise to, can enrich our understanding of literature as well as translation.