"The Diné all have a strong bond with the past, don't they?" Ben said. "It really fascinates me. You always have a story for every occasion, and everything is connected. Balanced. What is your word for it again?"
"Hózhó," Hannah supplied. "Right?"
Josh nodded. "You know what, this is the right moment to sing my song for you guys. It's about balance and beauty." He got Hannah's guitar from behind his chair.
"What's it called?" Ben asked.
" 'In Beauty May I Walk'. It's a translation of a famous Diné prayer."
"Wow, you put that to music?" Emily smiled. "Let's hear it!"
Josh started to play. Hannah leaned forward in her chair and cupped her chin in her hands, her elbows leaning on the table. She stared at him. The melody he was playing was so beautiful and so fragile that she hardly dared to breathe. She didn't want to make any unnecessary sound.
Just when she thought the song didn't have any words to it and she'd misunderstood Josh, he started to sing.
In beauty may I walk;
All day long may I walk;
Through the returning seasons may I walk.
Beautifully will I possess again
Beautifully birds
Beautifully butterflies...
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk;
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk;
With dew around my feet may I walk.
With beauty before me may I walk
With beauty behind 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;
In old age, wandering on a trail of beauty, living again...
It is finished in beauty.
This was truly mesmerizing. He'd written such a beautiful song. She could see a hint of tears in his eyes as he was singing the last verse. These were not his own words, but he could feel them as if they came straight from his heart.
Ben broke the silence when the song was over. "Wow, Josh, that was great. You're really talented. I feel honored you wanted to sing this for us."
Josh looked up shyly. "I'm glad you liked it."
"You should play this at the rodeo on Saturday during the musical intro," Emily said. "But I bet Sani is going to be on your case for changing the words of the prayer."
"He changed something?" Ben said.
"Yeah, in the second verse. The original doesn't feature butterflies."